Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

56 reviews

lucdiamant's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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: War, Grief, Violence, and Child death

Moderate: Sexual harassment

koto_kansai's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This book, especially reading it now in early 2024, truly hit me emotionally. Beautiful, heart wrenching story bringing to light the atrocities faced by the Syrian people under dictatorship - atrocities we're seeing populations in many countries across the globe face. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, War, Violence, Mental illness, Blood, Child death, and Sexual harassment

bejf's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Violence, War, Torture, Death of parent, and Blood

Moderate: Rape and Sexual harassment

padancer's review against another edition

challenging dark informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Książka według okładki jest dla czytelników w wieku 14+. Uważam, że jednak dla starszych, ponieważ porusza bardzo trudne tematy związane z wojną, okrucieństwem, problemami psychicznymi. Czytając tę książkę, nie sądziłam, że aż tyle wydarzeń miało miejsce w rzeczywistości. Cieszę się, że mogłam się dowiedzieć tak dużo o Syrii i Syryjczykach, było to druzgocące, ale też inspirujące 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Pregnancy

ash122's review

emotional inspiring sad slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Sexual harassment

kaitlouise94's review

dark emotional reflective 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

If you’re only going to read one book this year, this is the book you NEED to read. It’s an historical fiction about a pharmaceutical student who is surviving in Syria, during the Syrian Revolution. We join her as she struggles between escaping Syria and fighting against an oppressive and evil dictatorship. I cried through the majority of this book, and especially sobbed at one point. This book will make you laugh, fill you with hope, and devastate you. It’s beautifully written and captures the feelings of fear, desperation, and hope, someone in Syria would’ve felt during this time. This is definitely now one of my most favorite books. It’s incredible. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, Death of parent, Gun violence, Child death, and Genocide

Moderate: Grief, Death, Pregnancy, Vomit, and Gore

Minor: Torture and Rape

gvstyris's review

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

 Survivor's skin is a remorse we are cursed to wear forever.

This book truly encapsulates the power of literature as a tool for empathy. It's clear that Katouh has poured years of love and care into every page, and it was a privilege to read Salama's story. She felt very real, which is a testament to Katouh's writing. 

I'm struggling a bit to give this book a rating because, despite my minor gripes with it, it is undeniably important. The Syrian Revolution is ongoing, and the themes are even more hauntingly relevant amidst the horrific genocide in Gaza and war in Ukraine. The representation of what Katouh refers to as a 'Halal romance' (aka a love story between her two main Muslim characters) is also so meaningful, and I was similarly struck by the portrayal of PTSD and survivor's guilt.

I had a few issues with the length, repetitive structure and cliche writing which have lowered this to 4 stars for me. I also -- totally my bad -- didn't realise this was YA before beginning, which I think hindered it somewhat. Nothing serious, though, and I'm still very glad to have read it. 

Also, the plot-twist shook me to my core...my heart fully broke for Salama there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Murder, Child death, War, Medical content, and Grief

Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Genocide and Rape

witcheep's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

I knew this book was going to become one of my new favourites even before finishing it, and that feeling only grew with every page I turned. Katouh's writing is uniquely beautiful and the story she tells captures the whole spectre of human emotion in a dire situation so breathtakingly well that my heart breaks for it. I can't possibly praise this book enough, everyone needs to read it.

I was especially intiqued by the character of Khawf, a personification of fear and survival instinct, and his existence being rationalized by the main character Salma's medical knowledge. Khawf' and Salama's evolving relationship is a creative and capturing way to picture the process of grief as well as handling the mental strain in a chaotic and unsafe situation.

Never before have I annotatated a book more just for me. This book is full of thoughts that struck a powerful message and left me reflecting them for a long while – and I'm still not done with it. I might return to add some of those thoughts and my favourite quotes to this review when - or if - I manage to pick only a few favourites.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Child death, and Blood

Moderate: Mental illness, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Minor: Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Torture, Death of parent, Rape, and Sexual assault

rosinawrites7's review

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

4.5

Clear motivations of characters made the plot satisfying. Descriptive memories really filled out the main characters. For my writing I wanna remember:

link between Layla’s painting and the sea scene at the end was cool. And can I use Khawl’s character for My Friend Anxiety?

 

Twist with Layla was great and never saw it coming

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Body horror, War, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Medical content, Death, Police brutality, Mental illness, Gore, Genocide, Death of parent, Confinement, Child death, and Blood

amberinpieces's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Genocide, Blood, Child death, War, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Bullying, Body horror, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

Minor: Torture, Vomit, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment