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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
Thought-provoking. Fiction written by NYTimes journalist. What if a Muslim American had won the 9/11 memorial creating contest?
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had a hard time starting this book but once I got going on it, I didn't want to put it down. The author did a wonderful job of making all of the main characters sympathetic. I never knew who I was rooting for because you could see where every one of them was coming from. More than that you knew as you read that in the end, no matter what happened, none of them could ever really "win."
Four and a half stars. Nearly perfect. So complex, so layered, so thought-provoking. This is a book that begs to be discussed.
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
I selected what I found to be the best book of 2011 so it would be easier to find on audiobook. Although this deals with controversial topics even now, it was so slow and has a very unsatisfying resolution. Thought provoking for sure, but not a very interesting book.
The winning submission for the 9/11 memorial was designed by an American citizen who also happens to be a Muslim.
The Submission explores this premise and how it affects the lives of the designer, members of the jury who choose the winner, and the families who lost loved ones during the attack.
To me, the most interesting portions of the novel were those from the perspective of Mo (Mohammed Khan, the architect whose design is chosen for the memorial) and of Asma, a Bangladeshi Muslim who is in the US illegally.
I don't read a lot of realistic fiction, especially those based on recent events. It was hard for me to get into this book; I never had that sense of "I *have* to find out what happens next." But I suppose that isn't surprising considering that I was working in Manhattan during that time, and know many people (including my husband) who lost a friend or loved one.
Still, it was an interesting read, and well written.
The Submission explores this premise and how it affects the lives of the designer, members of the jury who choose the winner, and the families who lost loved ones during the attack.
To me, the most interesting portions of the novel were those from the perspective of Mo (Mohammed Khan, the architect whose design is chosen for the memorial) and of Asma, a Bangladeshi Muslim who is in the US illegally.
I don't read a lot of realistic fiction, especially those based on recent events. It was hard for me to get into this book; I never had that sense of "I *have* to find out what happens next." But I suppose that isn't surprising considering that I was working in Manhattan during that time, and know many people (including my husband) who lost a friend or loved one.
Still, it was an interesting read, and well written.
The idea was good, and the story was interesting. I really enjoyed it... But man, the author's love of commas drove me up a wall. No, you do not need a comma after every, single, word. Sometimes, her sentences were written in a purposely complicated style, just to require additional commas. I wanted to take a red pen to the book and fix it. I didn't, because it was a library book. But I was sorely tempted.
Also, I don't know if I'd consider this a great tome on Islamo-American relations after 9/11. The characters seemed rather flat for me.
Also, I don't know if I'd consider this a great tome on Islamo-American relations after 9/11. The characters seemed rather flat for me.