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kickupthefire's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book - it was gripping and I really cared about the characters.
But the end.... no spoilers, but I wanted more specifics! I feel like one very important story arch wasn't ended properly - I just wanted to know more!!
But the end.... no spoilers, but I wanted more specifics! I feel like one very important story arch wasn't ended properly - I just wanted to know more!!
maninthebox's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
wanderinggoy's review against another edition
3.0
Beautifully written but somehow flat. Strangely enough it feels like the Pakistan-born author doesn’t know Pakistan and its people very well, making the characters feel a bit like stick figures / stereotypes rather than real people.
kirsty's review against another edition
Was loving this until part 3, which I found difficult to engage with and rather too far fetched/ coincidence filled. Not sure how I feel about the book overall.
liter_ely's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? No
4.0
buecherkarawane's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
5.0
dkai's review against another edition
4.0
This book largely followed a linear narrative, but leaped freely between character perspectives. While the narrative was reasonably straightforward, the events going on changed dramatically over the course of the book. The interactions of characters was sufficiently nuanced as to be realistic. Creating a book world capturing a place in real life, especially of a time period so recent (2000s after 9/11), is no easy feat. It is perhaps sometimes garrulous, but more often just spare enough in words to capture the feeling rather than the appearance of events (particularly a memorable scene outside a fort). The last section is the most memorable for me, but I will not divulge anything lest I spoil it.
nithyasrin's review against another edition
2.0
Gave up on this book halfway as it was a bit disconnected and the torture descriptions were hard to read.
writer_in_the_dark's review against another edition
This book had a really interesting premise, which is why I picked it up. But my main issue is the author's writing style. He clearly has a command over literary devices, but seems to overuse them. When every sentence describing even the mundanest of actions uses a simile or a metaphor, the descriptions and scenes that are actually supposed to elicit an emotion out of the reader fail to do so. This does not make the story a gripping read at all, and it seemed so overwritten therefore that I was zoning out more often than not while reading. Or maybe it's just because I haven't been able to find quiet places to read lately, but even when I do have a quiet place, I find every excuse to not read. I don't know if it's just me or this book, but currently we don't seem to be a fit. Maybe I'll return to it later.