A review by courtneyfalling
Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo

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

4.0

I wasn't sure how the highly introspective novel-in-verse form was going to work for me at first, especially since Nima starts as such a passive character. But I quickly became engrossed in how she understands the larger world around her and her loved ones, and the second half of the novel really picks up in how it uses this "alternate self" character and Nima's nostalgia for her parents' country. Lots of moments where I teared up. 

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