Reviews tagging 'Dementia'

Salt Houses by Hala Alyan

17 reviews

blynn817's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death

Minor: Dementia, Xenophobia, and War

lexcellent's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Islamophobia, Murder, Fatphobia, Medical content, Blood, Colonisation, Death of parent, Grief, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, War, Violence, and Torture

palejandro's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, Death, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Islamophobia, Police brutality, Violence, War, and Religious bigotry

sineadz's review against another edition

emotional reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Colonisation, Genocide, Death, Xenophobia, Racism, War, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Islamophobia, and Police brutality

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

robinks's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

I loved getting to walk with the Yacoub family through so many years, getting to see how each of them grows internally and in relationship to the others. I believe the fact that Hala is a clinical psychologist  allowed the characters to feel real. Also, there were many actual historical references that kept the story rooted in reality. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Racism, Dementia, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Terminal illness, Torture, and Colonisation

Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Police brutality, Rape, Murder, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Death of parent, War, Drug use, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, Death, Genocide, Islamophobia, and Abandonment

Minor: Racial slurs, Alcohol, Vomit, and Sexual harassment

thenextbookdilemma's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, and War

Minor: Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Genocide, Murder, Islamophobia, Sexual violence, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Torture, Body shaming, and Racial slurs

lettuce_read's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia, War, and Grief

Moderate: Body shaming

Minor: Rape

dragongirl271's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Dementia, War, Xenophobia, and Self harm

Minor: Rape, Torture, Police brutality, Violence, Sexual violence, Death, and Domestic abuse

katharina90's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

A raw, moving, well-written multigenerational novel with complex characters and realistic family dynamics. 

The story pulled me in from the first page, but towards the end I felt less connected to the characters. 

I found myself wanting to return to the POV of previous family members rather than focusing on the younger generation.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia and Colonisation

Moderate: Grief, Confinement, War, Sexual content, Body shaming, Torture, and Death

Minor: Alcoholism

jobaji's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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

This book might be my favorite of the year. Everyone in this book felt so familiar and comforting to me, although I am Syrian, not Palestinian, and the family dynamics are so beautiful. The constant displacement of these characters and the paths that they follow that mirror those of their relatives are so fascinating to read. I just finished the book and I’m crying as I write this. Read this book. It’s just so beautiful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Colonisation, Dementia, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cursing, Grief, Medical content, Police brutality, and Torture

Minor: Rape