Reviews with content warning for Pregnancy - Other Words for Home

Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

16 reviews

puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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lawbooks600's review

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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? Yes

4.0

Representation: Asian and Black characters
Score: Eight points out of ten.

Before I read Other Words for Home, I was at a crossroad. On one hand, I had high expectations, considering this book was initially my first one from Jasmine Warga before someone transferred it and then I had to read The Shape of Thunder (which I enjoyed.) On the other, my recent poetry reads were misses, other than a few gems. Fortunately, when I finally finished Other Words for Home, it was delightful, but heavy.

It starts with the first person I see, Jude, living a peaceful life in Syria with her family during the opening pages. Once the country got too volatile and chaotic, Jude had to move to her relatives in Ohio, America, leaving her father and brother behind. Initially, Jude hasn't acclimatised to America yet and is not used to the new labels people call her like Syrian and Middle Eastern. Jude eventually adjusts herself to her new surroundings, living in her new home and going to a new American school to make friends. Interestingly, she has two English classes: English and ESL (English as a Second Language,) where Jude finds new people to befriend. Jude's subsequent chapter in her life is mostly uneventful, save for the school play auditions and the subtle racist attacks she experiences. I liked everything about Other Words for Home: the excellent poetry and the likable and relatable characters. Toward the concluding pages, Jude reunites with her family through a screen, meets her long-lost brother and gets into the performance, finishing the narrative on a high note.

Addendum: Coincidentally, Other Words for Home combines the titles of two other novels I read: The Other Side of Tomorrow and The Horses Didn't Come Home, both of which were satisfying to read. To summarise, Other Words for Home initially looked promising and when I closed the final page, it was a gratifying reading experience.

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readingwithtemperance's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

The only bad thing I can say about this book is that I wanted more of it. I love Jude and her family so much. The writing was gorgeous. And the audio was so immersive.

I cried multiple times reading this.

When Jude put on her hijab for the first time my heart sang for her.

the awful attack on her friend Layla's family's store.

and

the birth of her sister/seeing her brother again even through a screen.

The author's note was beautiful and powerful and brought tears to my eyes as well. I am so happy I read this.

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bessadams's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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nytephoenyx's review against another edition

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hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

This is a sweet story about a girl who immigrated from Syria to the United States. There’s some emotional moments, but the author was cautious about telling the story while maintaining its status as a children’s book, so it’s certainly not as heavy as it could be. Altogether a good story and I appreciate the representation.

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ruthypoo2's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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

5.0

This was a really wonderful middle grade book about the experience of a young girl, Jude, who must move from Syria with her mother to live with relatives in the United States. Jude is sad to leave behind her father who stays to continue operating the family business, and her older brother who is becoming dangerously aligned with militant factions.

The author, Jasmine Warga, captures Jude’s feelings of loss of home and everything familiar. The story describes what it’s like to feel an outsider, not know the language, be unsure how to fit in at a new school, and then eventually, the wonder of finding your place in a new country. Although Jude is dealing with the challenges of assimilation, she’s also reached a time in her life when she’s starting to mature and face the same insecurities as every other young person, regardless of their homeland or adopted home. Obviously, this is a common ground that can help forge new young relationships.

While the issues of migration, seeking asylum, bigotry, and bullying are heavy topics, this book addresses them in a way that can be understood and thoughtfully considered by a young reader. The author doesn’t dwell on the hardships experienced by Jude and her family, but paints a picture showing that there’s more to the background story of someone who’s new to America than most native citizens are aware. The storyline advocates that there’s much to be gained by welcoming someone who’s new to your country so you can share and learn from each other’s cultural heritage.

This is a very good book and I recommend it to readers of all ages.

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bookedandbusy's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I loved this book so much. It gave me so much perspective on a topic I’m generally very sheltered from, and I appreciated that! This is an important read for any age and I would recommend it!

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