Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Evil Eye by Etaf Rum

21 reviews

queenkath32's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad

• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Sexism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Grief, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia

sghuerta's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

I read this at the end of a year consumed by breaking my own generational curses... this book is so honest and hopeful, and so very beautifully written

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation and Domestic abuse

letsgolesbians's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Physical abuse

bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

emotional 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

I Listened to the audiobook version and the narrator did an amazing job! I loved this maybe even more than Rum’s first book🩵 I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Evil Eye is told through the POV of Yara, our MC, both in the present but also sometimes switches to her journal entries reflecting on/flashing back to her childhood and relationship with her family. The flashbacks also share stories of Yara visiting Palestine and her grandparents experience in refugee camps following the Nakba.

I enjoyed getting to learn more about Palestine and Palestinian culture. The food descriptions and imagery as a whole was very well written! I also enjoyed the discussions on white feminism and the idea of “saving Arab women.” The character development and getting to know Yara, as well as the side characters, was incredible. I really felt like I got to know everyone in this novel!

The novel was very insightful, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking novel. Giving readers a complex look at facing childhood trauma, marriage, mother-daughter relationships. and finding your voice. I highly recommend Evil Eye, especially if you love complex characters and deeply emotional/moving stories!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, and Colonisation

Moderate: Death of parent, Racism, Islamophobia, and Grief

Minor: Infidelity and Suicidal thoughts

drraytay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Violence, Colonisation, War, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, and Death of parent

sarasreading's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

This book gave me so many intense feelings.

I felt like I was in the arguments she had. When someone would say something awful and/or gaslight-y to her, I often had a retort in my head that she then said. I felt like I was by her side her every step of the way. While I don't know at all what it's like to be in her shoes racially or culturally, I've been in a surface level relationship with no emotional depth. You spend so much time begging for connection, not getting it, and then being told you should just stop being sad about the relationship, to get over it and be happy instead. I was fuming on her behalf.

There was so much gaslighting and past trauma, and it was so emotionally satisfying to see her begin to work through things, become a healthier person, recognize what she was constantly being put through, and then start making healing changes.

Rum does such an amazing job at making me feel intimately connected to her main characters. They feel so real and alive, and make me want to physically fight anyone treating them badly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, and Misogyny

Moderate: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Colonisation

nonfictionfeminist's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

Another excellent story from Rum. This one felt slow and heavy, and it felt as though Rum was forcing me to slow down, take my time, savor it, study it. I found myself rereading sentences, not because I didn't understand them, but because I needed to pause, picture them, take them in and sit with them for a minute. This may just be my favorite book of 2023.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Sexism

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts

louiepotterbook's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Misogyny, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

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

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