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pacifickat's review against another edition
3.0
I don't always love young adult Marjane, even if her overall story is worth the time to read. (Her father, however, is an absolute gem.) I often perceive her as quite selfish, although she had to live alone in a foreign country starting at age 14 so her self-centeredness may be fueled by survival instict. There is one particularly disturbing scene
Furthermore, her family's relative wealth helps her get out of a lot of situations without physical harm, and she seems unaware of the privilege this is. Then she judges her friends and peers when they make choices to 'play it safe' rather than fighting the oppressive government, attending covert parties as a form of protest, or pushing back against gender norms and expectations. She doesn't seem to fully grasp how much others around her stand to lose if they hold on too hard to their idealism.
I also found the internalized sexism of the women the author portrayed to be really sad and disturbing. There are lots of scenes of women glaring at each other when one is receiving a man's attention seemingly out of jealousy or disapproval. Plus, Marjane's internal dialogue often calls other women names like 'fat cow' when she finds them interacting with a man she is interested in, or she doesn't like the same things they do. I found her pretty mean and catty much of the time. However, while she is a very flawed character, she still suffers as a victim of racism, mysogeny, abusive laws, and police brutality. Her plight and suffering should still matter to the reader. This type of representation is actually a bit refreshing to see, even if it is challenging or uncomfortable to spend time in that narrator's shoes.
These books have faced recent bans in the US, so even more reason to check them out in my opinion. I don't see any reason why Part 1 would be inappropriate for age 13+, and Part 2 for age 15+.
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Violence, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, War, Mental illness, Police brutality, Death, Self harm, Racism, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Rape
Minor: Infidelity and Pregnancy
Pressure to become pregnant, pressure to conform to religious ideology, restrictions on freedom of thought, restrictions on bodily autonomy, false imprisonment, homelessness, internalized sexismsiobhanward's review against another edition
4.0
That aside, this was a great follow up to the first volume. Often sequels fall short of the first story, but this was a great example of one that was just as strong, if not stronger. Satrapi's stories of navigating a move to Europe, finding her place in the world, moving back to Iran, becoming an adult and figuring out what her life could look like was so well-told. I feel as though I know so little about Iran's history, but Satrapi is able to bring readers up to speed without overwhelming you with information. Absolutely a great read and I wish there had been more.
Moderate: Racism, Drug use, and War
gin_and_books's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, Violence, Addiction, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Alcohol, Deportation, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Islamophobia
lanid's review against another edition
Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Police brutality, Body shaming, and Homophobia
jessthanthree's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Racism and War
marissasa's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: War, Drug use, Grief, Infidelity, Torture, Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Cursing, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Blood, Police brutality, and Racism
leahsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Book 1 left off on a bit of a cliffhanger. Marjane had just left the repressive regime of Iran (and her parents) to head to Austria and finish her schooling there. It felt like she was trapped in a no-win situation. Staying in Iran gave her the family support that she's always relied on, but was slowly crushing her spirit by forcing her to bend to a religious regime that was stripping away personal freedoms and her ability to express her brilliant mind. However, as she found out quickly, Austria wasn't everything she had hoped it would be. While she had more freedom to express herself, both physically and philosophically, there was a definite culture clash. Marjane experienced racism and a complete lack of emotional support for the first time in her life.
Adolescence is a rough time for so many people, and I couldn't even imagine going through not just the physical changes, but the emotional changes as well, while living in a place without my family and a core group of friends who fully accept you and understand you at a deep level. I empathized so deeply with what Marjane went through, and was so impressed with the strength that she was able to display.
Even with everything that she went through, she demonstrated an ability to take in wisdom that was offered, and fortunately, her family members gave her enough room to make her own mistakes, trusting that she would learn from them. The drawings were stark, with the black and white format, but I thought that it fit the story perfectly. This is definitely a memoir that was well suited for a graphic novel format, and it will stick with me for a long time.
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Racism