Reviews - 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World

3.76k reviews for:

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World

Elif Shafak

4.11 AVERAGE

lakshmiv's review against another edition

4.5

challenging 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: Yes

haley313's review against another edition

3.0

dark emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

This wasn’t quite what I was expecting but I did quite enjoy it. It makes me wish I had more friends who loved me the way Leila’s friends loved her. Beautiful and sad.

moonleafdruid's review against another edition

5.0

I can’t really properly review this book, not the way I would normally. This book, as with Shafak’s There Are Rivers in the Sky is something so different, so introsprective and character-full that anything I say almost feels like a disservice to the craft of it.

The first part was heartbreaking. The second part even more so. The third part, in its own way, a little healing. Everything told a story, everything served a purpose, and it was so well crafted.

Final review:

☆☆☆☆☆

nsfoliveira's review against another edition

5.0

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

apostiline's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional funny inspiring 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: Complicated

katierrhomer's review against another edition

5.0

dark reflective 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: Yes

lu_lew's review against another edition

3.0

emotional reflective 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

reixma's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

I started reading this book and then slowly began to dislike it, but that was down to how the main character was treated (even though she was 5-6 years old!)

As the story progressed, I saw how the main character began to make do with what hand she was given and how she made friends.

Those friends would then do what they could to help and support her.

By the end of the book, I really liked it and was a bit emotional about how it ended.

This is a hard read in places, and there are trigger warnings.

There are a few mentions of old words used to describe Downs Sindrome and transgender. Please be aware that those words are used in the correct context of the era they story is written in, although they are used today to be verbally abusive to those who those descriptors apply to.

Content Warnings