Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

101 reviews

saint_eleanor's review against another edition

challenging dark informative fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

This book is so unique, I loved it though it made me cry quite a bit.  

Its a novel telling the true story of the kidnapping and killing of a Bedouin-Palestinian girl by Israeli soldiers in Negev 1949. The protagonist discovers this event coincides with her birthday, and wonders about how much this 'minor detail' could have contributed to the 'war' (occupation).

The author was supposed to receive the LiberaturPreis from Germany in 2023 but was denied at the last minute because the judges felt it was "antisemitic" (there is not a single antisemitic word in this book, plus everything in it actually happened). 

The protagonist goes on a dangerous excursion near Rafah and Negev just to learn more about it, and sees ghosts in the desert, strange dogs, and camels before she starts to find parallels between her and the girl. Please read!! Its short. 🇵🇸  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Murder

Moderate: Rape

peachani's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Animal death

Moderate: Hate crime, Rape, Violence, Death, Murder, Police brutality, Child death, War, and Gun violence

Minor: Pedophilia, Racism, Colonisation, Genocide, Vomit, Confinement, and Child abuse

sabreen21's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Rape, and War

Minor: Islamophobia and Racism

The books first starts with an Israeli soldier POV. The 2nd half is of a Palestinian woman POV. She read the article of what happens to the woman who was raped and she goes to see the more evidence. Her POV shows the reader how difficult it is for Palestinians to travel in their own land because of the occupation.

getlitwithamy_'s review

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

While this was short, MINOR DETAIL was still able to captivate my attention in both physical and audible formats. It reads like nonfiction even though it's historical fiction. Adania Shibli's prose is rich as she does all but hold back about the Palestinian struggle.

Poignancy was the main feeling I had reading this book. It's easy to sympathize and empathize with the women in both parts of the story, as they face oppression and outright brutality at the hands of Israel's occupying forces.

I'm glad I finally got to read this after having been on a waitlist through my library since November.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Hate crime, Blood, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Grief, Confinement, Violence, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Death, Genocide, and Islamophobia

kumquats87's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Death, Colonisation, War, Gun violence, Rape, Violence, Torture, Islamophobia, and Murder

Moderate: Racism

goddessofwhatnot's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

Holy shit.
If I’ve read a book with this writing style before, it’s been long enough that I don’t remember it.
This book is exceptional.  Even when nothing was happening, I was still tense and riveted.
Wow.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Colonisation, Racism, Sexism, Physical abuse, and Murder

victoriathuyvi's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Racism, Colonisation, Murder, Islamophobia, Hate crime, Genocide, Xenophobia, Violence, Rape, War, and Gun violence

lasafica_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Colonisation, Death, Murder, and Racism

frogjumpsin's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Rape, Murder, and Racism

yoalli's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, Sexual violence, Murder, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, and Genocide