Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Evil Eye by Etaf Rum

67 reviews

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

ittywitty's review against another edition

challenging hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

“You are not the voice of the mind, you are the one who hears it.” 

A poignant follow up to “A Woman Is No Man,” this book follows Yara in her journey to reconciling intergenerational trauma and expectations in Palestinian-American culture as a mother, daughter and wife. At times heartbreaking, but reads mostly as a tender & hopeful coming-of-age story. I appreciated the anecdotes from Yara’s journal that give context to her past and weaved into the limiting beliefs of the present day. Compared to AWINM, I would say that this is deserving of 4.5 out of 5 🌟.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts

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