Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Evil Eye by Etaf Rum

90 reviews

serendipitysbooks's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

 Evil Eye is the story of Yara, a Palestinian- American woman, and her search for a more fulfilling life. Yara believes she should be happy. She’s married with two beautiful children and was able to earn a Masters degree and work at the local college, far more than she could ever hoped for during her very circumscribed childhood. But Yara wants more out of life, including travel and a closer relationship with her husband. Faced with a few personal crises she is eventually ready to reckon with her past and take action to work towards a more satisfying future for herself.

In this book Rum did a couple of things really well. One is the way she showcased intergenerational trauma, drawing clear links between the Nakba, the trauma based (and trauma causing) behaviours of Yara’s parents, and some of her own struggles. Another is the way she portrayed Yara’s emotions in a way that was so easy to empathise with that it hurt to read. I could feel her claustrophobia, her frustration at not being seen, her struggle to reconcile her dreams and aspirations with her family and cultural background, her guilt at not obeying, her pain at feeling that her emotions and aspirations were somehow wrong. At one point I actually needed to put the book aside to give my heart time to recover, and that is something I rarely do. For a time Yara made no progress, seemingly stuck in a cycle of unhappiness. While this was somewhat frustrating to read it also felt very accurate and true to life, an on the page representation of her life. Therapy was unable to make a difference until Yara was both willing to engage and able to find a therapist she felt comfortable with, but then it helped her make some big breakthroughs. I loved the friendship that developed between Silas (and his mother) and Yara. So refreshing to see a friendship between a male and female with no sexual overtones or other ulterior motives. It was also a good reminder of how a little kindness can make a big difference in someone’s life, and some of the joys to be found in cross-cultural friendships.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Genocide and Islamophobia

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

purposely frustrating but a great lesson and ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, and Racism

kerrygetsliterary's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Homophobia

estam1's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

Moderate: Islamophobia, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Gaslighting

Minor: Racial slurs

jj_tj's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Racism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Infidelity and Death of parent

imfixintoread's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I was not sure how Etaf was going to be able to follow up "A Woman is No Man," but she did it again! Yara's struggles with familial and childhood trauma, mental illness, learning to love oneself, and trusting others were truly excellent. I heard Etaf speak about her book at a local bookstore and she said Yara was not going to be a likable character, and I fell in love with her. A truly wonderful book. Add it to your TBR!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and War

Minor: Death of parent

ruffian23's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, and Infidelity

kimveach's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Once again, I'm a lucky girl.  This was another Goodreads giveaway.  The only problem with this Uncorrected Proof is that there are no dedications, epigraphs, or author notes.  I'll have to get a library copy to see what those were!  

I loved this beautiful story of a young mother struggling to make sense of her life.  As in her previous book, she looks at Palestinian Americans, a group I know little of.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Dysphoria, Abandonment, Misogyny, Grief, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Islamophobia, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Racial slurs, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: War, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Deportation, Confinement, Genocide, and Colonisation

thecriticalreader's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I picked Evil Eye by Etaf Rum for my main Book of the Month pick in September. The blurb for the book is kind of vague, so I wasn’t sure if I would like it or not. Luckily, Evil Eye drew me in and captivated me until I had finished it within two days. I couldn’t put it down, even though it’s pretty slow in terms of plot. Yara’s voice is so strong, and her situation is so heartbreaking, that it’s impossible not to root for her as she struggles to keep herself afloat amid a pretty dire mental health crisis and intense familial responsibilities. I like how Rum portrays the additional barriers Yara faces when it comes to seeking help: a fear of being seen as a stereotypical “oppressed” Arab woman, a cultural pressure to fulfill the perfect housewife image, generational trauma, and an idea that her struggles don’t matter compared to the situations of her parents and grandparents. Rum uses thoughtful characterization and evocative writing to capture a critical moment in a deeply traumatized and unappreciated person’s life in which they might either succumb to destructive tendencies or—with the help of caring friends and mental health resources—begin a healing journey. 

 

My only criticism of the book is that it gets a bit repetitive at the beginning when it comes to Yara’s situation and feelings about her family life. I think these passages should have been cut in the editing process, because the rest of the book does a great job of painting a portrait of Yara’s mental state.

 

 

The Run-Down: 

You will probably like Evil Eye if . . . 

·      You enjoy literary fiction that focuses on the lives of ordinary people and mental health

 

You might not like Evil Eye if . . .

·      You prefer more “plot-focused” or fast-paced books 

 

Similar Books: 

·      Maame by Jessica George

·      My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Sexism, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Racism, Physical abuse, Colonisation, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Pregnancy and Death of parent

tinamayreads's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Racism