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A review by _chelseawrites
The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf
4.0
This is such a powerful book about a story that is so often forgotten. I'll be honest: I knew basically nothing about the conflict in Kuala Lumpur before I read this book. It's a tragic story (PLEASE take the author's note seriously!) but one that needs to be told more. It's sadly still relevant today.
Melati, the main character, also struggles with OCD, though they didn't know what to call it then. It was such a moving picture of what being surrounded by conflict while also fighting a battle inside yourself looks like.
The story did seem to meander a bit. There didn't feel like a clear arc, and if it was a longer book I would have gotten bored and might not have finished. The order of Big Events that happen didn't seem to flow logically to me, but in some ways that fit the chaos of the story well.
I wish Melati had had some better closure with the people who reacted so poorly to her OCD. I won't name them specifically because, spoilers, but there were several important people who are repulsed/disappointed/openly frustrated with her OCD. Which I'm sure is realistic, but I wish there had been some redemption of the relationships at the end, or at least and honest recognition that it can be frustrating for people around her, but they love her and want to support her (or something less cheesy but you know what I mean).
Melati, the main character, also struggles with OCD, though they didn't know what to call it then. It was such a moving picture of what being surrounded by conflict while also fighting a battle inside yourself looks like.
The story did seem to meander a bit. There didn't feel like a clear arc, and if it was a longer book I would have gotten bored and might not have finished. The order of Big Events that happen didn't seem to flow logically to me, but in some ways that fit the chaos of the story well.
I wish Melati had had some better closure with the people who reacted so poorly to her OCD. I won't name them specifically because, spoilers, but there were several important people who are repulsed/disappointed/openly frustrated with her OCD. Which I'm sure is realistic, but I wish there had been some redemption of the relationships at the end, or at least and honest recognition that it can be frustrating for people around her, but they love her and want to support her (or something less cheesy but you know what I mean).