Reviews with content warning for Child death - The Beekeeper of Aleppo

I loved this book a lot!! I appreciate Christy taking the time to show the mental impact of having come from a war zone and having gone through the fleeing experience as the trauma refugees go through is often overlooked. I also liked the artistic style, she ended a scene and started the next using the same verb in a different tense. Furthermore, I loved that it showed their sorrows but also their hopes and will to live because refugees are very strong people! It was a wonderful and emotional read

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kalyaniwarrier's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

A fictionalised story, told in a narrative that sounds so close to reality, mentions of grave events in real life that makes one realise the horrors taking place around the world.

The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a brilliant piece of work that is heavily regarded in temporal distortion as the timelines shift after every chapter. But unlike other works where such skipping of timelines makes the plot difficult to visualise and piece together, Christy Lefteri has done an incredible job in the pacing and sequencing the plot, readers can be gratified by following the plot without having to give thought to the timelines despite the lack of linearity.

Apart from the various sensitive topics discussed, what one could find most appealing about the novel is the characterisation of Nuri, the protagonist and narrator and his mental health struggles. After losing his son to war, Nuri suffers with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) as he tries to distance himself from the trauma he has suffered by making illusions of various sorts to cope with the distress.

I could not point out flaws as the plot and characterisation of the novel does a wonderful job at portraying the tragedies of violence in an apolitical manner.

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sandysmith's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.5

I'm gradually adding books I've read in 2021 to give a true reflection of the books I've read since keeping records. In January 2021, I kick-started my reading journey having put reading on the back burner whilst bringing up the children only reading when on holiday, having previously being an avid reader. This is a great read giving the reader empathy for refugees. It is about Nuri and Afra fleeing Syria. Whilst it is a work of fiction it was also informative and I found myself reading more widely about Syria. It does look at difficult subject areas including post traumatic stress disorder, grief, losing a child and depression. Sad but fascinating stuff. Well worth a read

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