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A review by nataliecoyne
There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
emotional
informative
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? No
4.75
When I saw that Goodreads included this book in its list of "Page-Turner Books to Help You Beat Any Reading Slump," I raised my eyebrow in suspicion because ... how can a 464-page book help in beating a reading slump? I know it was listed specifically under the "Immersive Longer Books That Will Hold Your Attention" section, but I was skeptical. Anyway, though, I was wrong to be skeptical because this book was so amazing, definitely held my attention like it said it would, and reminded me of what I enjoy about reading.
Not only was the narrative amazing, but I feel like I learned a lot, too. Learned about Ancient Mesopotamia, learned about water, and, I think most importantly, learned a lot about the Yazidi people, including some of their culture, religious beliefs, and the long history of persecution they've faced (and persecution that they still face).
My only wish with this book is that I wish we got to spend more time with Narin. From the opening sentences of the first of her chapters, I was hooked on her story and wanted to always know what was happening next with her. Arthur and Zaleekah's stories were definitely interesting, but I felt the most interested in Narin's. But it felt like, out of the three, we got the least amount of time with Narin. :( This small reason is why I'm giving it 4.75 stars instead of 5 stars, but this is absolutely a book I would recommend to others.
Not only was the narrative amazing, but I feel like I learned a lot, too. Learned about Ancient Mesopotamia, learned about water, and, I think most importantly, learned a lot about the Yazidi people, including some of their culture, religious beliefs, and the long history of persecution they've faced (and persecution that they still face).
My only wish with this book is that I wish we got to spend more time with Narin. From the opening sentences of the first of her chapters, I was hooked on her story and wanted to always know what was happening next with her. Arthur and Zaleekah's stories were definitely interesting, but I felt the most interested in Narin's. But it felt like, out of the three, we got the least amount of time with Narin. :( This small reason is why I'm giving it 4.75 stars instead of 5 stars, but this is absolutely a book I would recommend to others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Suicide, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Lesbophobia
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Rape, Slavery, Excrement, Vomit, Pandemic/Epidemic