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A review by alexiasp
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I think I'm gonna grow a small lemon tree 🍋🍋
So I was very emotional when I gave this book 5 stars because of the ending, lol. Now that I have thought more about it, I don't take it back, but I have some criticism.
First of all, I did not care for Kwanf. I wish Salama's PTSD were shown more through flashbacks than through hallucinations. Tho, I do see how this helped with the whole Layla plot twist, which I would not have believed if Kwanf wasn't around.
Second of all, the book is pretty repetitive. It's very easy to tell that there would be a tragedy after a tender moment. This takes out the anxiety of "when are we going to be attacked, when is a strike going to happen?" because you know when it will happen: literally after every happy moment. So, if the happy moments lasted a bit longer, making the reader forget for a second the constant danger people live in, I'm sure the attacks would be much more emotionally impactful and shocking.
I thought the romance was okay. Yeah, it's very YA, insta-love, but it makes sense. It makes sense that Salama desperately clung to the little bit of hope given to her, which happened to be a cute guy. It's her way of coping with her situation, which is by fantasizing about a normal life with Kennen. It does the job, and I enjoyed it 🤷.
I think the book did its job (and did it very well) of being educational, emotional, and impactful.
So I was very emotional when I gave this book 5 stars because of the ending, lol. Now that I have thought more about it, I don't take it back, but I have some criticism.
Second of all, the book is pretty repetitive. It's very easy to tell that there would be a tragedy after a tender moment. This takes out the anxiety of "when are we going to be attacked, when is a strike going to happen?" because you know when it will happen: literally after every happy moment. So, if the happy moments lasted a bit longer, making the reader forget for a second the constant danger people live in, I'm sure the attacks would be much more emotionally impactful and shocking.
I thought the romance was okay. Yeah, it's very YA, insta-love, but it makes sense. It makes sense that Salama desperately clung to the little bit of hope given to her, which happened to be a cute guy. It's her way of coping with her situation, which is by fantasizing about a normal life with Kennen. It does the job, and I enjoyed it 🤷.
I think the book did its job (and did it very well) of being educational, emotional, and impactful.