Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion by Bushra Rehman

22 reviews

jayisreading's review

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

4.0

Written with tenderness, Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion is a queer coming-of-age novel that gives the reader a glimpse into the life of a Pakistani American girl in New York City during the 1980s. Throughout this novel, the protagonist, Razia, is constantly at odds with her family's traditional values, especially when she starts to grapple with her queer identity. The novel is as much a novel about being queer as is it is a novel about being Muslim and being a part of the Pakistani diaspora. Rehman highlights the difficulties that many children of immigrant households face in trying to find themselves while dealing with clashes in culture, religion, and tradition. I found that Rehman did a wonderful job exploring the thorniness of it all, and the conflicted feelings that continued to grow in Razia as she grew older.

My main complaint about the novel is about the ending, which I thought was rather abrupt. I felt Rehman could have taken time to build up to the ending she presented, but it ended up being rushed and I felt like I was left hanging.

This was a really great exploration of what it means to be queer, Pakistani American, and Muslim, though, and while some of the characters (including Razia) got on my nerves, I found that I was mostly touched by the earnestness of the story.
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ahealym's review against another edition

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5.0

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shelby1994's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

 
TW: animal cruelty 

“But I knew “religious girl” was code for something that had nothing to do with Allah. It had to do with how a girl did whatever her husband and community said, how a girl wouldn’t question the way things were set up.” 

I read this after listening to Lamya H. (author of Hijab Butch Blues) begin interviewed on The Stacks podcast. She recommended this as a book being in conversation with her own writing about being a queer Muslim woman in the U.S., and while I originally wanted to read them back to back, I still have **updated Libby for the 6th time in an hour** 7 WEEKS until my hold comes through on HBB. 

The first half reads like a series of core memories - the ones that you spill out of you on drunken first dates, trading them like playing cards with whoever is sitting across from you at the bar that night. It’s feeling each other out and casually sliding a religions reference into your banter, then shrieking with delight when they catch it and throw it back in your court. 
Rehman’s characters show that for an immigrant community, the traditions and community building that religion and its rules and comforts provide, can be the only thing keeping people above water. At the same time, deviating from that path can close off  the world of your childhood. When rebellions are made, their consequences are permanent. 

Also recommend this book for anyone looking to recapture the ironic satisfaction that gay girls get when they realize that their parents have spent all their time on alert for boys (commonly referred in my childhood as the ‘spawn of satan’ (™)) that they’ve missed all the gay shenanigans going on under their roof. 

Read If:
  • You were always a little jealous of your ultra-devout friends, for reasons you couldn’t pinpoint. 
  • Your best fashion finds happen in Goodwill 
  • You and your mum will put aside any drama to combine forces against the one relative you all hate. 

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thissagreads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This novel was bittersweet. I loved and appreciated getting an inside look at the Muslim culture and religion in the 80’s. It was especially nice reading the journey and development of the main character, as she came into her own. But I found myself frustrated with the main character’s mother and cultural stifling the main character was experiencing. I wish there were less stories about her childhood and more more story as a teen, into adulthood. 
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spec_tacles's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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mmccombs's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

3.0

I really wanted to love this book but mostly didn’t connect with it at all. The writing didn’t do much for me, it got the job done but there wasn’t a consistent voice or tone that kept me engaged. I also just felt that this book focused on the wrong portion of Razia’s life. I felt much more interested in the story once she started at her new high school, Razia felt more real and complex at this point and the conflicts were much more compelling. I do think understanding her childhood encouraged later depth, but I think it could have been maybe 1/3 of the novel rather than an entire half.
I’m curious about what happened after she had to flee so suddenly, I think that could have made for some interesting character exploration and could have resolved the arc of this story slightly more.
I did really enjoy learning more about Islam, especially during the 80s in New York. I also loved how Razia remained deeply religious while also growing into herself as a queer young woman. I do think I’d recommend this book, especially for a bookclub, but I wish it was executed a bit better.
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wynnie's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.0

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rebeckareads's review against another edition

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challenging 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? No

5.0

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erickaonpaper's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

bushra rehman's debut novel absolutely shines. she puts her all into developing this family and the surrounding community. this novel read so much like a memoir: i felt so connected to razia and queens and razia's muslim and family roots. hoping this isn't the last we see from bushra rehman!
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carareadsthebooks's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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