Reviews tagging 'Torture'

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

121 reviews

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

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

smailliweiluj's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

While I agree with some criticism about the author's politics, I think this is a very important book. In the author's note Katouh writes that the world focuses on the numbers and politics of Syria, and that this book serves to focus on the emotion and the stories of the individuals. Because of that I think it would be wrong to judge this book simply because I do not agree with the political affiliation. What do I agree with? Surviving. I agree that the people matter far more than the politics. I agree that we need to know their stories and remember that despite global conflict, our lives matter. Nobody should be condemned to torture, murder, and banishment because they were born somewhere that another country wants to claim or exploit. History and politics are very important but we cannot lose sight of the fact that history is defined by the people, not numbers. We must never allow a civilization to be reduced to statistics because in doing so we are condemning them to suffer and forgetting their humanity, while also forgetting our own.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Genocide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical content, Pregnancy, War, Death of parent, and 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

justagirlwithbooks's review

5.0

"Every lemon will bring forth a child, and the lemons will never die out."

Oh my gosh. Wow. I have no words to describe what I feel about this book. From the harrowing, haunting moments, to the Studio Ghibli references, to the medical information, to the Arab culture, to the amazing Muslim representation, I loved all of it. This book made me happy and sad and a whole bunch of other emotions. It resonates so much with what's happening right now in the world, and it's not just in Syria. I adore this book. Even the authors note and acknowledgements sections of this book were so cute and wholesome and I loved it so much. This story was devastatingly hopeful, and so reminiscent of A Thousand Splendid Suns. This story was such an important story to tell, and I wish there were more like it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Torture

PTSD

awebofstories's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Child death, Torture, Violence, and War

machenn's review against another edition

emotional 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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Pregnancy, Death, Grief, Medical trauma, Violence, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, and War

Moderate: Death of parent, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Torture

libbyyjo's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, Mass/school shootings, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Police brutality, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Islamophobia, Rape, Torture, Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Mental illness, Murder, and War