Scan barcode
zahrahm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Largely my impression of the book was confused because the way it was pitched was that there were 3 families who after a specific event are intertwined… that didn’t happen at all. It was more there was 1-2 cameos across each short story. It may be an issue of the marketing but because it didn’t do what it promised I got to the end without realizing, thinking “… what?”
With that said, the short stories themselves tackle themes that are complicated, and there’s an argument that books like these must be written. BUT you must read the content warnings because I got blind-sighted multiple times when I’d suddenly get thrown for a loop with an event; I had to take breaks from the book because of it. I’m not someone who needs to read content warnings usually so this was a shock for me. Not a before-bed read for sure.
With that said, the short stories themselves tackle themes that are complicated, and there’s an argument that books like these must be written. BUT you must read the content warnings because I got blind-sighted multiple times when I’d suddenly get thrown for a loop with an event; I had to take breaks from the book because of it. I’m not someone who needs to read content warnings usually so this was a shock for me. Not a before-bed read for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Sexual content, Mental illness, and Death
Moderate: Eating disorder, Murder, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Fatphobia, and Self harm
Minor: Gaslighting and Miscarriage
wanderlust_romance's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
Behind You is the Sea is a collection of interconnected short stories that center Palestinian characters. I had high hopes and was excited to see it on the shelves during my last library visit. Alas, it was not my cup of tea. The stories are set in Baltimore, but there is no distinguishing sense of place in these vignettes, nothing that makes you understand what it means to live, work, or grow up there. (The irony of it all was the cover designers note at the end proclaiming how Baltimore itself shined as a character here. WHERE?!) BYITS aimed to do too much and didn't execute on those ideas all that well. These stories touched on weighty subjects such as racism, classism, eating disorders, abortion, family conflicts, femicide, and domestic abuse. The writing style was heavy on the telling as opposed to showing, while also skirting around the issue at center of the story before addressing it with unnatural directness. There was little nuance and very little subtlety, while also not leaving much room for reflection from these characters whose head you've been in throughout the short story. The biggest off-putting aspect though was the cop-aganda in the two stories focusing on Marcus. He's a "good cop" and "overprotective brother" but a "bad son" until he takes his father's body back to Palestine and rushes into marriage (savior complex, much?) with a woman there. It's 2024. Do we need to romanticize police in this day and age? In a city as fraught with racialized and class divisions as Baltimore? Of all the commentary that didn't land...that one fell the most flat.
It was a fast read, which is perhaps the only reason I finished reading rather than quitting midway through.
It was a fast read, which is perhaps the only reason I finished reading rather than quitting midway through.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racism, Suicide attempt, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Bullying, and Self harm
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
Overall, this is a short story collection (but the stories are interconnected and we do come full circle in the end) of three Palestinian American families in Baltimore, Maryland. They are navigating topics like racism, misogyny, classism, being first-and second- generation immigrants, neurodivergence, marital issues, pregnancy, and more. While some stories called to me more than others and I can't deny that I thoroughly appreciated SMD's voice and depth she provided for certain characters/POVs, I couldn't get behind the copaganda, which feels like such a mindfuck, as I know she has been vocal in #FreePalestine. So many people who want a free Palestine recognize the fact that all of our liberation is connected, and I really could have done without the unchallenged copaganda.
I went in with an open mind, but the glorification of cops/policing in this is inexcusable. Look, I waited for SMD to provide some sort of commentary on this, but besides a separate chapter (not the cop Marcus's two chapters) mentioning a character recounting a friend not knowing how to feel about basically signing up to kill Black and brown men (in reference to him thinking about joining the army), there is no implicit or explicit commentary on Marcus' job as a cop. This really does speak to me as copaganda, and I tried so hard to believe that Marcus or someone else would call him out on his complicity in the violence enacted on specifically Black bodies in BALTIMORE (like I can't believe I have to point this out?!), but to no avail. Super disappointing and saddening. Again, I will give the author another try, like maybe her middle-grade stuff? However, this one missed the mark for me and fell into wildly problematic territory.
I also felt the chapter on the parents with a neurodivergent child were..... something. I fully recognize ableism is real, and that even if you have one marginalization, it does not mean you cannot act or think in harmful ways towards other marginalizations. However, I don't know how this is supposed to operate within a book that was billed as, "fac[ing] stereotypes about Palestinian culture head-on and, shifting perspectives to weave a complex social fabric replete with weddings, funerals, broken hearts, and devastating secrets." I don't know. I really am a bit disheartened by those three chapters.
I really encourage others to listen to ownvoices reviewers (I'm neurodivergent, but not Palestinian, so I'm not necessarily saying listen to me lol I'm nobody), both Palestinian and autistic reviewers, because their POVs matter and should be taken into context.
Overall, this is a short story collection (but the stories are interconnected and we do come full circle in the end) of three Palestinian American families in Baltimore, Maryland. They are navigating topics like racism, misogyny, classism, being first-and second- generation immigrants, neurodivergence, marital issues, pregnancy, and more. While some stories called to me more than others and I can't deny that I thoroughly appreciated SMD's voice and depth she provided for certain characters/POVs, I couldn't get behind the copaganda, which feels like such a mindfuck, as I know she has been vocal in #FreePalestine. So many people who want a free Palestine recognize the fact that all of our liberation is connected, and I really could have done without the unchallenged copaganda.
I went in with an open mind, but the glorification of cops/policing in this is inexcusable. Look, I waited for SMD to provide some sort of commentary on this, but besides a separate chapter (not the cop Marcus's two chapters) mentioning a character recounting a friend not knowing how to feel about basically signing up to kill Black and brown men (in reference to him thinking about joining the army), there is no implicit or explicit commentary on Marcus' job as a cop. This really does speak to me as copaganda, and I tried so hard to believe that Marcus or someone else would call him out on his complicity in the violence enacted on specifically Black bodies in BALTIMORE (like I can't believe I have to point this out?!), but to no avail. Super disappointing and saddening. Again, I will give the author another try, like maybe her middle-grade stuff? However, this one missed the mark for me and fell into wildly problematic territory.
I also felt the chapter on the parents with a neurodivergent child were..... something. I fully recognize ableism is real, and that even if you have one marginalization, it does not mean you cannot act or think in harmful ways towards other marginalizations. However, I don't know how this is supposed to operate within a book that was billed as, "fac[ing] stereotypes about Palestinian culture head-on and, shifting perspectives to weave a complex social fabric replete with weddings, funerals, broken hearts, and devastating secrets." I don't know. I really am a bit disheartened by those three chapters.
I really encourage others to listen to ownvoices reviewers (I'm neurodivergent, but not Palestinian, so I'm not necessarily saying listen to me lol I'm nobody), both Palestinian and autistic reviewers, because their POVs matter and should be taken into context.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Dementia, Xenophobia, Ableism, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Police brutality, Self harm, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Murder, and Cancer
robinks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was such a beautiful collection of interwoven, nuanced stories. I loved getting to see the characters from different perspectives. Escorting the Body was a powerful way to end the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Fatphobia, Racism, Body shaming, Infidelity, Alcohol, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Islamophobia, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Death of parent, Ableism, Murder, Bullying, Medical content, Physical abuse, Violence, Xenophobia, Drug use, Abandonment, Gun violence, Confinement, Sexual content, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Abortion, Blood, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Torture, Addiction, Cancer, Infertility, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
metaphorsandmisc's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Dementia, Cultural appropriation, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Murder, Rape, Toxic relationship, War, Abortion, Eating disorder, Self harm, Body shaming, Colonisation, and Gun violence
Minor: Ableism, Infertility, and Suicide attempt
sarahbythebook's review
4.5
In this moving collection of vignettes, Susan Muaddi Darraj explores the range of experiences of the Palestinian diaspora. Short snippets spanning multiple years invites readers into the daily lives and struggles of these families: generational divides, class struggles, the differences in expectations of the American Dream.
Darraj has expertly interwoven the lives of her characters; we see these singular people interacting in both positive and negative ways with the Palestinian community around them and the communities they live alongside. This book is a lesson that the Palestinian experience isn't just about pain and suffering, though that is surely a part of the story just like it is for any culture. There is love and joy, successes and celebrations. Behind You is the Sea is a heartfelt reminder that the Palestinian struggle is the human struggle. The fears and concerns are the same as anyone else's, but there is the added dimension of being Palestinian, of being from a place that others are trying to destroy.
So many topics are covered in these chapters that there's something everyone can relate to: loving someone whom your family doesn't approve of, success against the odds, the divide in socioeconomics, body image pressure, intimate relationships that go both right and very very wrong, casual racism and learning to use your voice, what familial duty means. My only issue with this book is that sometimes it was hard to remember how the characters were connected with one another, but that is an incredibly minor critique given the rest.
In Behind You is the Sea, Darraj provides readers just a peak behind the curtain of what it's like to be a Palestinian living in American. Their lives are full, their hurts are familiar and so are their joys.
While there are numerous triggering topics in this book, they are largely off page and discussed briefly. Infertility, domestic violence, and misogyny would be the exceptions.
Darraj has expertly interwoven the lives of her characters; we see these singular people interacting in both positive and negative ways with the Palestinian community around them and the communities they live alongside. This book is a lesson that the Palestinian experience isn't just about pain and suffering, though that is surely a part of the story just like it is for any culture. There is love and joy, successes and celebrations. Behind You is the Sea is a heartfelt reminder that the Palestinian struggle is the human struggle. The fears and concerns are the same as anyone else's, but there is the added dimension of being Palestinian, of being from a place that others are trying to destroy.
So many topics are covered in these chapters that there's something everyone can relate to: loving someone whom your family doesn't approve of, success against the odds, the divide in socioeconomics, body image pressure, intimate relationships that go both right and very very wrong, casual racism and learning to use your voice, what familial duty means. My only issue with this book is that sometimes it was hard to remember how the characters were connected with one another, but that is an incredibly minor critique given the rest.
In Behind You is the Sea, Darraj provides readers just a peak behind the curtain of what it's like to be a Palestinian living in American. Their lives are full, their hurts are familiar and so are their joys.
While there are numerous triggering topics in this book, they are largely off page and discussed briefly. Infertility, domestic violence, and misogyny would be the exceptions.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Infertility, and Sexual assault
Minor: Body shaming, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Cancer, Ableism, Abortion, and Drug use
laurenexploresbooks's review against another edition
emotional
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? No
5.0
This work is a beautiful collection depicting family and humanity in all of its complex. The Palestinian-Americans within this work were beautiful, flawed, complex, hard working, and compassionate.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Child death
Minor: Violence, Torture, Self harm, and Sexual assault
More...