Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Rumaysa: A Fairytale by Radiya Hafiza

9 reviews

smartie_chan's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Confinement

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Death, and Child abuse

Death of a Magic Carpet

molang_madrigal's review

I quite enjoyed this book the first time I read it, but this time round I found it quite dark and depressing. Put it this way: Rumaysa’s tower is nothing like some adaptations of Rapunzel where she has lots of activities to do in the tower and it’s quite a nice place other than not being able to leave.  Rumaysa’s tower is grey and dingy and hopeless and has nothing remotely nice in it except some books (which get promptly destroyed by the witch as a punishment) and is surrounded by a dark scary forest with poisonous rivers. And Rumaysa has to spin literally all day, and doesn’t get to eat anything except oats. It’s a bit more heartening when she escapes of course, but then the Cinder-ayla story starts off all about Ayla’s grief for her parents and once again, just general hopelessness. But some elements of the book are good - I really like the Islamic twists on the stories, and how Rumaysa and the other fairytale characters all help each other throughout the stories, and it was really great that

none of the girls’ stories end with a relationship (Cinder-ayla was proposed to by the Prince but she turned him down because he was rude to her. Rumaysa and Sleeping Sara don’t have any romantic storylines, which is very refreshing.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Death, Grief, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Injury/Injury detail

Poverty

purplesaturday's review against another edition

lighthearted relaxing 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Confinement

2freads's review

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious 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

5.0

Thank you so much to the author for writing this book and to the illustrator for their beautiful illustrations. Rumaysa includes three interconnected fairytale retellings centering brown and Muslim children. The writing style is simple, appropriate of course as it is intended for younger audiences, but even so the author subtly weaves the characters complex personalities in her writing. Rumaysa was such an enjoyable read that I intend to share with my nieces and nephews once they’re a little older.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Death of parent, Infertility, and Classism

fromjuliereads's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

This was such a cute read!! I love the spins on the classic fairytales to include Muslim characters and culture. And some fairytale elements were even combined from different stories which just made for such an entertaining and fun read! The storytelling was simplistic but quite engaging, and the characters were developed just enough for you to like them and want to follow them on adventures! And the friendships were so cute and lovely to read.

It seemed a little like this was setting up for further books or stories which I hadn't been aware of picking it up. I had thought it was a standalone and things would be wrapped up, so I was a tiny bit disappointed when they didn't. But if you go in not expecting everything to wrap up, it will be all good!

I think this is just such a great and fun read for kids to see themselves in the classic fairytales!

TW: kidnapping, confinement, fire, death, emotional abuse

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Content Warnings

Minor: Confinement, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Kidnapping

areadingstan's review

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.75

This was such a lovely book! As an adult who loves children’s books it was so refreshing to read Hafiza’s debut, which retells three classic fairy tales we know and centres Muslim girls as the main characters. 

This kind of book is so needed as people who have similar backgrounds to the characters will see themselves reflected in the stories, rather than just white people like in the classics. It is not just race that Hafiza focuses on, but female empowerment, and the importance of following your own path. 

Rumaysa is very witty and questions a lot of the tropes that fairy tale characters traditionally have, showing that curiosity should be encouraged in young people and they don’t have to fit in a certain box. 

Great messages to children and anyone who chooses to read it! 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Confinement, Death of parent, and Grief

marywahlmeierbracciano's review

adventurous funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

Kids will love this book of revisited fairytales!  Rumaysa tells three familiar stories—Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty—but with Muslim girls at the center.  Each story is told with a feminist lens, and the book includes diverse characters such as fat and hijabi princesses who are self-sufficient and recognize that they’re too young for romance (because we’re talking about kids, people!).  The interactions between the child characters are realistic but ultimately positive—sure Cinderayla’s step-sisters follow their mother’s mean streak, but they have consciences and remedy their missteps.  This book is full of sweet, funny, and adventurous moments and contains many lovely examples of true friendship.  

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Content Warnings

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, and Kidnapping

sarahsbooklife's review

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, and Confinement

Minor: Death of parent

questingnotcoasting's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

3.5

 I thought this was funny and charming. It retells Rapunzel, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty as Rumaysa, Cinderayla and Sleeping Sara and the stories are connected as Rumaysa appears in all three. I've read a few fairy tale retellings recently and thought this one was particularly good at striking a balance between the traditional and new elements. As expected for a children's book I would have enjoyed it more when I was younger but even as an adult it was a fun read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Kidnapping