Reviews tagging 'Murder'

L'isola degli alberi scomparsi by Elif Shafak

66 reviews

merrynthomas's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective relaxing 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Grief, Racism, Death of parent, Mental illness, Murder, Pregnancy, and Death

Minor: Abortion, Suicide, Cancer, Homophobia, and Alcoholism

readingelli's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia and War

Moderate: Abortion, Child death, and Murder

Minor: Suicide

Civil war

robd52's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Had a really mixed time with this one. Bits I really liked - the timelines, reflection on intergenerational trauma. I really didn't get on with the tree chapters, they could have been good but it was often too much like a Wikipedia article or showing off knowledge rather than creating a believable character.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, War, and Murder

Minor: Suicide

selireads's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

As a child of immigrant parents from former Yugoslavia, this book hit a topic close to home. I grew up learning bits and pieces of my father's past, just like Ada. Neighbours and friends turning their backs on each other and doing unspeakable things to each other is a topic we're well aware of. It was a hard read, and I found myself struggling to continue because of how relatable it was. I've never read a book that took the perspective of a tree and it's such a beautiful touch. I loved hearing the bugs and the birds talking to the tree. I will never look at trees the same way anymore. I'd strongly urge anyone who deals lives in the diaspora with generational trauma and/or immigrant parents to pick up this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, Death, Murder, Pregnancy, Suicide, Violence, War, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Blood, and Gun violence

caleb_makes's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

Devastating and beautiful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Death of parent, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent, Death, Abortion, and Alcoholism

Minor: Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Medical content, Racism, Religious bigotry, War, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Violence, Blood, Cultural appropriation, and Cursing

cinnamonpizza8's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.0

The author did a magical job of tying together a beautiful story of immigration and conflict and history effortlessly. I felt engrossed in this book when I read it, wanting to hear all the details and deeply thinking of the concepts the author rose through the characters. The fig tree was the best part of the story - I loved having this omnipresent voice that felt grounded (haha, get it). Overall, a great story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Misogyny, Mental illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Homophobia, Grief, Genocide, Drug abuse, Child death, Suicide, Death of parent, Death, Sexism, Racism, War, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Murder, Islamophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

rhi_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Death of parent

Moderate: Murder, Racism, Homophobia, Mental illness, and Xenophobia

blueberry0531's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Child death, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Abortion, Alcoholism, Murder, Homophobia, and Mental illness

Minor: Suicide

lulunyx's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective 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

This book is superb. Intricately woven themes, blatant horror interspersed within gorgeous descriptions, combined with emotive similes and metaphors that call back to the themes and plot. Devastating and uplifting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, Murder, and Grief

Moderate: Homophobia

frogggirl2's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

P. 55, the fig tree talking about why she couldn't bear fruit for 7 years, "Because that is what migrations and relocations do to us: when you leave your home for unknown shores, you don’t simply carry on as before; a part of you dies inside so that another part can start all over again."

This is lovely and has some interesting things to say about the effects of emigration, conflict zones and Civil War. It's magical realism so you have to go with it even though things like mice being able to read in this realistic world state are jarring.  The examination of the importance of nature and human disregard for animals, plants and really everything feels preachy. I would say that's my main complaint about this book as a whole - it's a bit formulaic at points and a bit on the nose.  The characterization of Ada and the current day storyline is sacrificed at the altar of making over-arching points.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Child death, and Murder