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rballenger's review against another edition
4.0
Type of read: Commuter Read.
What made me pick it up: Looking for books to fulfill the April TN R.E.A.D.S challenges (poetry).
Overall rating: 'Home is Not a Country' is a beautiful reflection on how we become ourselves, find ourselves, and accept ourselves, especially when we're not in the place we think we should be. At times I was a bit confused and had to remind myself of the storyline - it's just very intricate and involves talking with the person you could have been while fighting to be the person you want to be - but overall, it was a good read.
What made me pick it up: Looking for books to fulfill the April TN R.E.A.D.S challenges (poetry).
Overall rating: 'Home is Not a Country' is a beautiful reflection on how we become ourselves, find ourselves, and accept ourselves, especially when we're not in the place we think we should be. At times I was a bit confused and had to remind myself of the storyline - it's just very intricate and involves talking with the person you could have been while fighting to be the person you want to be - but overall, it was a good read.
kstring's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ananyagirish's review against another edition
5.0
I loved listening to the author read this book! Her cadence and inflection convey so much depth and feeling; I came so close to tears so many times. I think feeling untethered/ unwanted/ distinctly different are things that immigrants and children of immigrants feel so intimately. Imagining a life that could have been, with your parents happy and thriving and your community filled with joy rather than bogged down by having to assimilate or create as little turbulence as possible is so real.
taylersimon22's review
4.0
Home is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo is a captivating tale of a girl, Nima, torn between two worlds: the life she has and the life she wishes she could have. The more she wishes herself to become Yasmeen, the name her mother almost gave her, the more Yasmeen becomes real. Next thing you know, Nima finds herself fighting against a possibility.
I’m a huge fan of novels written in verse (shoutout to Elizabeth Acevedo). However, I took a while adjusting to this style. I wasn’t a huge fan of the spacing replacing much of the punctuation. The structure looked almost incomplete on the page, but I think that worked to be a major enhancement of the story.
There are pieces missing, necessary ones, but the gaps still serve a function, and the work is complete.
“do you actually understand how boring it is
waiting to be made possible?”
Home is Not a Country itself is a fascinating rendering of magical realism. You follow this girl, Nima, living at the intersection of so many experiences. She is a Muslim American girl. She’s too “ethnic” to fit in with the white kids who bully her in the days soon after 9/11. She’s also too American, not knowing how to dance like her mother, or speak the language.
There is the duality of her wanting to belong in two places in which she does not truly feel accepted in either place.
For me, this book was about home not being a place, but people. But there is also duality of experiencing comfort and love, but also guilt and strife. And this is where the ethereal Yasmeen comes in. Yasmeen is a constant reminder of Nima’s shortcomings and a manifestation of everything she could be.
I’ll be honest, this book started off really slow for me. I did not appreciate the build up in the first half of the book. When Yasmeen appeared, this is when the book got exponentially better for me. And the end! Worth all the slow burn in the beginning. Overall, I really enjoyed the story. For all the negatives I experienced, the positives greatly outweighed them. The theme was great, for both young adult and adultier adult readers.
I definitely recommend, especially as a multigenerational buddy read!
I’m a huge fan of novels written in verse (shoutout to Elizabeth Acevedo). However, I took a while adjusting to this style. I wasn’t a huge fan of the spacing replacing much of the punctuation. The structure looked almost incomplete on the page, but I think that worked to be a major enhancement of the story.
There are pieces missing, necessary ones, but the gaps still serve a function, and the work is complete.
“do you actually understand how boring it is
waiting to be made possible?”
Home is Not a Country itself is a fascinating rendering of magical realism. You follow this girl, Nima, living at the intersection of so many experiences. She is a Muslim American girl. She’s too “ethnic” to fit in with the white kids who bully her in the days soon after 9/11. She’s also too American, not knowing how to dance like her mother, or speak the language.
There is the duality of her wanting to belong in two places in which she does not truly feel accepted in either place.
For me, this book was about home not being a place, but people. But there is also duality of experiencing comfort and love, but also guilt and strife. And this is where the ethereal Yasmeen comes in. Yasmeen is a constant reminder of Nima’s shortcomings and a manifestation of everything she could be.
I’ll be honest, this book started off really slow for me. I did not appreciate the build up in the first half of the book. When Yasmeen appeared, this is when the book got exponentially better for me. And the end! Worth all the slow burn in the beginning. Overall, I really enjoyed the story. For all the negatives I experienced, the positives greatly outweighed them. The theme was great, for both young adult and adultier adult readers.
I definitely recommend, especially as a multigenerational buddy read!
saleckfati's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
soccer12lau's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
dorscheid's review
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-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
missloren_89's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-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
5.0
chloescozycorner's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to the audiobook, which was very well done, but wish I had read it to glean more from the verse. I found the story beautiful and heartbreaking, with the way Elhilo paints the Islamic immigrant experience, and seeking to find your own way in the world.
marylaffey's review
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
For the people who wish they had lived differently - this book solidifies who you are now