Reviews

I Am My Country: And Other Stories by Kenan Orhan

buer's review

challenging dark hopeful lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I am My Country  is a collection of short stories featuring heavy doses of magical realism set against a backdrop of war-torn Turkey. 

Kenan Orhan is an imaginative writer with a gift for beautiful, philosophical turns of phrase. The pacing is very slow. I enjoyed every story but found that one was enough to tide me over for quite some time whenever I was reading.

remembered_reads's review

medium-paced

3.75

rdh217's review

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

bookofcinz's review

3.0

The stories that were good were brilliant, and the others were just ok and I think that is what makes this collection what it is. I love that theses stories transported me to parts of the world I haven’t been to and forced me to meet characters who are vibrant and lifelike.

I particular enjoyed the story about the Garbage Collector who collected an entire orchestra and stored them in the attic. It was such a smart story that I cannot seem to shake.

This is really a solid collection, that I think the avid reader will appreciate.

ritrotman's review

challenging medium-paced

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

4.0

teangerine's review

reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

ryanpait's review

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

2.5

pao_reynard's review

challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

icetea11's review

4.0

Some of the stories would really hook me but by the end I realized this simply isn’t the type of book I’m in need of reading at the moment. Maybe I’ll read it again one day when life leads me to a different headspace.

abbyreads8's review

5.0

I wish I was able to rate this book more than five stars. Orhan's debut short story collection is breathtaking in every sense of the word, exploring resistance, community, and more. Absolutely one of the best books I've read in 2022 - looking forward to more coming from this author in the future.

Thank you to Random House for the advanced copy of this book.