Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Beauty of Your Face by Sahar Mustafah

10 reviews

onthesamepage's review

sad tense slow-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 story isn't really about a school shooting, even though that is kind of the plot driver. If anything, I felt that the chapters digging into the shooter's past distracted from Afaf's history, which was more compelling to me. But then I found Afaf very compelling. It's rare for me to read a book where the main character has such an intricate and complicated relationship with Islam. Afaf doesn't grow up religious, but when her father turns to God and Islam later in his life, Afaf finds herself suddenly part of a community that embraces her fully, without reservation. But it doesn't come easy to her, and she continues to struggle with trying to be a good Muslim in a way that I found very relatable. Perfect Muslims don't exist—we all make mistakes, but it's how we deal with them that speaks to strength of faith. But there's also a beauty in that journey towards God, and in the love for Islam and for the hijab.

When she was nine years old, the girls in her Brownies troop told Azmia she was lucky she didn't look Muslim. She'd come home fighting tears and begging Afaf's permission to begin wearing hijab.

While this book isn't about the occupation and colonisation of Palestine, there are references to Afaf's family being forcibly removed from their home by settlers. Ultimately I think this book is about living somewhere and not feeling like you belong, and the different paths your life can end up taking, depending on how you deal with that. Afaf's mother was longing for her homeland, to the point that she could not continue to live away from it. Afaf forged a new home, with a new family, and a new community around her, despite the othering that she faced, from Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It's about the power of a hijab, which gives so much to the women wearing it, and also emboldens people with hate in their heart for a piece of cloth.

So this is what it's come down to? A piece of fabric? And yet what power it had held from the first time she'd slipped it on at Kowkab's house, a stranger in the mirror staring back at her. Her hijab had become a thing that attracted sheer hatred, fear. And yet where would she be without it?

There's a lot of commentary within the book about discrimination from outside the Muslim community, especially in the wake of 9/11, but also from within it, and how the community can sometimes hide the sins of some of its members, to the detriment of others. I really appreciated that the author decided to deal with this topic, because it's a difficult one to tackle. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Mass/school shootings, Violence, Islamophobia, Bullying, and Gun violence

Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Colonisation and Genocide

bethsbookshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

A book that feels so new yet so familiar. I'll not forget it. Packed with heartache and brimming with hope, this novel tells the story of the powerful and resilient Afaf as she navigates a school shooting where she teaches while flashbacks of her past interrupt her thoughts. Her life has been punctuated by grief, self-discovery, loss, finding faith, being the victim of racism, and falling in love - yet it's all led to this moment. Will she survive the school shooting? Will her daughter, a student at the school, survive? How will her past help her in what could be, might be, her final moments? 

The writing in this novel is crisp, polished, yet lyrical. Each line flows from one to the next, each idea fluid as it weaves throughout her life, her mother's life, her father's, her sister's, and the school shooters. The author fills in every gap and every question you may have while still respecting the privacy of the characters when necessary. Ending on a poignant note, I don't think I have a bad word to say about this book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Death, Murder, Blood, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Violence

readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, Religious bigotry, Mass/school shootings, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Infidelity, Child death, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, and Vomit

Minor: Infertility, Sexual assault, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Car accident, Classism, Colonisation, Dementia, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Terminal illness, War, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, and Xenophobia

Sandy hook mention, lynching mention, Nazis mention, 9/11, Vietnam, Battle of Karameh, dialysis.

gigireadswithkiki's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-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

4.25

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

Graphic: Blood, Religious bigotry, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Mass/school shootings, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Islamophobia, Gun violence, and Grief

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Violence, Addiction, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Body horror, Sexual harassment, and Infidelity

Minor: Stalking

radfordmanor's review against another edition

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

Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Infidelity, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Bullying, Car accident, Cursing, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, and Toxic friendship

studiouspoppy's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.25

I loved the writing and the evolution of Afaf, I enjoyed her perspective on migration, obviously did not enjoy the discrimination and hate she experienced but i was so interested in how she described her life, and how she survived it all. The pov of the shooter was truly disturbing, but that’s the point. There were some parts were it got confusing, and some tiny mistakes in the shooter’s perspective (using culturally appropriate language when he’s not an appropriate or a cultured man) so his voice got a little weird at times. It was still a really good book.

I specially enjoyed the final chapter were Afaf confronts the shooter and sees he’s so much more smaller and just a white old ignorant guy, and he’s so lonely he accepted her visit when he doesn’t even respect her as a human being.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Sexism, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Gun violence, Murder, Xenophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, Islamophobia, and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Death of parent, Death, Car accident, Bullying, Kidnapping, War, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Infidelity and Infertility

belle2008's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Bullying, Car accident, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Islamophobia, Mass/school shootings, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, and Violence

mfieldshalva's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

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

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

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

tasleemreads's review

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

The Beauty of Your Face is my favourite and the quickest book I have read this year. Sahar Mustafah is an amazing author who represented the Muslim community with authenticity, love and pride. I see myself in this book, I read of my own struggles relating to faith, identity and belonging within Mustafah's words. It is truly a fantastic body of work that represents faith as it really is; a journey with many ups and downs and not a stationary destination.

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.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Racism, and Islamophobia