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noonan's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
andreaedman72's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- 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? No
4.0
ostrowk's review
"I was convinced there were things happening, puzzling things that couldn't be justified. This place might be like the world that Alice went into when she found herself in Wonderland; I said that to you before. Actually, the world wasn't at all colourful like Wonderland was. The cats vanished and didn't reappear" (117).
A gut-wrenching rendering of life under siege, by an unforgettable child narrator.
A gut-wrenching rendering of life under siege, by an unforgettable child narrator.
emka918's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
thepoisonwoodreader's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
cosmosbtwnpages's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-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? It's complicated
3.5
dreesreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
A Syrian war novel, but with an atypical narrator. Rima is a teen with selective mutism. She was pulled out of school and is seen as “crazy”—she wanders, and must be tied up to keep her safe. But she’s not stupid. She is creative and has her own ways of looking at things. But as those around her disappear, what can she do?
indahmarwan's review against another edition
5.0
PLANET OF CLAY
by Samar Yazbek
Have you ever imagine living a life through a war?
A young girl named Rima hardly speaks. Her mother thinks that she has some mental health issues and she is tied in her room. In her mind she longs for walking in freedom wandering the world she wants to explore beyond her one room home. She reads and fills her imagination through The Little Prince, Alice in Wonderland, crayon drawing and Qur`an recitation.
Her innocence might fool people around her but she understands that the city she lives in starts collapsing in the civil war. She sees her mother gets murdered in front of her eyes, gets taken to a military hospital before her brother save her and take her to an area that later is bombarded by Assad forces.
She begins to narrate her life through letters with a pen and whatever she can write on. Her hopefulness is deteriorating since she sees people are killed and bombed. Her stream of consciousness is fading from the chemical bomb. She begins to accept the fear she has and the fantasy world once she had just can no longer become a refuge for her.
The horror of war in the eyes of disabled girl is portrayed physically and mentally throughout the book. The experience of reading it is haunting and exceptional giving a trembling effect once it is finished. Samar Yazbek successfully depicts the tragedy of Syrian civil war sensibly in the unusual perspective.
This one is a memorable reading experience I’ve never had before.
Thank you to Netgalley and World Editions for providing me with a free copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
#IndahMarwanReads
#TheReadingMama
#PlanetofClay
#SamarYazbek
#WomenAuthors
#SyrianLiterature
by Samar Yazbek
Have you ever imagine living a life through a war?
A young girl named Rima hardly speaks. Her mother thinks that she has some mental health issues and she is tied in her room. In her mind she longs for walking in freedom wandering the world she wants to explore beyond her one room home. She reads and fills her imagination through The Little Prince, Alice in Wonderland, crayon drawing and Qur`an recitation.
Her innocence might fool people around her but she understands that the city she lives in starts collapsing in the civil war. She sees her mother gets murdered in front of her eyes, gets taken to a military hospital before her brother save her and take her to an area that later is bombarded by Assad forces.
She begins to narrate her life through letters with a pen and whatever she can write on. Her hopefulness is deteriorating since she sees people are killed and bombed. Her stream of consciousness is fading from the chemical bomb. She begins to accept the fear she has and the fantasy world once she had just can no longer become a refuge for her.
The horror of war in the eyes of disabled girl is portrayed physically and mentally throughout the book. The experience of reading it is haunting and exceptional giving a trembling effect once it is finished. Samar Yazbek successfully depicts the tragedy of Syrian civil war sensibly in the unusual perspective.
This one is a memorable reading experience I’ve never had before.
Thank you to Netgalley and World Editions for providing me with a free copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
#IndahMarwanReads
#TheReadingMama
#PlanetofClay
#SamarYazbek
#WomenAuthors
#SyrianLiterature