Scan barcode
rberdan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This story was a pretty deep dive into the internal and external life of Yara, a young wife and mother who holds the weight of cultural expectations while longing for a different path. It follows her experience with the judgment of others as she slowly begins to look within herself to see who she can become on the other side of grief and trauma. As a whole, that unravels in a way that feels very real (and aligned with some of my own experience), even if it is hard to be in the emotional places Yara has to go through in order to heal.
I think the moments I struggled with in the book come down to forgetting how young Yara is as she navigates life. Also, I think her husband's dismissive behaviour was really difficult to sit through; though it's not an excuse for how unkind he could be to his wife, I got the impression his behaviour had a lot to do with a combination of immaturity and also wanting a different path than his family and community would see him follow. I suspect because it was a good reflection of reality, I found some of the racism Yara experienced really hard to endure, and I'm white.
I appreciated seeing Yara find her own inner strength and how she got into real talk with her daughters so they could have a different experience than she did. I loved how her supportive friendship became such a lovely touchstone for her. I appreciated how the book treated her relationship with her mother, in particular the importance of understanding the role of a child vs. the role of a parent and the journey of forgiveness that can make way for so much healing. The ending was so wonderfully hopeful.
This was a hard and beautiful read. I think I would have rated this higher when I was in a life stage that more closely aligned with Yara's as I think I would have benefited from more insight than I was able to get from this book at this point in my life.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
Moderate: Genocide, Infidelity, Grief, and Death of parent
thunderling's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
i'm not one for character-driven books because i find that the plot usually falls on the wayside but etaf rum does a wonderful job by exploring yara's journey. the writing is beautiful but not too flowery so it didn't fall flat. i was so invested in yara's journey and i didn't understand why people said it was boring. perhaps because i relate so heavily to yara's identity!
my one tiny critique is that i wish the whole situation about the trip was less insistent. i think if etaf rum had shown how
i also wish we got more of silas! i thoroughly enjoyed his friendship with yara.
it's definitely a book that will stay with me for a looong time. definitely gonna read a woman is no man next!
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
Moderate: Racism, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Minor: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
rivkah88's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Grief, and Death of parent
mrlsdevos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
theboricuabookworm's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Yara, I saw so much of myself in her. How her anxiety would manifest, how once she gave words to what was she feeling, only then was she able to start on her journey of healing and acceptance. I'm so glad that even though Yara had poor therapy experiences prior to Esther, she did not let that dissuade her from going back and trying again and realizing the importance of having someone to talk to. When Esther said: "There is no hierarchy of pain when it comes to traumatic experiences." I wanted to reach into the book and hug her. She was not the perfect therapist but she is one that helped Yara come to terms with how she had been living her life until that point and how she can make it better for herself and her daughters.
I know my words and review will never be able to do justice to the way Etaf wove such a heartbreaking yet restorative story of breaking generational cycles and realizing that while you have such immense privilege that others prior to you and adjacent to you do not, you are still valid in your feelings and your grief.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
andrewhatesham's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Mental illness, Racism, Grief, and Death of parent
nithya_natalya's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
Minor: Genocide, Homophobia, Colonisation, and War
baymax96's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, and Grief
jennireadsmaybe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
koiolee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
EDIT: It gives Catcher in the Rye vibes omg.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Islamophobia, Grief, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Self harm and Schizophrenia/Psychosis