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rieviolet's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
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
4.0
I actually enjoyed the book much more than I had expected going into it. I really liked the first section set in Algeria and I got to experience a place and time that I'm not at all familiar with.
I found the second and third sections less compelling (maybe because they veer towards a more "literary ficton-y" style that is not entirely my cup of tea) but I still appreciated a lot the nuanced reflections on the immigrant experience and the connected themes of assimilation, integration, and self-identity.
Overall I liked the writing style, but at times it was a bit too much convoluted and there were some more experimental bits that I did not particularly care for.
In the first section, there are some episodes that are already quite gruesome as it is, where I felt like the very specific details were added a bit unnecessarily, sort of like throwaway specifications just for shock value. I could also have done without a very explicit circumcision scene.
I found the second and third sections less compelling (maybe because they veer towards a more "literary ficton-y" style that is not entirely my cup of tea) but I still appreciated a lot the nuanced reflections on the immigrant experience and the connected themes of assimilation, integration, and self-identity.
Overall I liked the writing style, but at times it was a bit too much convoluted and there were some more experimental bits that I did not particularly care for.
In the first section, there are some episodes that are already quite gruesome as it is, where I felt like the very specific details were added a bit unnecessarily, sort of like throwaway specifications just for shock value. I could also have done without a very explicit circumcision scene.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Sexism, War, Gore, Murder, Racism, Grief, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
Moderate: Confinement, Child death, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Animal death, and Sexual content
Minor: Drug use, Antisemitism, Cancer, Death of parent, Excrement, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Infertility, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt
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