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A review by bybookandbone
Internment by Samira Ahmed
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This is a hard review to write. Until the last few chapters, Internment would have been a 2 or 2.5 star book. Portions of the writing were beautiful but equally there were portions that were dreadful.
I think the main problem was pacing and that for the majority of the book, I didn't find it believable. Not that I don't think an entire group of people would be arrested and confined for their religion, no that's very believable. What I found hard to let go of was the conditions. There are children being kept in cages, women being sterilised against their will, right now, in America. Why would white supremacists keep people they hate and want gone in relative comfort?
I also found it difficult to relate to Layla early on because she spoke about only being allowed a 5 minute private shower every day in almost the same tone as being permanently tattooed with a number...
There is also a touchy- relationship with an adult guard who is a good guy but.. you know.. is also one of the guards of the camp?? Their conversations made my skin crawl. I was so anxious that there would be a romance (it appeared to be written like it was going that way). Maybe editing would have fixed that a bit?
As I said, parts were beautiful and heartbreaking. The way people turned against each other out of fear... Layla's friendships with Ayesha and Soheil were great.
The book kinda just ends with a neat little bow with a sort of 'that's it?' vibe. It was over too quick, too easy. Realistically, even the awful things and whistle-blowing hasn't stopped the awful things going on currently. I was expecting a bit more, but I am intrigued by Samira Ahmed's writing. So maybe there's hope.
I think the main problem was pacing and that for the majority of the book, I didn't find it believable. Not that I don't think an entire group of people would be arrested and confined for their religion, no that's very believable. What I found hard to let go of was the conditions. There are children being kept in cages, women being sterilised against their will, right now, in America. Why would white supremacists keep people they hate and want gone in relative comfort?
I also found it difficult to relate to Layla early on because she spoke about only being allowed a 5 minute private shower every day in almost the same tone as being permanently tattooed with a number...
There is also a touchy- relationship with an adult guard who is a good guy but.. you know.. is also one of the guards of the camp?? Their conversations made my skin crawl. I was so anxious that there would be a romance (it appeared to be written like it was going that way). Maybe editing would have fixed that a bit?
As I said, parts were beautiful and heartbreaking. The way people turned against each other out of fear... Layla's friendships with Ayesha and Soheil were great.
The book kinda just ends with a neat little bow with a sort of 'that's it?' vibe. It was over too quick, too easy. Realistically, even the awful things and whistle-blowing hasn't stopped the awful things going on currently. I was expecting a bit more, but I am intrigued by Samira Ahmed's writing. So maybe there's hope.