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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
What a tender, soft book. Filled with the horrors of war and joining the army and the conflict between Israel and Palestine, Rothman-Zecher expertly takes a complicated world struggle and transforms it into a humanist, interpersonal narrative.
Jonathan returns to Israel after living in Pennsylvania for some years, and there, he meets Nimreen and Laith, a set of twins who become his best friends. Yet the closer that he gets to his birthday, the more he realizes that he wants to fight for the Jewish army--much to his friends' dismay. For him, there is no choice: it is mandatory. For them, there is always a choice. They love each other, but can such a love rise above a terrible decision?
This book is just beautiful in its own right. Switching between perspectives and times, we slowly get the full story of Jonathan and his interpersonal conflict. He's best friends with Laith, and in love with Nimreen, and also possibly just best friends with Nimreen and in love with Laith. Tenderly addressed to "you", Jonathan appears to speak to Laith, processing all that had happened to place him in prison for disobeying orders. For him, he doesn't know what this means. He disobeyed orders in his mandatory service, but his disobedience perhaps puts him in a better perspective in the eyes of Laith and Nimreen.
It's complicated, subtle, beautiful. What a wonderful book, and a necessary one, too, for today's society.
Review cross-listed here!
Jonathan returns to Israel after living in Pennsylvania for some years, and there, he meets Nimreen and Laith, a set of twins who become his best friends. Yet the closer that he gets to his birthday, the more he realizes that he wants to fight for the Jewish army--much to his friends' dismay. For him, there is no choice: it is mandatory. For them, there is always a choice. They love each other, but can such a love rise above a terrible decision?
This book is just beautiful in its own right. Switching between perspectives and times, we slowly get the full story of Jonathan and his interpersonal conflict. He's best friends with Laith, and in love with Nimreen, and also possibly just best friends with Nimreen and in love with Laith. Tenderly addressed to "you", Jonathan appears to speak to Laith, processing all that had happened to place him in prison for disobeying orders. For him, he doesn't know what this means. He disobeyed orders in his mandatory service, but his disobedience perhaps puts him in a better perspective in the eyes of Laith and Nimreen.
It's complicated, subtle, beautiful. What a wonderful book, and a necessary one, too, for today's society.
Review cross-listed here!
Oh! to write like Moriel Rothmam-Zechariah. Lyrical. Exquisite. Stunning. The story of three best friends, Palestinian twins and a Jewish military bound young man, loving one another with honesty - harsh and tender - but honest. Eighteen and nineteen, oh so young, and yet they face the most complex of questions around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with fire in their souls and friendship leading their hearts. I learned so much from Jonathan, Nireem, and Laith and how they engaged with the world at odds around them while maintaining an awareness that they were participating in it. No exceptions. Passivity, after all, is a statement too. And so, what is it to hold conviction amidst confusion?
If you enjoy poetic writing and the laziness of Friday afternoons spent between friends; if you want to think deeper and be pulled in two directions at the same time; if you want to read of deep love, pick this one up!
If you enjoy poetic writing and the laziness of Friday afternoons spent between friends; if you want to think deeper and be pulled in two directions at the same time; if you want to read of deep love, pick this one up!
This book had a lot of sexual content and objectification of women that really appeared to have no bearing on the story.
I was very disappointed that this book was supposed to be a look at the Israeli / Palestinian conflict from both sides, but really was just from the Palestinian view point. Of course, this is an important view point and I am happy to learn from it, but I was hoping for a more balanced look at the politics and background of the region’s issues. The writing in this book was literary, which is not my favorite style, but I can see how it could be considered moving. Jonathan basically has a break down due to his difficulty being in the Israeli army and also being in love with both Nimreen and Laith. Like I said, the story is quite one sided, with long sections describing awful events in which Palestinian villages were attacked by “the Jews” – actually it was a group of Israeli soldiers, not the Jewish people and not Israelis in general. The only bit about the Jewish side is told when Jonathan learns about how his family members had to flee the Holocaust and had no where else to go. This book had potential, but ultimately did not win me over.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn’t love this book, but it had its redeemed qualities. This work of fiction was set in Palestine/Israel and follows an Israeli-American as he decided whether to join the IDF or not. He befriends a pair of Palestinian siblings and his perspectives start to change. A lot of the book is written in a letter format to one of the siblings, so it shifts between past and present fluidly.
This is a beautifully written book. Moriel has a wonderful way with language and presents vivid imagery. He transports us into the mind of a young man being pulled by all of the tensions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I did find the story to be a bit graphic and oversexualized. If not for that, I could imagine using this book as the basis for a deep discussion with a broader group of people.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes