Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

47 reviews

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

skye_era_books's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

5.0

I don’t know that I have ever read a book more heart wrenching than this. My heart broke and put itself together again many times throughout this story. And the fact that this is the reality of many Syrians absolutely kills me. I beg that we someday see a Free Syria, Free Palestine, Free Sudan, Free Congo, and all those who are fighting for freedom. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Murder, Genocide, Child death, Medical content, Rape, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Death, Gun violence, Body horror, Blood, Violence, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Torture, Islamophobia, Mental illness, and Misogyny

ajiinaaa's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Torture

ashleereadsbooks692's review

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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Blood, War, Mental illness, Child death, Cursing, Rape, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, and Violence

kdepuy's review

emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical trauma, Child death, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Sexual violence

painedandconfused's review

dark 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

5.0

Jaw dropping. Heartbroken. Edge of my seat. Superb acting via audiobook as well 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, and Rape

selmandt's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Death, and War

theologize's review

emotional hopeful inspiring sad fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Grief, Violence, Child death, Death, and Gun violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and War

memoirsofabooklover's review against another edition

challenging hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

this book was beautifully written; i highlighted so many passages. the story was beautiful as well, it told the reality for so many, and is a really important piece of modern literature as to the syrian war and the struggles of those who leave their homelands, everything they know, after countless unimaginable loss, living in inhumane conditions, seeing monstrous acts, living under the constant threat of death and worse, and then risking their lives and spending all they have, being taken advantage of for the chance of a safer life, only to often arrive in countries where they are seen as a nuisance.
this book is so important and everyone should read it!
aside from the real-world connotations, the fictional story was beautiful

i fell in love with salama and kenan and their loved ones. when we found out that layla wasn’t real: i have not been that shocked by a twist in i don’t know how long, i had not seen it coming at all and it was genuinely heart-wrenching. i appreciated that the ending was “happy” but it didn’t shy away from the long lasting effects of the everything they had been through

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Police brutality, Mental illness, Genocide, Child death, War, Islamophobia, Blood, Death, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Violence

Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Vomit, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, and Torture

yazzy_annalise's review

dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.5

I think this review will be short because there are too many feelings to unpack. But, I am so happy I read this book. It is sad and heart wrenching and I cried several times, but it is one of the few books that are out about Syria that aren't about reducing its people to numbers and its history into disembodied facts. Whatever valid arguments that can be made about this book, it is still one of the very few stories we have that makes Syrians human anymore.

I do wish that the story moved a tad bit slower, but I think it was a writing choice to be able to make real life events fit the story timeline. There is a reveal in the book that I think came out kind of suddenly and it threw me off the story for a moment, but it also makes sense how sudden that reveal is because living alone and then introducing a new person into your life can bring many realities into sharp relief.

It was particularly impactful to be reading this during the 2023 Gazan genocide where the main character is asking and pleading time and again how the world could let this continue to happen and thinking something this terrible will never happen again, and every time I had to write an annotation in conversation with the main character that it's worse than it ever was because we are watching the atrocities on our phones live and nothing is being done.

Ultimately, I think everyone should read this book. It is in the similar vein as Mornings in Jenin. While I think this book is easier to read and digest, it is just as impactful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Medical trauma, Grief, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Torture, Sexual assault, Rape, Pregnancy, and Medical content