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charlottedurham's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
go2hellstephanie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A great recommendation from a coworker.
The Story of Zahra tells a very tragic tale of Zahra, growing up in Lebanon. Her life is the definition of tragedy, and honestly, the ending was kind of a relief for me.
I think the only thing stopping me from giving this book 4 stars is that I didn't love most of the characters. I felt sympathetic for Zahra, but I didn't really like her.
Interested to read other stories by this author!
The Story of Zahra tells a very tragic tale of Zahra, growing up in Lebanon. Her life is the definition of tragedy, and honestly, the ending was kind of a relief for me.
I think the only thing stopping me from giving this book 4 stars is that I didn't love most of the characters. I felt sympathetic for Zahra, but I didn't really like her.
Interested to read other stories by this author!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Death
kszr's review against another edition
4.0
Trauma comes in many ways, sometimes from war, sometimes from parents. This story is one that has trauma from all, but as is the case in the war, there is never one front, one right, or one truth.
xxxbandarxxx's review against another edition
3.0
There are some really wonderful elements to this novel. The characters themselves are fascinating, but none of them were likable, and I certainly did not relate to any of them. If you would like to read another book about women in the Third World, I would recommend this.
scarymary's review against another edition
3.0
I mostly found this novel interesting for its use of jinn narrative, as Zahra continuously references her qarina, or jinn double, who brings her close to orgasm. I very much suggest this novel for those interested in jinn narratives, the qarin/qarina, national narratives in times of war, and sexuality & war, which are all the aspects of the novel I focused on while reading.
serialreader's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
_zora_'s review against another edition
4.0
Just reread this, many years after college. Language is a bit stilted and translated-sounding (my beef with almost all Arabic lit in translation), but the story is compelling. Really, it's probably 3.5 stars, but I round up because modern Arabic literature that deals with women's issues and politics without being pedantic is in short supply.