Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

10 reviews

dale_in_va's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book starts out appearing to be a story about one thing but then turned out to be something completely different.  I thought it was insightful, and reminds you that sometimes you don't really know people as well as you think.   Loved the music references, not sure how I feel about the religious ones.. but it is a complex book that leaves one with complex thoughts afterwards.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Confinement, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Ableism, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Classism, and Bullying

Moderate: Medical trauma, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Racism, and Pedophilia

Minor: Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, Islamophobia, and Racial slurs

there are many intense subjects broached in this book, despite that, it is a hopeful book that reminds teens that while the world may feel against them at times, there are allies. Even though they are sometimes difficult to find.

risten's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Gaslighting, Islamophobia, Racism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Addiction, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Alcohol, Grief, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content

Moderate: Rape, Violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Excrement, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Confinement, Cursing, and Pedophilia

calamitywindpetal's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Xenophobia, Grief, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Bullying, Child abuse, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Violence, Death, Confinement, Medical content, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

ska1224's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

5.0

had to stop and just stare at the ceiling a lot reading this 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Drug use

lawbooks600's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? Yes

3.0

Representation: Asian main characters, side Black and Brown characters
Score: Five points out of ten.

Man, this book wasn't great and to say it was sad wouldn't be the right words to describe this one. I added it to my list a few days ago at the time of writing this review and a few days later I picked it up from one of the two libraries I visited and finally read it. When I finished it, I thought the novel was too depressing (don't get me wrong, a book can be depressing and still be enjoyable but it needs a balance of depression and more positive emotions, but this one didn't have that.) Did I mention this novel circled my recommendations once? It starts with one story's main character Misbah Malik  living in Pakistan who is arranged to marry her predetermined partner when it cuts to the present day in Juniper, California with the other story's protagonists Noor (I initially pronounced it as Nore until she said it rhymes with lure so I switched to that) and Salahudin.

Another book similar to this I've read and enjoyed is Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed but I found that better than this one. I appreciate the author for writing this novel engagingly because of the outstanding descriptions of everything. Here is where the flaws surface; like other books I've read I could never fully connect to all the people who drive the story forward like Misbah, Noor or Salahudin and the plotline(s) were all over the place (I'll explain that later) making them disjointed and harder for me to read or enthral myself in. Now Noor and Salahudin had to get through the death of whom they call Misbah Auntie from kidney problems she refused to address properly (she'd use turmeric instead of going to the doctor) and already I felt miserable but the worst is yet to come. The past narrative told me that Noor's parents died in an earthquake in Pakistan and no one but another person, Chachu (her uncle) saved her with his bare hands which the book repeats sometimes to presumably drive it into my head. I don't understand why I had to look at Misbah's perspective in the past after she died in the present because it didn't add anything significant and distracted from the present perspective story. There are myriad issues the novel talks about much to its detriment as I felt it couldn't pick a single issue to focus on (like alcohol abuse, racism, child abuse and drug abuse) and instead it tried to concentrate on all of them but failed. Maybe if it picked one it could be better. 

Everything takes a turn for the worst when Noor applied for seven different universities but to no avail and she tries to pay off the bills without Misbah (whose life went on a downward spiral) to similar results while also dealing with racist attacks at her school and the rage as she calls it bottling inside her (shutting down feelings never works well especially when she physically punches Jamie, the culprit, in return.) Chachu uses a (destructive) coping strategy, alcohol to deal with all the struggles in his life which didn't go to plan as he abuses Noor so she runs away. At least Jamie got karma in the end, Noor got accepted to a university, both people in the present move on ending the book swiftly. I won't reread this but I might read An Ember in the Ashes and its succeeding instalments.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Death, Grief, Racism, Confinement, Blood, Medical content, Drug use, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Full trigger warnings: Death of an aunt from an illness, parents from an earthquake and other people from electrocution in the past, racism, racist slurs, blood, grief and loss depiction, physical assault, injury and child abuse, abusive and alcohol abusing uncle, imprisonment of a child, hospitalisation, bullying, near-death experience from a drug overdose

fazington's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Racism, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Alcohol, Religious bigotry, Cursing, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Violence

teeclecticreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad tense slow-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

5.0

Jeez. What an emotional rollercoaster! I loved every bit of it though. It felt real and painful yet it was also full of hope and tenderness. The audio also makes it 10x better

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol, Addiction, Grief, Alcoholism, Vomit, Excrement, Deportation, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Confinement

I KNEW that Chachu was a piece of shit and actually didn’t want her. He implanted this whole saviour story in her head when really he called the entire world to find out who could take her off his hands. And wow, what happened to Sal was awful and I don’t blame him for not wanting to know since he clearly remembers in his body and the way that he hates touch. Also AMA’s 3 kids?? That’s so beautiful 😭 not the boy and the girl coming together as one to make the 3rd! So sweet.

sknappy1's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Police brutality, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Grief, Terminal illness, Addiction, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug abuse

This book deals with very heavy topics. In fact, most of the book is devoted to the terrible experiences the two main characters after going through or have gone through. It can be quite heavy, but the author handles these difficult topics with loving care and concern.

bg_oseman_fan's review

emotional hopeful 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

5.0

when i started this book, i wasn’t sure it would live up to its name, but it absolutely did. the writing is at turns lyrical and beautiful and at other times blunt and unyielding in its descriptions. i look that there were no perfect characters in this story, but plenty of people that try, fail sometimes, but grow and try to do better. a great read on forgiveness, compassion, and finding strength in yourself and others. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Alcohol, and Death of parent

Moderate: Bullying, Drug abuse, Chronic illness, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, and Violence

Minor: Blood, Physical abuse, Cursing, Racism, Classism, Islamophobia, Medical content, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Confinement

avabudavari's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

This book was so incredible. It is the closest thing to young adult literary fiction that I’ve ever read. I loved Salahudin, Noor and Misbah  so much and I found my heart breaking over and over again along with theirs as each hardship passed. This is a story about trauma, but it is also one about love and hope. Every word it was a masterpiece.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death of parent, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Confinement, Racism, Alcohol, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Islamophobia, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Rape