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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
I think I would have enjoyed this more if I had read it at a different time.
This is a story everyone needs to read. Often in our day to day, we get so wrapped up that we forget about other people and places. This story shined a light on things happening in Syria and gave me a perspective I didn’t know I needed. Reading from Nour’s POV, my heart shattered. Reading about all of the things she went through at 12 years old, I cannot believe it. At 12, I was worrying about if my crush liked me back or if my outfit was in style. Knowing that others are going through or sharing her experience, it was eye opening and gut wrenching.
This book is powerful. It is beautifully written. It had a lyrical writing style that delivered such an emotional punch. I was often left speechless and had to put the book down to process. I cried after the first page and to be honest, the tears rarely stopped.
It is a book like this that makes me glad I am doing a reading challenge. I wouldn’t have picked this book up on my own. I am so glad I read this story. As I said earlier, it is a book everyone needs to read. It is an important read.
Prompt: A book with a character who is a refugee.
This book is powerful. It is beautifully written. It had a lyrical writing style that delivered such an emotional punch. I was often left speechless and had to put the book down to process. I cried after the first page and to be honest, the tears rarely stopped.
It is a book like this that makes me glad I am doing a reading challenge. I wouldn’t have picked this book up on my own. I am so glad I read this story. As I said earlier, it is a book everyone needs to read. It is an important read.
Prompt: A book with a character who is a refugee.
Wow that was brutal. At times it was beautiful but I was exhausted by the end.
What a beautiful storyteller! This book was out of my knowledge realm but right up my alley if that makes sense. I loved the use of the dual storylines. It really worked for me! I actually found the main character super annoying at first but I’m so glad I stuck with it-she really grew on me.
4 colorful and descriptive stars to The Map of Salt and Stars! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
The Syrian civil war and refugee crisis stay in the forefront of my mind most days. I am heartbroken. I am deeply worried. I am listening.
The Map of Salt and Stars had me intrigued since I first learned about it. I inhaled this book. Joukhadar’s writing is some of the most lyrical I’ve read. The main character, Nour, has synesthesia and sees colors, and you, the reader, will as well, as a landscape and story are artistically painted with the most elegant and heartrending brushstrokes.
In 2011, Nour’s father passes away, and her mother decides to move Nour and her sisters from New York City back to Syria to be closer to family. Unfortunately, Nour’s mother could not have predicted the unraveling of her once beloved country and the dire predicament that would await the family once the house is destroyed by a shell. Nour and her family flee to safety, crossing seven countries in the Middle East and Africa.
The second narrative takes place over 800 years prior and is about Rawiya, a girl who disguises herself as a boy in order to become an apprentice to a mapmaker. Her journey is epic in proportions and in ways echos that of Nour and her family.
Both narratives are about journeys, adventure, heartache, war, darkness, light, and ultimately, family and the search for home. I could read books written in this style of writing all day. Joukhadar had me at the first paragraph when she began describing the “salt” and its symbolism that would feature throughout this stunningly written novel.
Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar is an author to watch, and I am hugging my Kindle.
Thank you to Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar, Touchstone, and Edelweiss for the ARC. The Map of Salt and Stars is available now!
For this and other reviews, please visit my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
The Syrian civil war and refugee crisis stay in the forefront of my mind most days. I am heartbroken. I am deeply worried. I am listening.
The Map of Salt and Stars had me intrigued since I first learned about it. I inhaled this book. Joukhadar’s writing is some of the most lyrical I’ve read. The main character, Nour, has synesthesia and sees colors, and you, the reader, will as well, as a landscape and story are artistically painted with the most elegant and heartrending brushstrokes.
In 2011, Nour’s father passes away, and her mother decides to move Nour and her sisters from New York City back to Syria to be closer to family. Unfortunately, Nour’s mother could not have predicted the unraveling of her once beloved country and the dire predicament that would await the family once the house is destroyed by a shell. Nour and her family flee to safety, crossing seven countries in the Middle East and Africa.
The second narrative takes place over 800 years prior and is about Rawiya, a girl who disguises herself as a boy in order to become an apprentice to a mapmaker. Her journey is epic in proportions and in ways echos that of Nour and her family.
Both narratives are about journeys, adventure, heartache, war, darkness, light, and ultimately, family and the search for home. I could read books written in this style of writing all day. Joukhadar had me at the first paragraph when she began describing the “salt” and its symbolism that would feature throughout this stunningly written novel.
Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar is an author to watch, and I am hugging my Kindle.
Thank you to Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar, Touchstone, and Edelweiss for the ARC. The Map of Salt and Stars is available now!
For this and other reviews, please visit my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
adventurous
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What this author manages to convey is the depth and intricacies of the loss of homeland and culture, the devastating effects of war on innocent people, the struggles and dangers of seeking refuge away from one's country which is invaded by the greed and corruption of war. By telling Nour's story intertwined with the mythical story of Rawiya we are able to see the depth of the history and culture that is being torn apart and how devastating this experience is for refugees.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes