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fromjuliereads's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Islamophobia, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Racism, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, and Toxic relationship
spellboundchapters's review
- 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
She’d wanted to make every child feel they weren’t alone, to fan their potential into roaring flames of hope and promises to be fulfilled one day. Teaching gives her a sense of purpose and, unexpectedly, intoxicating independence. No matter what, she knows she’ll survive.
Afaf, a Palestinian-American, is the principal of an all-girl Muslim school. The book opens the day a shooter attacks the school. We then alternate between that day, and different stages of Afaf’s life, starting from when she was a little girl and her older sister disappeared.
For a book this short, it addresses a lot of different themes : untreated mental illness, racism, islamophobia, loss of a child, religion and faith, complicated mother-daughter relationships…
Maybe too many themes, because at moments it felt very superficial and I would’ve liked for it to be a little more dept.
I absolutely loved the writing style and how emotional it was! The characters were very well fleshed out and felt very real.
I cared a bit less about the present time events. The shooter’s POV was something I wasn’t expecting. I have to say, it kinda threw me off at first, but at the end I found it pretty interesting to see how fear and misinformation can turn someone into such a hateful and violent person.
My favourite thing about this book was probably witnessing Afaf’s relationship with religion develop, and seeing her finally find a community and a place to fit in.
In short, a book I won’t stop recommending to everyone!
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Islamophobia, Mass/school shootings, Racism, and Suicide attempt
mfieldshalva's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Islamophobia, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Xenophobia, Violence, Murder, Alcoholism, Bullying, Racism, Suicide attempt, and Infidelity
Moderate: Infertility
Minor: Child abuse and Religious bigotry
hannahrhian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Medical content, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
serendipitysbooks's review
4.5
The Beauty of Your Face opens with a shooting at an an all-girls Muslim school. However, that’s not really what the book is about. Instead I see it more as a family story. When Afaf (principal of the school) was ten her 17 year old sister disappeared and her family never recovered. Her father turned to alcohol, her mother suffered from mental health issues, while Afaf sought solace with boys. However, a car accident provides her father with a wake up call. He turns to Islam as does Afaf.
What I liked about this novel was the way it highlighted the actuality of the immigrant experience, the frictions that can develop between migrants and their children, and the realities of experiencing racial and religious discrimination on a daily basis. I also appreciated seeing how faith provided healing, strength and community for Afaf and her father, but how their belief, especially Afaf’s decision to wear the hijab, divided the family since her mother and brother were not devout and didn’t understand or approve of her choice. I appreciate the nuanced look at community, especially when Afaf reports a suspected case of family abuse despite some pressure to turn a blind eye. The book also does a nice job portraying the way one person’s struggle with mental health can impact the entire family.
Normally I’m a fan of dual timelines but it didn’t really work for me in this book. The present day timeline with the school shooter wasn’t strong, well developed or particularly well integrated. It felt like an optional add-on and I think the book would have worked just as well, if not better, had it simply focussed on the story of Afaf’s family.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, and Religious bigotry
ballgownsandbooks's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Racism, Racial slurs, Islamophobia, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Domestic abuse
tasleemreads's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Afaf, the protagonist, struggles with her faith, her identity and the clash of her two cultures; the Palestinian culture she is raised with and the American cultures she lives in. Afaf and her family each have their own struggles to find their identity in America. Her mother, Muntaha, longing to return to her homeland, her father, Mahmood, struggling to accept this and losing his dream/sense of self, the children; Nada, Afaf and Majeed, struggling to find love and acceptance.
Although Afaf's was the main storyline, each character had a purpose, depth and growth throughout the novel that was independent of the protagonist.
I LOVED the inclusion of Arabic, with no translation, within the novel. It was an amazing addition and naturally belonged within the book. Readers who didn't understand Arabic could research this and perhaps come across information to develop their understanding of Islam. Not sure if Sahar Mustafah did this as a form of Sadaqah Jariyah, but may it be accepted as such and may Allah bless her for doing so and for this great book.
I recommend this book to everyone! Especially my fellow Muslims as this book represents journey within faith in its truest form.
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Racism, and Islamophobia
fatimak's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Islamophobia, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Suicide, and Xenophobia