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lprongs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Dysphoria, Racism, Death of parent, Grief, Sexism, Child death, Body horror, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Colonisation and Transphobia
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content
jennswan's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Dysphoria, Grief, Transphobia, Racism, Misogyny, Hate crime, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Sexual assault
singlier's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Oh my goodness. I loved this book. It is beautiful: a reflective mingling of past and present explored through alternating POVs of a two Syrian artists: one, a sapphic immigrant who fled Syrian during the French/Syrian war and the other, a closeted trans man struggling under the grief of his mother's death. It is a story about loss, which means it is a story about love: lost loves, familial love, love of our communities, love of ourselves. On the five-year anniversary of his mother's death, the man finds the journal of the Syrian immigrant and discovers his life and her life are irreparably intertwined through their shared obsession of a rare bird: a bird his mother died before she could prove it was real. What follows is a parallel narrative between past and present, unfolding the lives of both artists as they attempt to unravel their own identities admist the complex and varied social pressures of their varied eras.
The only reason this book isn't a full five stars for me is that, despite how beautiful it is to read, it is SLOW. It's a very reflective piece, and I loved the real-world history that went into the creation of this book, but even I at times found myself skipping ahead to get to the next piece of the mystery. I still do highly recommend it.
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Dysphoria, Grief, Blood, Classism, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Sexual assault, and War
laurareads87's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexism, and Transphobia
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Minor: War
seawarrior's review
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Colonisation, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, Xenophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Cancer, and Dementia
baponthecob's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Medical content, Misogyny, and Transphobia
Minor: Blood, Cancer, Dementia, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
caseythereader's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ð Beautiful writing, particularly the descriptions of birds and the paintings of them.
ð This is an #ownvoices book, and the portrayal of a trans boy who isn't out yet feels so real - the delicacy of the situation is tangible.
ð The way the two storylines interweaved was masterful, and I was in tears at the end.
ð I don't think I've ever read a story about a queer Syrian American and I'm so glad this book exists now.
ð I just cannot find the words to adequately express to you how beautiful THE THIRTY NAMES OF NIGHT is. Please read it if you can.
Content warnings: miscarriage, deadnaming, Islamophobia, animal death, death, grief, xenophobia, transphobia, sexual assault.
Graphic: Deadnaming, Islamophobia, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Animal death, Deadnaming, Death, Grief, Transphobia, and Xenophobia
Minor: Sexual assault