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littlekatnaps's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
3.5
manderleydays's review against another edition
5.0
[ Spoiler-free review – Actual rating 4.9/5 ]
"But, then again, anyone who expects love to be sensible has perhaps never loved.But, then again, anyone who expects love to be sensible has perhaps never loved."
'The Island of Missing Trees' is an absolutely stunning novel conveying loss, grief, and trauma. At the same time, it is also a book about family, love, and perseverance. I devoured this book with haste, yet I'm sure the stories in this book will remain with me for the rest of my life.
One of the best qualities of this book is Elif Shafak's unique, but nonetheless lovely writing style. Each of the chapters were short and were told back and forth from the perspective of humans versus that of a fig tree – which was something I'd never really seen before from other authors, and was surprisingly executed very well. However, since these chapters were quite short it also did take away from parts of the story which I thought could have afforded a few extra pages or a more elaborate telling; because they were so brief, I found myself unable to fully immerse myself in the feelings of pain and melancholy the author was oftentimes trying to deliver.
However, it was still an amazing read, and I loved all the characters so much. I'm actually surprised that I ended up liking Meryam the most out of everyone else. I can tell that Shafak had done a sizeable amount of research and went through real historical accounts in order to portray this story as authentic as possible, and the more scientific sections of this novel have not went unnoticed too, of course. I cannot mention enough good things for this book, and it is probably one of the best works of contemporary and historical fiction, at least for myself. Definitely one of my favourite reads of 2021.
"But, then again, anyone who expects love to be sensible has perhaps never loved.But, then again, anyone who expects love to be sensible has perhaps never loved."
'The Island of Missing Trees' is an absolutely stunning novel conveying loss, grief, and trauma. At the same time, it is also a book about family, love, and perseverance. I devoured this book with haste, yet I'm sure the stories in this book will remain with me for the rest of my life.
One of the best qualities of this book is Elif Shafak's unique, but nonetheless lovely writing style. Each of the chapters were short and were told back and forth from the perspective of humans versus that of a fig tree – which was something I'd never really seen before from other authors, and was surprisingly executed very well. However, since these chapters were quite short it also did take away from parts of the story which I thought could have afforded a few extra pages or a more elaborate telling; because they were so brief, I found myself unable to fully immerse myself in the feelings of pain and melancholy the author was oftentimes trying to deliver.
However, it was still an amazing read, and I loved all the characters so much. I'm actually surprised that I ended up liking Meryam the most out of everyone else. I can tell that Shafak had done a sizeable amount of research and went through real historical accounts in order to portray this story as authentic as possible, and the more scientific sections of this novel have not went unnoticed too, of course. I cannot mention enough good things for this book, and it is probably one of the best works of contemporary and historical fiction, at least for myself. Definitely one of my favourite reads of 2021.
jessjacko's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
tjkaiser's review against another edition
4.25
Really beautiful book. Kind of drags in the middle but the beginning and end are superb.
ldpt14's review against another edition
5.0
“A tree is a memory keeper. Tangled beneath our roots, hidden inside our trunks, are the sinews of history, the ruins of wars nobody came to win, the bones of the missing.”
Where to start with this absolute masterpiece of a book. Beautifully written, and definitely more than one moment tugging on my heart strings.
It’s a book out of my usual genres that I’d read, but I’m so glad to have utterly devoured this book. Highly recommend for an insight into a world, a history, that really we’re taught nothing about.
Without giving too much away, the pace between chapters and timelines is well structured and makes for easy reading - it’s the subject matter that’s heartbreaking.
5*, without a doubt.
Where to start with this absolute masterpiece of a book. Beautifully written, and definitely more than one moment tugging on my heart strings.
It’s a book out of my usual genres that I’d read, but I’m so glad to have utterly devoured this book. Highly recommend for an insight into a world, a history, that really we’re taught nothing about.
Without giving too much away, the pace between chapters and timelines is well structured and makes for easy reading - it’s the subject matter that’s heartbreaking.
5*, without a doubt.
julissa_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
z0el0u_'s review against another edition
3.0
Beautifully written, lovely ideas and I really wanted to love this book more. The chapters from the perspective of the tree were thought provoking and a brilliant addition to the story.
I just felt like I was waiting for something to happen the entire time, struggled to get to the end and when I did I was a bit disappointed and had more questions than answers.
Only finished as it was for a book club. Not for me.
I just felt like I was waiting for something to happen the entire time, struggled to get to the end and when I did I was a bit disappointed and had more questions than answers.
Only finished as it was for a book club. Not for me.
ndbell80's review against another edition
challenging
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? No
4.0
I enjoyed this book. I thought it was really beautiful in how it told its story. I liked the way that the book brough war and humanitarian efforts and environmentalism and sexism and racism all together into one story. All of those things are so interconnected, and I loved the decision to focus on all of us instead of just one or two aspects. I thought giving the tree its own voice was an interesting decision, but one I really liked. I got so much context and information from the tree - I thought it was a really clever device.
edenangus's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0