Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - The Beauty of Your Face

I really enjoyed this book and I'm disappointed that it hasn't been more circulated in social media book-centric circles! This was a story of a Palestinian-American who's life was not solely centralized around the occupation Palestine, which still took the time to take a firm stance against Israel's colonization of the West Bank.

Afaf was a phenomenal character; her life story is so multi-faceted and strife with grief, but Mustafah weaves her story with grace, showing the life of a woman who's lost so much yet finds solace in community and religion. The portray of Islam and the various character's relationship with faith was a breath of fresh air, allowing nuance but ultimately showing the rewarding merits of organized religion, even amidst the aftermath of 9/11.

The only facet of this book that I wasn't the biggest fan of were the chapters from the perspective of the school shooter. It was jarring having this bigot's life story humanized, even to a small degree, in the middle of Afaf's heart-wrenching story. Otherwise, this was a fantastic story for me, and I would recommend it to others though I would HIGHLY advise checking content warnings prior to reading.

Content Warnings

megelizabeth's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

"You begin to see things in a new way. Or perhaps your losses have finally blunted to a bearable throb."

This wasn't quite what I expected. Above anything else, it's a character study and a look at trauma, race, religion, identity, and struggle. It covers a lot of topics, and it does so in a way that doesn't make it seem as if there's too much going on or as if some things are being brushed off. It's quite a slow, dense read, with a lot to unpack, and of course much of the subject matter is agonising, but it's definitely worth the read, and one worth taking some time with. The writing is also gorgeous and very visceral.

For me, this was a strong read throughout, but started to lose itself a bit by the end. The interactions between Afaf and the shooter didn't hit in the way I wanted them to, and I also found the way the storyline involving Afaf's sister ends up going a bit odd. I was ultimately left feeling a bit confused and not entirely sure exactly what I was supposed to have taken from the story, but maybe that was the intention. It definitely made me think about a lot of things, and maybe it being so devastating was enough of a point. It's for sure a book I'm glad to have read, and one I know will stick with me.

(Do check trigger warnings; there are many in addition to the obvious.)

Content Warnings

radfordmanor's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Content Warnings

fromjuliereads's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.0

This book was so heartbreaking in so many ways but such an incredible and important read. It explores finding Islam, experiences of Islamophobia, a hate crime, so much loss and grief.
The only reason I felt like I really couldn't give it 5 stars was that the writing was a tad repetitive at times, and it would pull me out of the story. BUT I would argue that the story itself is 5 stars.

We really need more people to read stories like this one.

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