Reviews

Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo

nmismundos's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-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

librosymas's review against another edition

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  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

brinipor's review

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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

4.0

maybe_a_cat's review against another edition

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emotional
  • 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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christinesaint's review

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emotional 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

5.0

stephanieridiculous's review against another edition

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4.0

Elhillo's writing style is so engaging, and as always when you can listen to poetry read by its author I think you should go that route. This was an interesting and touching journey, with some really beautiful moments. I wish it was longer so I could sink deeper into it, which is a high quality problem for sure, but I did feel a little rushed through it. 

erinsbookshelves's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

nicolemhewitt's review

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5.0

This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction

Home Is Not a Country is a lyrical novel in verse that explores identity and the many ways that we become who we are. Nima has spent her life wondering what could have been. She had almost had another name; she could have grown up in a whole other country with a father she’s never known. She can’t help but wonder how her life would be different, how her mother’s life would be different, if things had gone another way. The book takes a dive into magical realism when Nima is transported into another version of her life and meets the girl she could have been. I’m a sucker for a sliding doors story, so I was engrossed right away, and I loved the twists and turns as Nima discovered that the alternate version of her life may not have been everything she imagined it to be. And the stakes are high as Nima realizes she may have to fight to get back to her own reality. The book explores issues such as racism and misogyny, all while taking the reader on a wild ride (all in verse). I thoroughly enjoyed the journey!

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

thebookgiraffe's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5


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le_lobey's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

Really beautiful and moving story about family, identity, and belonging. I particularly appreciated how cultural artifacts of all sorts were used through the book to construct memories, identities, and community. 

Elhillo richly describes food, clothing, music, and dance. The sensuousness of the language was a real strong suit. I haven't read many novels in verse, so I don't know how this compares with others in the genre, but the text seemed to favor the novelistic over the poetic. It was almost prose-like, though maybe I wasn't attuned to rhythmic aspects. Elhillo does slam poetry, and I tried to read with pauses inserted where there were breaks in the text, but I often found myself reading through the chapters as if they were sentences in a prose text and had no issue. I'd love to read some of her poetry to see if/how it differs.

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