Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

The Beauty of Your Face by Sahar Mustafah

41 reviews

hankatcol's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Xenophobia, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Islamophobia, Suicide attempt, and Car accident

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

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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.

ukponge's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Islamophobia, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, and Death of parent

adrienne_rennie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Islamophobia, Xenophobia, Mass/school shootings, Alcoholism, Racism, and Suicide attempt

megelizabeth's review against another edition

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.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Racism, Gun violence, Murder, Death, and Child death

Moderate: Vomit and Child abuse

Minor: Domestic abuse and Animal death

common_nonsense's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Gun violence, Death, and Hate crime

Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, and Sexual harassment

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

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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

laurahastoomanywips's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad 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

4.0

A very thought provoking and sometimes emotional read. Told across two voices: The main one being Afaf, a headteacher at a Muslim girls school. The other the man who one day walks into her school and shoots dead 14 of her pupils and their class teacher.
It is told via flashback telling what the build up was to him deciding to attack the school and Afaf's life from childhood building up to that day. She is the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, telling the difficulties she experienced being a from an immigrant family, her father's drinking and his conversion to Islam, her mother's mental breakdown after her older sister ran away from home and Afaf's own conversion to Islam, becoming a teacher, meeting her husband and dealing with the fallout from the 9/11 attacks.
Showcases the mental health issues and gun laws that allow things like this to happen and also how the "echochambers" on the Internet have a part to play in fueling the hatred of the "others" often given as an excuse for these acts.
Definitely a "current" issue given the attacks in Buffalo and Texas that occurred this month.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Islamophobia, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, and Racism

sbeierle's review

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Mass/school shootings, Islamophobia, Racism, and Religious bigotry

cecireads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings and Islamophobia

Moderate: Death of parent, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, and Alcoholism

Minor: Infidelity