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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
dark
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
The narrator is, at the beginning of the book, a young Iraqi girl who gives an account of the life in her neighbourhood in war-torn Baghdad . She tells us of the impact the 2 Gulf Wars and strict sanctions/restrictions had on her daily life and generally on the Iraqi civilian population as they try to lead as normal a life as possible in the circumstances.
"The sanctions were not only a weapon to make us starve, they largely put an end to our way of living and destroyed the meaning of life. They stole away the spirit of hope, and when hope disappears, life becomes merely a routine in which we move from one miserable day to another yet more miserable. In such a life, people do not love each other. They do not even love themselves".
Although I found it hard initially to get into the story, I found it extremely interesting as it's not often we get an account on the Gulf wars from an Iraqi perspective. It is a hard-hitting novel on a girl's dreams, hopes and fears, on the other side of the wars that was hardly mentioned in the news.
"The sanctions were not only a weapon to make us starve, they largely put an end to our way of living and destroyed the meaning of life. They stole away the spirit of hope, and when hope disappears, life becomes merely a routine in which we move from one miserable day to another yet more miserable. In such a life, people do not love each other. They do not even love themselves".
Although I found it hard initially to get into the story, I found it extremely interesting as it's not often we get an account on the Gulf wars from an Iraqi perspective. It is a hard-hitting novel on a girl's dreams, hopes and fears, on the other side of the wars that was hardly mentioned in the news.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A sad, yet nice story that grapples with time, change, grief, and growing up. Creativity in the writing makes you grapple with what's real and what's not, but also whether that even matters.
If I were to reread this I might give it a higher rating. If I wasn't reading this whole in a book hangover I'd only give this on a 2 star rating. I had a very hard time connecting and following this story.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
4 resilient stars to The Baghdad Clock! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
This book landed on my radar when my friend, Paromjit, gave it five stars. I had to read it, and it did not disappoint!
It is Baghdad in 1991. Two Iraqi girls become the best of friends while in an air raid shelter. Their hearts are pure and their imaginations dream of a time when war was a distant memory; however, years later, the war is still present in their country.
With a bird’s-eye-view of war from the ground, from the mouths and hearts of the innocent children experiencing it, The Baghdad Clock is poignant and important. It is lyrically and colorfully written, while it covers the dark atrocities of war.
The children are resilient. They adjust to the horrific times, to the disappearing city that once laid before them. Emotionally, my heart ached at times for what these children, what these people, went through.
Overall, The Baghdad Clock was a deeply emotional, beautifully-written, thought-provoking read. May we always hear the voices on either side of war.
Thank you to Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld Publications, and Edelweiss for the complimentary copy. The Baghdad Clock is available now!
My reviews can also be found on my shiny new blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
This book landed on my radar when my friend, Paromjit, gave it five stars. I had to read it, and it did not disappoint!
It is Baghdad in 1991. Two Iraqi girls become the best of friends while in an air raid shelter. Their hearts are pure and their imaginations dream of a time when war was a distant memory; however, years later, the war is still present in their country.
With a bird’s-eye-view of war from the ground, from the mouths and hearts of the innocent children experiencing it, The Baghdad Clock is poignant and important. It is lyrically and colorfully written, while it covers the dark atrocities of war.
The children are resilient. They adjust to the horrific times, to the disappearing city that once laid before them. Emotionally, my heart ached at times for what these children, what these people, went through.
Overall, The Baghdad Clock was a deeply emotional, beautifully-written, thought-provoking read. May we always hear the voices on either side of war.
Thank you to Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld Publications, and Edelweiss for the complimentary copy. The Baghdad Clock is available now!
My reviews can also be found on my shiny new blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com