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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
You may open this book expecting discussions of geopolitics, the nitty gritty of deradicalization, UN politics, all that sort of international aid story usual fare. And it is here, in measure. The heart of this story is about family, though. About mothers and how what they do to us can resound through our lives yes, even when you're a PhD holder with a lectureship who's got a job at the UN! You never fully outgrow your upbringing.
Our main character is charming, incredibly funny, relatable, and most of all so well-written. Her voice suffuses the page, I feel like I've talked to her personally in some way, perhaps gotten a ranty FaceTime call or two from her, with how well voiced the writing is here. It's rare that I find a protagonist like Nadia that relatable: older than me, with education I can't access, experiencing problems that make me roll my eyes like "my boss at the UN is annoying" or "help this guy is too hot to pass up". And yet.... I found myself pulled in, understanding, and yes, relating! Especially as she becomes more and more mired in the tangle of how to help these marooned ISIS brides. The book never for a moment becomes dry which it easily could. Instead it breezes over the dry parts of the process and works hard to make every meeting it highlights vibrant and alive with interest and humor.
It's such a compelling and easy read, and it delivers such beautiful emotional catharsis. Highly highly recommmend.
Our main character is charming, incredibly funny, relatable, and most of all so well-written. Her voice suffuses the page, I feel like I've talked to her personally in some way, perhaps gotten a ranty FaceTime call or two from her, with how well voiced the writing is here. It's rare that I find a protagonist like Nadia that relatable: older than me, with education I can't access, experiencing problems that make me roll my eyes like "my boss at the UN is annoying" or "help this guy is too hot to pass up". And yet.... I found myself pulled in, understanding, and yes, relating! Especially as she becomes more and more mired in the tangle of how to help these marooned ISIS brides. The book never for a moment becomes dry which it easily could. Instead it breezes over the dry parts of the process and works hard to make every meeting it highlights vibrant and alive with interest and humor.
It's such a compelling and easy read, and it delivers such beautiful emotional catharsis. Highly highly recommmend.
Nadia, travels to Iraq after a bad break up with her girlfriend. She’s there to work on the de-radicalisation of Isis brides but I found she never seemed especially serious about the cause.
The aid agencies depicted come across as peopled by hordes of immature, selfish individuals more focused on their own interests than in the job in hand.
I was drawn to the fact that the author is writing about something she knows and has experience of. It was disappointing when it failed to deliver any real insight into aid workers or the camps.
Sara becomes the sole focus of Nadia's placement and the others seem to be ignored.
A lot of the dialogue also seemed implausible. Nadia constantly swearing and behaving like a '90's ladette whilst supposedly representing serious issues in negotiations felt unbelievable.
The book was trying to be too many things at once and so ended up not delivering on any of them.
The book was trying to be too many things at once and so ended up not delivering on any of them.
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not for me. Stressful given the current political climate
Library book was due back, and I just really wasn't enjoying this. The millennial cringe was off the scale, and the premise of this was quickly becoming preferable to the execution.
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Violence
Minor: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Trafficking