A review by bigbookbaby
Love Is an Ex-Country by Randa Jarrar

4.5

as other viewers have noted, the book did not really match the summary. that being said, the book itself was truly captivating - equal parts gut wrenching and hilarious, i love the way Jarrar speaks so candidly + vividly. you really feel like you’re in the author’s mind, traveling back and forth on a road trip that is more emotional than physical. the unexpected ending left me ❤️‍🩹😭 and the chapter detailing her experience in israeli detention was heart wrenching. this book speaks plainly about topics that  many shy away from or simply refuse to understand about the decades long, us sanctioned israeli genocide of palestinians and the ongoing illegal israeli occupation of palestine. i will definitely be adding her novel to my TBR for a future read!

as others have noted, major TW for many categories here! at times, the writing felt unnecessarily graphic hence 4.5 vs 5 for my rating.