Reviews - Un mapa de sal y estrellas

1.29k reviews for:

Un mapa de sal y estrellas

Zeyn Joukhadar

4.03 AVERAGE

ohemgeebooks's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging emotional 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: No

rkeighley's review against another edition

5.0

I have nothing but love for this book.

jbeituni's review against another edition

3.5

emotional slow-paced

hils_hobbies's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 31%

It was beautiful but I was a little bored and have a very long TBR to get to.

fear_girls_who_read's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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: Complicated

the_heathered_library's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

melodys_library's review against another edition

3.0

I wanted to like this novel more than I actually did.

The Map of Salt and Stars is a dual narrative that ties together two storylines set hundreds of years apart that follow the same physical route through the Middle East and North Africa. In one storyline, we follow Rawiya, a young girl disguised as a boy on a journey as a mapmaker’s apprentice. In the other storyline, we follow Nour, whose family moves back to Syria after her father’s death just before the civil war begins in 2011. There are overlapping elements and general themes of identity and home in both Rawiya’s and Nour’s stories.

Each chapter opened with Rawiya’s story, which is folklore, but based on historical figures. I often felt like I was powering through Rawiya’s story in order to continue Nour’s refugee story, which was where my interest was. However, my interest may have just been in comparison to my lack of connection to Rawiya’s story. I really did not feel a strong emotional investment in any of the characters in the novel, which feels so insensitive to say because Nour’s is such a tragic story. Perhaps the long breaks between Nour’s story caused me to pique and then lose interest each time?

The author’s descriptions are vivid, and the book cover is beautiful. While I appreciate the style and richness of Arab and Islamic storytelling, astronomy and culture, I can’t say that I was truly captivated by this novel.