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readingpicnic's review against another edition
4.5
The last few pages of the book felt so aimless and wandering as the MC realizes that she truly cannot find the lost history of the girl and that her journey cannot have a satisfying ending because of all the barriers that prevent her from this knowledge. The ending of the book was shocking, but also not shocking due to the violence of this book and the almost expected violence by Israeli soldiers. The only part of this book that I wasn't a huge fan of was how it's written with every single action spelled out if that makes sense. Like, if a character got out of a vehicle, then every single part of that action was detailed from start to finish. I'm sure there's a reason for this method of storytelling, but maybe I can't see what it is in relation to the overarching themes of the book right now. Overall, this is such a necessary read.
Also, side note, I saw that someone added this to the Autistic Reads Challenge, and I agree that I was contemplating while reading this whether the main character of the second half was autistic and/or neurodivergent due to her thought processes, but I wasn't sure whether that was intentional on the author's part. I hesitate because she may process the world in these ways and think in these ways due to trauma and the circumstances in which she lives under occupation and has to be on high alert and think through interactions carefully, but acquired neurodivergence and disabilities due to trauma are valid, so I'm on the edge with this.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Murder, Police brutality, Violence, War, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, and Torture
peckreadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: War and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual violence, Genocide, Gun violence, Death, Rape, and Murder
Minor: Police brutality
kristakp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Islamophobia, Murder, Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Colonisation
Moderate: War, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, and Xenophobia
emeliajane97's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Violence, Misogyny, Genocide, Sexual violence, Murder, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Islamophobia, War, and Police brutality
robinks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Racism, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Genocide, Gore, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Violence, Child abuse, Vomit, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Murder, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, and Torture
neverlandpages4's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, Police brutality, Murder, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Animal death, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Rape, Racism, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Grief, Death, Violence, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, War, and Genocide
crybabybea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
It's a quick read with a powerful ending that leaves you staring at the wall to process. I think this would be a great book to study in class as it makes some very smart writing choices that help bolster the overall theme. You could definitely reread this multiple times and find something new to annotate.
Moderate: Gun violence, Colonisation, Animal cruelty, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, Islamophobia, War, and Rape
peachani's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Animal death
Moderate: Hate crime, Rape, Violence, Death, Murder, Police brutality, Child death, War, and Gun violence
Minor: Pedophilia, Racism, Colonisation, Genocide, Vomit, Confinement, and Child abuse
rienarblaster's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Police brutality, War, and Murder
getlitwithamy_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Poignancy was the main feeling I had reading this book. It's easy to sympathize and empathize with the women in both parts of the story, as they face oppression and outright brutality at the hands of Israel's occupying forces.
I'm glad I finally got to read this after having been on a waitlist through my library since November.
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Hate crime, Blood, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Grief, Confinement, Violence, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Death, Genocide, and Islamophobia