Reviews tagging 'War'

The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar

36 reviews

gregory_glover's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring fast-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? No

3.25

I like this book more than the rating suggests.  However, it still did not grab me like some do, hence the lower rating.  There’s nothing specifically wrong—and much that is great—about the book.  If I were much younger, I think the book might have had a deeper emotional impact.  I loved the descriptions and the weaving in of history.  I am not big on fantasy, especially the “touch of fantasy“ in an otherwise straightforward novel.  The neurodivergence was somewhat interesting, but again did not move me to love the book.  Very solid.  Very good.  Worth reading for the cultural diversity.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Fire/Fire injury

nick_w's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense 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? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and War

Moderate: Death, Grief, and Death of parent

kurumipanda's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Sexual assault, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Blood, Medical content, Death, Cancer, Death of parent, Sexism, and Misogyny

melissaarnaud's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Death

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Abandonment

kitten's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, War, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual violence

eva_e's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense 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? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Islamophobia, and Sexual assault

*to write soon*

leiakaye's review against another edition

Had a difficult time with the narration of Nour. She had such profound thoughts for a young girl but acted and spoke like she didn’t have these amazing epiphanies about people and the world. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, and Sexual assault

talonsontypewriters's review

adventurous emotional hopeful sad 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? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Violence, Death, Gun violence, Blood, War, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

Minor: Cancer and Vomit

Bombing and aftermath. Single, relatively brief scene of attempted rape.

laurenleigh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad slow-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? No

4.0

This is a refugee story of a young girl and her family forced out of Syria in 2011 from the violent civil wars. There’s also a dual timeline that’s half medieval historical fiction/fairy tale fabel, but I found that storyline something I had to get through to read the main text. Not surprising given the subject matter, but it was a pretty depressing story. Every step of the way was another terrible event or injustice or roadblock. Joukhadar’s language is so lush and poetic, and even when the plot made me sad, their writing was a wonder to marvel at.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and War

Moderate: Rape, Death, and Violence

bessjoyce's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and War

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail