Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo

16 reviews

courtneyfalling's review

emotional sad tense fast-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

4.0

I wasn't sure how the highly introspective novel-in-verse form was going to work for me at first, especially since Nima starts as such a passive character. But I quickly became engrossed in how she understands the larger world around her and her loved ones, and the second half of the novel really picks up in how it uses this "alternate self" character and Nima's nostalgia for her parents' country. Lots of moments where I teared up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Death of parent, Hate crime, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Racial slurs

Minor: Car accident and Infidelity

elwirax's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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

4.5

*4.5/5

Giving "Home Is Not a Country" a proper review is difficult, all I can say is that it was beautifully written yet heartbreaking as it dealt with some heavy topics such as grief and racism. I wasn't expecting the magical realism half way through but it gave the story a whole different meaning. I highly recommend this book, especially to those who enjoy books in verse.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia and Bullying

Moderate: Hate crime

Minor: Racial slurs

kayleyhyde's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia

Moderate: Murder, Police brutality, Hate crime, and Violence

Minor: Kidnapping, Pedophilia, and Gun violence

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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

I went into this not knowing much about it, and just wow. Apparently I'm in a novel in verse kick, and I would highly recommend the audiobook (again). The author reads it, and it's done so well. The story here is heart-achingly beautiful, about a girl who doesn't really know where she fits in when suddenly, she's not close with her best friend Haitham.

Elhillo explores what could have been by going into the past. Nima's afraid she's disappearing, but maybe she just needs to confront what got her to where she is. There are gorgeous lines in this book, and you're sucked in right from the beginning.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia

Moderate: Hate crime, Death, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: Bullying, Infidelity, and Medical content

sartastic's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Islamophobia, Death, Death of parent, and Hate crime

Minor: Bullying, Infidelity, Medical content, and Racial slurs

kerrireads's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Bullying, Grief, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia