A review by farbooksventure
The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf

emotional tense fast-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The writing is simple and easy to follow in this novel. It's also pretty short (less than 300 pages). No wonder, The Weight of Our Sky can be a pretty fast read. Even though the writing is simple, I can still feel the protagonist's emotions vividly. I think the book also has one of the most memorable opening lines that I ever read.

That being said, I give this 3 stars because I crave a more nuanced exploration of the themes that appear throughout the book. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the fact that I can learn about Malaysia 1969 riots from reading this novel. I also like that we have an OCD rep in this one. Not to mention the realistic depiction of what having mental illness feel like in that era. This sadly still happens nowadays.

While reading, I don't really feel like we see the protagonist's complex inner struggle below the surface. This fact leaves me feeling personally unsatisfied.

In the end, I would highly recommend this book to younger readers or new readers in the historical fiction genre. If you're looking for a short historical fiction to read, this book is also for you.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings