Reviews tagging 'War'

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

199 reviews

mathilda1998's review against another edition

emotional informative 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Murder

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Suicide

bethancy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I was a bit intimidated by this book at first, but once I got into the story I couldn't put it down. This books is so beautiful and is packed with powerful images, revelations, and emotion. I really loved it, and the story will remain with me for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Xenophobia, and Abortion

Moderate: Alcohol, Child death, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Alcoholism

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Rape

sari_lyr's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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: Death of parent, Homophobia, and War

Moderate: Pregnancy and Abortion

leylabox's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

I am asking, nay PLEADING authors to stop trying to write teenage characters...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Violence

Moderate: Suicide

mraddd's review

emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Child death, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Racism, War, Murder, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Violence, and Mental illness

Moderate: Gun violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicide, Hate crime, Homophobia, and Islamophobia

Minor: Bullying, Sexual content, and Animal death

sarabookshelf's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad

4.75

For someone like me who comes from a war-torn country, whose parents are of different ethnicities and religions, one of whom recently passed away, this book might have hit a bit too close to home. 
It is beautiful, emotional, thought provoking book which touches on a myriad of topics such as migration, displacement, war, love, religion, generational trauma and has a lot of history woven throughout the story. The choice of the narrator and book structure is unusual, and the characters are all well-rounded and persons in their own right, even minor storylines are thought out. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Death of parent

Moderate: Xenophobia, Homophobia, Murder, Suicide, and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism

adampjt's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective 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: Death of parent, Violence, Death, Grief, and War

Moderate: Sexual content, Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Murder, and Hate crime

Minor: Mental illness, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, and Infertility

lilyadams's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, War, Animal death, Child death, Death, Grief, and Hate crime

Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism

deluna's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child death, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Racism, Death of parent, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Murder, and War

dannilmp's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective tense 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

4.0

A book I picked up for Storygraph's read around the world 2023 challenge, featuring an unusual narrator...a humble fig tree. To say this novel is unlike any I've read before is an understatement. Full of historical facts and plant trivia, but there is so much more to learn than just facts. At the heart lies a love story, and not just a romantic one but familial love as well.
I love the way Shafark conveys the story from the tree's point of view, and how the switching between different characters and indeed different time periods is done smootly enough as not to disrupt the flow of the story. The ending was fitting to the story told, and even filled me with hope despite the book's nature. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and War

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Abortion, Death, and Alcoholism

Minor: Suicide and Child death