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bannedfrombookclub's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Racism, and Self harm
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Domestic abuse
kmj91's review
challenging
dark
emotional
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm and Racism
Minor: Sexual assault
anxiousnachos's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
A must read for Australians or anyone wanting to know more about the Australian refugee situation. This is a very lyrical, very confronting look at the situation through the eyes of a young child as she and her family escape the war in Afghanistan and journey to Australia via Nauru. The innocence of the voice contrasted to the really shocking horrors faced in such a powerful way. There’s also a touch of magical realism weaved through, with this person Firuzeh imagines back from the dead to “eat her nightmares” as a way of dealing with her fear which I loved the imagery of.
Content warnings: war, refugee camp, refugees attempt to reach Australia via boat (note: a child dies in this section of the plot) , racism, Islamophobia, military/police brutality, child death, suicide, domestic violence, death (of child; of parent)
Content warnings: war, refugee camp, refugees attempt to reach Australia via boat (note:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Self harm, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Domestic abuse, Police brutality, and War
mandkips's review
challenging
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Racism
Moderate: Self harm, Death of parent, and Suicide
Minor: Death and Suicide attempt
perditorian's review
challenging
emotional
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Police brutality, Suicide, and Self harm
livmm's review
challenging
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Islamophobia, Domestic abuse, and Child death
mishys2's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
TW: Self harm, suicide
A beautifully written story about a family’s journey for survival. To escape a country that was no longer safe and tread across treacherous waters to a newfound land they could call home.
This story starts off hopeful but it’s far from it. We follow their journey from Pakistan, as they escape by boat to Nauru and finally to Australia. The real story is what happens in between. Their journey, their fight for survival, and all the risks they took to reach new land.
We are shown are side that’s not often talked about. What actually goes on in these refugee camps. How they are treated and if they even make it out alive.
That racism is real and alive in Australia. As much as it’s a multicultural country, we are far from the accepting and moving country we should be. The terrible treatment given to refugees, the zero support network, and reliant on volunteers to help.
Firuzeh and her family are faced with countless struggles from living on bread and dry chicken to rejection letters to the xenophobic and racist people they meet. They really are just trying to start a new life but people can be so cruel.
We also get a glimpse into the family dynamic of a family that praises their only son over their daughter. A son that gets to play soccer, have treats and hang with friends. While their daughter is stuck at home doing homework and chores.
The daughter who is haunted by her dead friend. The friend who didn’t make it across the waters. Who talks to her in her dreams and saves her from her nightmares.
The story itself was heartbreaking indeed. We see two parents struggling to make ends meet. The division they placed between brother and sister. The rage that was bubbling inside a little girl.
The lyrical prose is something to get used too, and the lack of quotations marks often left me confused with who was speaking. Aside from that, there were random chapters of side characters (that had quotation marks?) that didn’t really add anything to the rest of the story. However, I loved the setting of Melbourne and use of Aussie slang.
If you like poetic-like prose and a touch of magical realism. A story of a struggling family just trying to survive. Then this ones for you.
Thank you Netgalley and Erewhon Books for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.
A beautifully written story about a family’s journey for survival. To escape a country that was no longer safe and tread across treacherous waters to a newfound land they could call home.
This story starts off hopeful but it’s far from it. We follow their journey from Pakistan, as they escape by boat to Nauru and finally to Australia. The real story is what happens in between. Their journey, their fight for survival, and all the risks they took to reach new land.
We are shown are side that’s not often talked about. What actually goes on in these refugee camps. How they are treated and if they even make it out alive.
That racism is real and alive in Australia. As much as it’s a multicultural country, we are far from the accepting and moving country we should be. The terrible treatment given to refugees, the zero support network, and reliant on volunteers to help.
Firuzeh and her family are faced with countless struggles from living on bread and dry chicken to rejection letters to the xenophobic and racist people they meet. They really are just trying to start a new life but people can be so cruel.
We also get a glimpse into the family dynamic of a family that praises their only son over their daughter. A son that gets to play soccer, have treats and hang with friends. While their daughter is stuck at home doing homework and chores.
The daughter who is haunted by her dead friend. The friend who didn’t make it across the waters. Who talks to her in her dreams and saves her from her nightmares.
The story itself was heartbreaking indeed. We see two parents struggling to make ends meet. The division they placed between brother and sister. The rage that was bubbling inside a little girl.
The lyrical prose is something to get used too, and the lack of quotations marks often left me confused with who was speaking. Aside from that, there were random chapters of side characters (that had quotation marks?) that didn’t really add anything to the rest of the story. However, I loved the setting of Melbourne and use of Aussie slang.
If you like poetic-like prose and a touch of magical realism. A story of a struggling family just trying to survive. Then this ones for you.
Thank you Netgalley and Erewhon Books for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death, Death of parent, and Self harm
claudiaswords's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
[I got to read this book ahead of its publication because I was provided an arc copy through NetGalley]
This book is a bit complex to review because as much as its characters may be fictional, the things that happen to them, the events that take place in its pages, are incredibly real. This book packs a punch, it is not long, but every single page of it is important. Every single page made me think about how lucky I am to have the life I have.
This book deals with a family that has to flee their home country (Afghanistan) and their arduous journey to Australia, where they hope to find a new home. It depicts the horrors of being a migrant, the difficulty and dangerousness of the trip but also what happens once you reach the place you struggled so much to get to.
There were many things in this book that were difficult to read, for me the hardest were the chapters in the detention camp, but like I said before, they are difficult to read because they are very real, and that makes it important for them to be read and known. I think, aside from the realness of this story, the thing that made my heart break the most was seeing the innocence leave Firuzeh and Nour little by little, hardship by hardship, but see them still fight, still hope. Because, after all, I think this book is also about that, about growing up and not believing in the stories of your childhood anymore but eventually realizing you need them to endure the injustices of life.
I really appreciated the chapters that changed perspectives, seeing how many people cared or at least thought of this family who seemed to be so alone against the world. E. Lily Yu's prose is enchanting and captivating (in some ways - the best ways- it reminded me of Helen Oyeyemi's), her characters are so real it made me think this was a true story. Firuzeh and Nour and Nasima and Abay and Atay and everyone else in this book are fictional but sadly there are many people in the world with stories too similar to theirs.
I think everyone should read this book, more so if you think it is easy being a migrant, or that the reason they come to your country is to steal your job or live off of your help. I think if you read this story and your heart doesn't break even the slightest bit for the real people behind it then that is because you don't have a heart and so it could never break.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Self harm
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