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4.26 AVERAGE
4.26 AVERAGE
3.5 stars. This isn’t a bad book, and I appreciate it for the light it sheds on the current issues in Palestine/Israel.
However.
It lacked the emotional impact I was hoping it would deliver. It has its moments, snippets and vignettes like with Rashid and the homeless student and certainly the ending. But the main character we follow is Sonia and she bounces back and forth between memories and present day and the memories weren’t really related to the play or the current day story so it didn’t always feel cohesive to me (and to be frank, I couldn’t have cared less about Harry…) Her feelings on Palestine were frustratingly distant. And maybe the author intended it that way and that’s fine, I guess it’s just not what I was expecting.
Additionally, the ending is ambiguous. So I’m left unsure what to think, a little bit empty. It’s like the author backed out of concluding the story to leave me with a clever line. An epilogue might have helped.
So I don’t know. Not sorry to have read it I guess even if it’s not a favorite. The audio version was well done and I really liked the narrator.
However.
It lacked the emotional impact I was hoping it would deliver. It has its moments, snippets and vignettes like with Rashid and the homeless student and certainly the ending. But the main character we follow is Sonia and she bounces back and forth between memories and present day and the memories weren’t really related to the play or the current day story so it didn’t always feel cohesive to me (and to be frank, I couldn’t have cared less about Harry…) Her feelings on Palestine were frustratingly distant. And maybe the author intended it that way and that’s fine, I guess it’s just not what I was expecting.
Additionally, the ending is ambiguous. So I’m left unsure what to think, a little bit empty. It’s like the author backed out of concluding the story to leave me with a clever line. An epilogue might have helped.
So I don’t know. Not sorry to have read it I guess even if it’s not a favorite. The audio version was well done and I really liked the narrator.
An interesting storyline, but most of the nuance was lost on me given I don't know very much about Israel and Palestine
I am not a theatre person but I understand the genius behind Hammad’s writing.
challenging
informative
reflective
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
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wish the scope had been a little tighter because this delivers one hell of a gripping journey through the experience of Palestinians living in Israel.
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This is already phenomenal
What a brilliant concept of a book.
What a brilliant concept of a book.