Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

8 reviews

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

bedtimesandbooks's review

dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Genocide, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Blood, Violence, Torture, Medical content, War, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Gore, and Police brutality

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

serendipity421's review

adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense slow-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Child death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Murder, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and War

Minor: Vomit

def_ni's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, and Grief

Moderate: Kidnapping

lenchen25'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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, War, Violence, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Death of parent, Child death, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Grief, Genocide, Death, Child abuse, Trafficking, Torture, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Rape, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Eating disorder

halfass_reviewer's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book broke my heart. It mended back, barely. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Grief, Violence, Hate crime, Racism, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Murder, War, Blood, Death of parent, Genocide, Gore, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Torture, Kidnapping, and Forced institutionalization

ddnreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

Bury me before I bury you.

I'm still incapable of forming the words that captivate my feelings perfectly after reading this book. I don't think my review would ever do the book justice. This is easily the best written story I read this year 😭🍋💛

When I go to heaven, I'll tell God everything.

A book about striving, surviving, loving, and sacrificing. A book about humanity with all its fractured souls and bones. Woven from the bloody Syrian soil, it captured sharply the trauma felt by the innocences, hospital buzzing with new victims everyday, and the inevitable choice between helping or leaving. Staying or trying to be alive.

In a historic city plagued by bombs, life has persisted.

Told through the eyes of a 18yo girl named Salama, the story evolved itself into her daily routine as a pharmacy student turned doctor. Her coping mechanism of losing. Her hallucinations. It was so often torn my heart in pieces. Admist all those, sassy jokes were thrown, an angel disguised doctor, and found a love meant to be. A possibility of new life. And it was blend perfectly.

There are enough people hurting you. Don't be one of them.

Lots of Ghibli references that I don't mind at all. A cute banter. An understanding heart. Halal romance at its best. Siblings love so strong it hurts.

This is a book of hope. It ripped my heart appart and stich it back together. I don't know what else to say than do yourself a favour and read this masterpiece.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Genocide, Body horror, Death of parent, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Violence, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Police brutality

Moderate: Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Rape