Reviews tagging 'Islamophobia'

Evil Eye by Etaf Rum

27 reviews

tenderbench's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

sjbshannon's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Misogyny

Minor: Islamophobia and War

bookoline's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, and Colonisation

michaelion's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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

No, I am not Palestinian. No, I am not from New York nor have I ever been. No, I am not a mother. No, I am not married. No, I have never been a teacher. No, I am not the eldest daughter, nor do I have siblings. 

BUT SHE JUST LIKE ME FR !!!!!! I LOVE HER SHE IS ME. ETAF RUM YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS. Perfect writing. Perfect exploration of culture and family. I don't have the words to express how moved I was. Am! She just like me fr !!!!!

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Colonisation

Minor: Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, War, and Injury/Injury detail

readingwithtemperance's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

5.0

Evil Eye's main focus is generational trauma. How it seeps into every nook and cranny of our lives. And how breaking the cycle can be excruciating but so freeing at the same time. 

The therapy sessions/journal entries were so personal. My heart ached for Yara so much. I loved watching her finally be able to begin to heal and find out who she truly is/what she wants out of her life. 

Etaf Rum's writing is so engaging. Every time I stopped reading I just wanted to jump back in. I would love to read more from her in the future! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Islamophobia, and Grief

Moderate: Death of parent

looneytunes's review against another edition

emotional 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? N/A

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Racism and Islamophobia

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

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

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

Minor: Infidelity and Suicidal thoughts

kdsmoove's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad 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

5.0

to quote a goodreads review i saw “FUCK YEAH LEAVE HIS ASS GIRL!” i literally cheered at my desk, i was so proud of yara standing up for herself and learning to love herself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Mental illness

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Gaslighting

brewdy_reader's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘍𝘪𝘤 • 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢 •  ⁣𝘗𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 • 𝘎𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤

"𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳."

Evil Eye is LitFic at its finest: it feels so real that it could be true, it could be someone's memoir, maybe someone close to you, maybe even yours, or mine. Every child of immigrants, every mother, every woman, anyone in any marginalized group, can find something relatable within these pages. Addressing Palestinian history, generational trauma, gender expectations and inequities, mental health and stigmas, shame and grief and guilt, Arab stereotypes, and lots of other tough topics, this is also a story of empowerment and how to heal.

Then there is the mouth-watering food. In fact, the only thing that Yara's husband Fadi and I see eye-to-eye on is her cooking: a gastronomic explosion of flavors. You will smell the aroma and taste the spices as you read. In fact I'm hungry now. 

And Silas. 🥹

There is also art and creating and Frida Kahlo. There's instagram versus reality and what it means to live an authentic life. There's the isolation of not fitting the mold, not fitting in. How to live a life true to yourself and not what someone else wants for you. How to see that you don't need to be fixed because you're not broken.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Islamophobia, Grief, and Death of parent