Reviews - 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World

3.74k reviews for:

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World

Elif Shafak

4.11 AVERAGE

staceyjl's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional informative sad

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

andreea_toma's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional 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: No

ashlynd22's review against another edition

4.5

emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

wormiva's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

sumaiahareb's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

A hauntingly lyrical dive into memory, death, and found family.

We follow Leila, a sex worker in Istanbul, whose brain keeps flickering with vivid memories for 10 minutes and 38 seconds after her heart stops beating. What unfolds is not just a chronicle of her life, but of friendship, survival, and resilience in a city that both nurtures and devours.

💔 It’s raw. It’s political. It’s painfully human.

The first half broke me. The second half felt a bit disjointed—but still emotionally satisfying. The prose is lush, the characters unforgettable, and the themes cut deep.

🌊 Not a light read, but a meaningful one. Shafak paints Istanbul with both love and fury.

Would I recommend it? Yes, especially to those who love literary historical fiction that mixes the poetic with the tragic.