Reviews tagging 'Racism'

You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat

28 reviews

cara_elaine's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

This novel sucked me in and read it all in almost one sitting- the story oscillates between the linear current-ish day/time of our protagonist with sudden and sharp memories of her past - ranging from sex and pain to beautiful still moments of childhood. A beautiful story that captured the feeling of in-between as the queer child of immigrants. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Homophobia, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Racism

megpotter's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Homophobia

sapphicbookfae's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Racism

waybeyondblue's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content, Addiction, Racism, and Homophobia

zeph_yr's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Racism and Genocide

bybookandbone's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

What a superb book!
You Exist Too Much kept me engaged right until the end. I found it a difficult read in the beginning as I really dislike cheating and cheaters. Zaina Arafat did a fantastic job writing a sympathetic character working on herself, struggling from a kinda crappy person to a healthy person who respect's her partners. I still felt very strongly for Anna. She didn't deserve what she got. 
You know, I only just realised that we never learn the protagonist's name when I came to write this review... She was so completely realised that I never even noticed that she was 'Laila's daughter' for almost the whole book. 

While I normally would be uncomfortable with a bisexual character written as a chronic cheater, there is a depth here, an exploration of her trauma that explains why. Her sexuality would have made little difference to that expression of her trauma, though she wouldn't have obsessed with older women in quite the same way. The depiction of a psychologically abusive mother was also superb. Instead of being outright vilified, you understand that there's much more to Laila, having grown up in Palestine during occupation. I also appreciated that not all of her daughter's trauma was lain at her feet. 

I wish there had been more exploration of Anouk's relationship with the character. After so much trauma and sadness, the calm, healthy love needed more space.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

Moderate: Colonisation

Minor: Biphobia, Domestic abuse, and Racism

kierscrivener's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-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? Yes

3.25

I am not completely sure how I feel about it. I expected something vastly different. The title and the synopsis really focuses on her relationship with her mother, heritage and sexuality. And it was. It did advertise vignettes, but I guess it was told a little too progressively to be snippets and too scattered to feel progression.

We follow a twenties something bi Palestinian woman as she navigates a breakup and her constant need to go for the unattainable and to cheat out of fear. We see beautiful and poignant moments throughout but there's something missing. And it might be what I came in looking and didn't see. But we see her acting out and reacting because of fears and insecurity, and her realization of her own mother's trauma but I never feel like she ever fully lowers her guards, and the end has some poignancy but not enough to feel resolved or as if this is a stepping off point.

I love quiet stories but I like when we explore things and she never quite had enough introspection or conversation to fully invest me.

I enjoyed my way throughout and would definitely give Arafat another book 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Racism, Misogyny, Islamophobia, Infidelity, and Biphobia

Moderate: Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Addiction, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

solenodon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-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? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Addiction, Biphobia, Eating disorder, Grief, Homophobia, Racism, Xenophobia, Fatphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Domestic abuse, Islamophobia, and Cursing