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kaitlanl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Homophobia, War, Suicide, Death, and Animal death
siobhanward's review against another edition
emotional
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
2.5
Reese's Book Club Pick 60/68
Maybe it's because I know nothing about the history of conflict in Cyprus (which is on me, I probably should know a bit about that), maybe it was the writing style, or maybe this book wasn't my style, because I just didn't get the hype.
I thought the book was fine. It wasn't terrible or anything but I didn't feel engaged and just felt like I was waiting for it to be over. I think there was context that Shafak needed to explain in more detail to get more reader buy-in, because it felt like I was missing something the whole time. The tree's POV was cool, although I felt that I could have used less of it and would have loved to see more from the characters themselves. More show, less tell.
Maybe it's because I know nothing about the history of conflict in Cyprus (which is on me, I probably should know a bit about that), maybe it was the writing style, or maybe this book wasn't my style, because I just didn't get the hype.
I thought the book was fine. It wasn't terrible or anything but I didn't feel engaged and just felt like I was waiting for it to be over. I think there was context that Shafak needed to explain in more detail to get more reader buy-in, because it felt like I was missing something the whole time. The tree's POV was cool, although I felt that I could have used less of it and would have loved to see more from the characters themselves. More show, less tell.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia, Xenophobia, and War
rubyrosereads_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
slow-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
3.75
This book tells the story of Kostas, a Greek Cypriot, and Defne, a Turkish Cypriot, as they fall in love in secret when their two ethnic groups begin to turn against each other in Nicosia, Cyprus, 1974.
This story has the conflict at the centre of the plot but it is really about the interconnectedness of humans and nature. Both Kostas and the Fig Tree raise the question of why conflict is necessary among humans, and why we put ourselves above nature.
The fig tree as a narrator was at times interesting, but other times a little over the top for me with the heavy handed metaphors. Overall a good read and I would recommend for anyone who loves books about nature.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Homophobia, and Violence
ahoijules's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Death of parent, and Homophobia
Moderate: Child death
wheeistful's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, War, Child death, Death, and Violence
r0ry_'s review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Hate crime, and Homophobia
Minor: Colonisation, Alcoholism, Child death, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
kelly11111's review against another edition
emotional
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? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Hate crime
Minor: Alcoholism and Animal death
maggiems's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
I desperately wanted to love this book a tree as a narrator is exactly the kind of stuff I want to see in the world. And well I found the human characters fascinating love their stories there ups and downs and relationship to their trauma. We can't being thrown back to that fucking tree who was the keeper of the metaphor.
Did you know that animals migrate? Did you know that "we trees" also have genetic trauma? Sure does make you think huh? All of this may not have annoyed me so much if I didn't hate the voice of the tree to an unreasonably degree. A mix between holier than thou and naive twit! The phrase "We Trees" started to grate me. Perhaps it was the switch between third and first person narration.
So what of the human characters. I am a sucker for a love story and multiple time lines and generational issues. We have one Turkish Cypriot and one Greek Cypriot who embody historic conflict, a teenage daughter who stands for the new generation, and an aunt who stands for tradition. The novel is not very interested in the politics of why there was unrest in Cyprus, but its effects on individuals. Again this is essentially what the tree was there for, to take the longer view, to not care about why the humans came and gone, only that they did. In this way Shafak is going for a universality of conflict could be writing about any conflict.
This kind of links up with Ada's episode in school, leading to the #doyouhearmenow. All of the girls screaming are disaffected youths, the "losers of history" I wanted more of this. The trauma of being bullied online while also getting adoration and starting a trend that empowers people is interesting, but we have about 3 scenes with it and in the end it amounted to very little. She goes back to school and nothing more is said about it. I guess in the end it is true what she says; the losers do not get to write their story.
A feature I really did love about the book wasthe gay couple who ran the tavern. It was nice to recognize that while our mains were star crossed lovers in a dangerous situation, others were punished much worse for their love.
I wanted to like this book so much more than I did and that just always makes a book worse. What would have been a 3* if I didn't know anything about it, is brought down to 2.
Did you know that animals migrate? Did you know that "we trees" also have genetic trauma? Sure does make you think huh? All of this may not have annoyed me so much if I didn't hate the voice of the tree to an unreasonably degree. A mix between holier than thou and naive twit! The phrase "We Trees" started to grate me. Perhaps it was the switch between third and first person narration.
So what of the human characters. I am a sucker for a love story and multiple time lines and generational issues. We have one Turkish Cypriot and one Greek Cypriot who embody historic conflict, a teenage daughter who stands for the new generation, and an aunt who stands for tradition. The novel is not very interested in the politics of why there was unrest in Cyprus, but its effects on individuals. Again this is essentially what the tree was there for, to take the longer view, to not care about why the humans came and gone, only that they did. In this way Shafak is going for a universality of conflict could be writing about any conflict.
This kind of links up with Ada's episode in school,
A feature I really did love about the book was
I wanted to like this book so much more than I did and that just always makes a book worse. What would have been a 3* if I didn't know anything about it, is brought down to 2.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Xenophobia
Minor: Self harm and Alcoholism
tahsintries's review against another edition
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Homophobia, and Genocide
Moderate: Homophobia, Abortion, Death, Grief, and Pregnancy
dan2's review against another edition
emotional
informative
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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Violence, Death, Homophobia, and Misogyny