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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
adventurous
reflective
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:
Complicated
“Stories are powerful, but gather too many of the words of others in your heart and they will drown out your own. Remember that”
This is a lyrical novel, the story of a twinned epic journey, as 12-year-old Nour travels to escape war in Syria, she tells us the story of the heroic Rawiya, who dresses as a boy and travels the same route to create a wondrous map. As Nour's world slowly fragments, she clings to Rawiya's courage and strength to get her through. Joukhader doesn't pull their punches here, this is gutwrenching at times, but they celebrate the strength in both survival and stories. Nour's synaesthesia links these into maps and landscapes, adding textures to the book. Some of the plot details are clumsy at times - this is an ambitious plotting feat - but it is such a spellbinding read that it doesn't really matter.
This is a lyrical novel, the story of a twinned epic journey, as 12-year-old Nour travels to escape war in Syria, she tells us the story of the heroic Rawiya, who dresses as a boy and travels the same route to create a wondrous map. As Nour's world slowly fragments, she clings to Rawiya's courage and strength to get her through. Joukhader doesn't pull their punches here, this is gutwrenching at times, but they celebrate the strength in both survival and stories. Nour's synaesthesia links these into maps and landscapes, adding textures to the book. Some of the plot details are clumsy at times - this is an ambitious plotting feat - but it is such a spellbinding read that it doesn't really matter.
Really interesting story, which combines a number of different time periods and interests, including geology, geography, art, and the Syrian refugee crisis.
I'm really torn on this book and I think it's because I listened to the audiobook version. The characters and scene setting was amazing! The writing was magical and engrossing.
Unfortunately, for me, I kept getting confused between the two stories of Nour and Rawiya. Once again, this may have been due to the audiobook version, where there was no change in voice/tone or any chapter heading warning to tell me that we were switching stories. Because of that, I'd be a few minutes in only to realize this was a different story. It also made connecting the stories at the end hard to do.
However, it was still a really good book and one that very much deserves the 4 stars I gave it. I'll be reading it again, in print, and I fully expect to be completely awed at the writing power of Zeyn.
Unfortunately, for me, I kept getting confused between the two stories of Nour and Rawiya. Once again, this may have been due to the audiobook version, where there was no change in voice/tone or any chapter heading warning to tell me that we were switching stories. Because of that, I'd be a few minutes in only to realize this was a different story. It also made connecting the stories at the end hard to do.
However, it was still a really good book and one that very much deserves the 4 stars I gave it. I'll be reading it again, in print, and I fully expect to be completely awed at the writing power of Zeyn.
One of the best books I’ve read in a while. It’s written so beautifully and tells the story of a refugee family trying to find their way to safety and back to each other. A must read!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
adventurous
emotional
sad
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
Nevermind
Never thought a book would leave the kind of impact that The Kite Runner did. I don't want to compare the books, so I will just say what I felt about this book. I wanted to read the book from the moment I read the blurb, and the wait was totally worth it. The story was so wonderfully crafted! Every word belonged in its rightful place. The author is very, very talented because she made me feel everything through her words. There were so many different shades to the story and every character included in it - it was like scratching a beautifully painted canvas and discovering hidden layers. I felt like I was with Nour the whole time, on her long and difficult journey through Syria, Jordan, Libya, Algeria and Morocco, and the way her character grew throughout the journey. I also loved the parallel story of Ramiya - here's one more fragment of history I knew nothing about - and the way her journey was portrayed alongside Nour's. I never knew much about these countries/places (Syria, Jordan, Libya, Algeria, Morocco and Ceuta) and now, thanks to the book, I feel like I have been there. I cannot describe the beauty of the writing - you have to read it to feel what I felt.
Never thought a book would leave the kind of impact that The Kite Runner did. I don't want to compare the books, so I will just say what I felt about this book. I wanted to read the book from the moment I read the blurb, and the wait was totally worth it. The story was so wonderfully crafted! Every word belonged in its rightful place. The author is very, very talented because she made me feel everything through her words. There were so many different shades to the story and every character included in it - it was like scratching a beautifully painted canvas and discovering hidden layers. I felt like I was with Nour the whole time, on her long and difficult journey through Syria, Jordan, Libya, Algeria and Morocco, and the way her character grew throughout the journey. I also loved the parallel story of Ramiya - here's one more fragment of history I knew nothing about - and the way her journey was portrayed alongside Nour's. I never knew much about these countries/places (Syria, Jordan, Libya, Algeria, Morocco and Ceuta) and now, thanks to the book, I feel like I have been there. I cannot describe the beauty of the writing - you have to read it to feel what I felt.
The strongest elements of this book were its structure – I really enjoyed the parallel of the fairytale-like story with the warrior mapmaker’s apprentice juxtaposed with the harrowing account of the young refugee girl displaced by the Syrian war – and its lyricism. I’m not entirely sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the author also writes a lot of poetry.
The characters in the novel experience some of the traumatic realities that displaced people often face – from bombings to sexual assault to trafficking. In my opinion, though, there are one or two too many lucky breaks for the characters, and much of the plot feels like it’s driven by a number of serendipitous circumstances that aren’t entirely realistic. Again, I acknowledge that this is a coming-of-age novel that is very much influenced by stories of ancient voyagers and heroes and such convenient outcomes could be emulating those old tales.
Ultimately, I think that this book is a creative exploration of the immense struggles faced by migrants who are escaping conflict. For those who don’t know much about the region, I think that it introduces many cultural and historical elements that could be interesting to those interested in learning more about MENA. I would specifically recommend it to those seeking to better understand the human impact of the Syrian war and the global refugee crisis in general.
The characters in the novel experience some of the traumatic realities that displaced people often face – from bombings to sexual assault to trafficking. In my opinion, though, there are one or two too many lucky breaks for the characters, and much of the plot feels like it’s driven by a number of serendipitous circumstances that aren’t entirely realistic. Again, I acknowledge that this is a coming-of-age novel that is very much influenced by stories of ancient voyagers and heroes and such convenient outcomes could be emulating those old tales.
Ultimately, I think that this book is a creative exploration of the immense struggles faced by migrants who are escaping conflict. For those who don’t know much about the region, I think that it introduces many cultural and historical elements that could be interesting to those interested in learning more about MENA. I would specifically recommend it to those seeking to better understand the human impact of the Syrian war and the global refugee crisis in general.
In this beautifully written literary fiction, Nour, a girl of Syrian-American heritage, must relocate with her mother and two sisters to Syria after her father’s death. Upon settling into a new home in Syria, civil war breaks out. They begin a journey across the Middle East and North Africa in search of safe-haven. Nour’s father had often repeated a story to her, an ancient fable of a heroic girl and a mapmaker. This mystical story is interwoven into the primary narrative in alternating segments. I very much enjoyed the two intertwined stories, set hundreds of years apart, especially the way they parallel each other in geographic location as well as action sequences. Both stories contain mapmakers and strong young female protagonists that masquerade as boys. Both contain journeys, villains, and danger. The older mythical story sets the historic context for the contemporary story.
The author vividly portrays the various cultures of the region. Small portions of the story slip into the realm of magical realism in a way that adds to rather than detracts from the narrative. This novel brings the Syrian refugee crisis into sharp focus, and vividly conveys the impact on families, especially women and children. While the pacing seemed uneven in a few places, I found it extremely imaginative, lyrically written, and well-crafted.
Filled with visions of home, courage, and hope, the ancient and contemporary stories converge in a meaningful way at the end. This is a debut novel and I look forward to reading future works from this author. Highly recommended to readers of historical or literary fiction, or those interested in narratives featuring strong women, diverse cultures, or Syrian heritage.
The author vividly portrays the various cultures of the region. Small portions of the story slip into the realm of magical realism in a way that adds to rather than detracts from the narrative. This novel brings the Syrian refugee crisis into sharp focus, and vividly conveys the impact on families, especially women and children. While the pacing seemed uneven in a few places, I found it extremely imaginative, lyrically written, and well-crafted.
Filled with visions of home, courage, and hope, the ancient and contemporary stories converge in a meaningful way at the end. This is a debut novel and I look forward to reading future works from this author. Highly recommended to readers of historical or literary fiction, or those interested in narratives featuring strong women, diverse cultures, or Syrian heritage.
hopeful
inspiring
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:
N/A
This book was beautifully written, tragic, and heartfelt. The weaving of the two stories together added depth and beauty to the story and I loved learning about Syrian myths that I had not previously heard of. I will say that the fantasy element was way more minor than I expected.