Reviews

All the Rivers by Dorit Rabinyan

marinaraydun's review against another edition

5.0

One of the most incredible love stories I ever read. It moved me in a profound, physical way. Highly recommend.

selmandt's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative lighthearted 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

5.0

_emaa_'s review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad 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? Yes

5.0

emgusk's review against another edition

4.0

This was so well-written I zoomed through it over two days when I also worked and did other stuff! Banning it is stupid.

Things that were well done:
- Foreshadowing
- Displays of her privilege versus his lack of privilege (he doesn't know how to swim because of lack of access to the sea)
- Dialogue where people keep cutting one another off (seemed very Arabic/Israeli)
- 2002/2003 stuff, like leaving people voicemail and expecting them to be there and telling them to pick up
- Cutting the storytelling off right before a pivotal moment and still being able to figure out what happened when the book picks up again. This is a literary tool that some authors cannot use terribly well, but this author does!
- It is beautifully translated, even if allegories are knocking you over the head sometimes.

amyma's review against another edition

3.0

All the Rivers is the story of an Israeli girl and a Palestinian boy that meet in New York and fall in love. The two of them falling in love is not supposed to happen, it is a forbidden love and they are not able to fully enjoy the relationship with their friends and family. Overall, I found the story to be boring. As I read all books, I picture each character and the setting in my mind and for this one, I never pictured anything aside from shades of gray. There seemed to be no color or life to the writing, it never made it past dull.

** Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review. **

maddiecracker's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

chaaarlene's review against another edition

adventurous reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

uncle_shai's review against another edition

4.0

The cultural walls between the Jewish and Palestinian communities in Israel are incredibly high. And seemingly higher on the Jewish side as described in this novel. A deep and powerful love connection between two people with a lot in common is able to flourish on foreign soil. The Jewish women protagonist cannot even conceive of their relationship continuing at home in Israel/Palestine where they both have permanent residency.

rainydaze1313's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

nagyovka's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0