Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
emotional
sad
medium-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
• TBR since September 4, 2019
• Recommended in ModernMrsDarcy.com 2021 Fall Book Preview #MMDBookClub
#StoryGraph: fiction contemporary literary emotional reflective sad medium-paced
320 pages | first published 2019
Remarkable, Unique, and Unforgettable = 5-Stars
The book relates the recollections of Iranian sex worker “Tequila Leila,” in the immediate aftermath of her brutal murder. Killed and tossed in a dumpster, Leila's heart stops, but her mind continues on for 10 minutes and 38 seconds. Each of the early chapters covers about a minute of Leila's dying, each recounting either a specific incident or sketching a portrait of someone important to her life — a kind of life review.
• Recommended in ModernMrsDarcy.com 2021 Fall Book Preview #MMDBookClub
#StoryGraph: fiction contemporary literary emotional reflective sad medium-paced
320 pages | first published 2019
Remarkable, Unique, and Unforgettable = 5-Stars
The book relates the recollections of Iranian sex worker “Tequila Leila,” in the immediate aftermath of her brutal murder. Killed and tossed in a dumpster, Leila's heart stops, but her mind continues on for 10 minutes and 38 seconds. Each of the early chapters covers about a minute of Leila's dying, each recounting either a specific incident or sketching a portrait of someone important to her life — a kind of life review.
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A gorgeous story. The writing is beautiful and the characters are so vivid and real.
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Heart-wrenching and oddly comforting.
This feels like two books: the first half tells the story of Tequila Leila’s life and death, one minute at a time. The second half… well, I won’t spoil that. What I will say is that I, like others, struggled a bit with the tonal shift in the second half. But I liked the overall messages about found family, justice, finding peace when life is just truly, deeply unfair, and what it means to know and love a person.
Content warnings for sure apply here.
This feels like two books: the first half tells the story of Tequila Leila’s life and death, one minute at a time. The second half… well, I won’t spoil that. What I will say is that I, like others, struggled a bit with the tonal shift in the second half. But I liked the overall messages about found family, justice, finding peace when life is just truly, deeply unfair, and what it means to know and love a person.
Content warnings for sure apply here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Murder
Moderate: Miscarriage, Religious bigotry
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was the book that sparked my love for reading and opened the door to the literary world for me.
Elif Shafak masterfully tells powerful, deeply human stories that give a voice to the outsiders, the marginalized, and the misunderstood. The book is full of suspense and emotional depth, and the characters stay with you long after the final page.
It also highlights how people’s upbringings (their environments, families, and traumas) shape and often limit the course of their lives. It’s a story that makes you reflect on empathy, on the complexity of human experience, and on how society treats those who don’t fit the mold.
Elif Shafak masterfully tells powerful, deeply human stories that give a voice to the outsiders, the marginalized, and the misunderstood. The book is full of suspense and emotional depth, and the characters stay with you long after the final page.
It also highlights how people’s upbringings (their environments, families, and traumas) shape and often limit the course of their lives. It’s a story that makes you reflect on empathy, on the complexity of human experience, and on how society treats those who don’t fit the mold.
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Boekenclub met julid! We waren het erover eens dat de eerste 200 pagina’s (de 10m 38s) heel goed en mooi waren, maar dat de ‘afwikkeling’ wel wat korter had gekund. Die laatste 100 pagina’s hadden er ook prima 50 kunnen zijn. Wel echt genoten van de tegenstrijdigheden van Istanbul, de geloofwaardige personages en de vriendschappen!!
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced