Reviews tagging 'War'

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

323 reviews

jacss's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.0

To say I enjoyed this book, may be a wrongful description. But I did appreciate it. It is a necessary book; both to make experiences of a war accessible, as well as humanizing people, and possibly especially teens and kids, in wartime. 

Considering accessible entry into a wartime book, I think that the author did a good job. It seems difficult to find middle ground between informing the masses about horrific events in a war, and at the same time creating characters that are lovable. It must be difficult to stay as true as possible to crimes of war, and not scaring off readers. In my opinion, this format works. Most people (maybe again, especially teens) will not likely pick up a history book on these wars. By making it into a wartime fiction, it becomes accessible, without it losing its power as a general source of information. For me, reading it while watching genocidal atrocities unfolding in Palestine, made it especially real. Although different places, and different wars, there are similarities in terms of desparation, and conveyed feeling of being alone. I also have to say that the description of the war crimes in the novel, were expected. It wouldn't feel true without to be honest. They aren't added for shock value; they fit expectations of war. 

The book was written from pov from traumatized child. About other teens and children in a war, having lost everyone. 

Also, I thought that the plot twist was great. I am hardly ever surprised by plot twists, but this one got me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, War, Blood, and Violence

Moderate: Physical abuse

rachelbug's review

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, War, Mental illness, and Violence

Minor: Rape

leaknezevic's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, Violence, Murder, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Death, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, War, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Medical content, Blood, and Genocide

crystalmidnightmumslibrary's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-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? No

5.0

Devastating. Amazing. Heartbreaking. Hopeful. Insightful. Such a range of emotions, beautifully written to encapsulate the horrors and the beauty. The most important storytelling. Took me a long time to read as I needed breaks to sit with the emotions stirred. Was praying for a ‘happy’ ending for beloved characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, War, Genocide, and Blood

brookiet1220's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? Yes

4.0

This book set in war ravaged Syria grapples with the love for a country that doesn’t return it and finding that first love.  While both Salama and Kenan have a deep love for their homeland,  Kenan takes longer to convince to leave.  Being young and feeling like he’s showing the world the atrocities in Syria are components to why it took awhile to convince him to leave.  His argument of not leaving the place where his parents were buried while sensible shows stubbornness more than anything.  

Finding the first love part of plot at times fell victim to the ages of the protagonists.  The way Kenan is introduced as the love interest is one aspect that fits that mold.  A related component is how quickly Salama starts to fall for Kenan.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, War, and Violence

saycheeze37's review

challenging emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I thought the author did a fantastic job bringing light to the fight for freedom in Syria. Very tragic truths with a strong sense of hope. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, War, Violence, Death, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child death and Genocide

Minor: Rape, Torture, Physical abuse, and Police brutality

greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Grief, Murder, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Violence, Police brutality, Torture, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Blood, Child death, Sexual violence, and War

lesmotsdelivrants's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Ce livre m'a détruit.e et reconstruite en même temps. Je n'avais jamais lu de livre de ce type, qui raconte l'histoire de la Syrie et de la révolution, ce que les Syrien.ne.s vivent. Ça m'a bouleversé.e, c'est un livre à mettre entre toutes les mains parce qu'il fait prendre cknscience de ce qu'il se passe dans d'autres parties du monde et de ce que d'autres peuples endurent. 
La plume de Zoulfa Katouh est d'une douceur et d'une justesse parfaites, elle est touchante et marquante. 
L'histoire entre Kenan et Salama se tisse lentement mais sûrement, c'est la premiere romance halal que je lis et je l'ai trouvée tres émouvante. 
Tous les événements font l'effet d'un choc, le livre est empreint d'une tension qui ne noud lâche jamais vraiment et qui nous tient plongés dans l'histoire. 
J'ai adoré re-découvrir les couleurs avec Salama et Layla, pleurer et rire avec elles et m'imprégner de leur histoire <3
La personnification de l'esprit et de la peur de Salama donnait aussi une dimension supplémentaire à l'histoire, olus de relief, plus de teintes, plus d'émotions, plus de tout. 
Le focus particulier sur la dimension humaine du conflit, sur les familles, les martyrs, les blessures, la peur, tout ça projetait aussi l'histoire dans une autre dimension

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Gun violence, Grief, War, and Hate crime

Moderate: Vomit and Sexual assault

willowmae's review against another edition

Sounded really interesting, and it was there was some reason I couldn’t get into it I don’t think it was the gore and violent as I have read books that are worse
I am unsure why I didn’t like this book
I will hopefully pick it up again in the future 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Genocide, and War

behindherpages's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

phenomenal. i truly have no words:

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, War, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Medical content, Sexual assault, Violence, Death, Mental illness, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Islamophobia