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A review by charliebnl
You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Addiction, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Biphobia, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Drug abuse and Eating disorder
This book is written in a way that you are not sure if it's autobiographical or inspired by real events. It's written from the POV of the protagonist, a bisexual Palestinian-American woman who is trying to find herself in a world where she is shunned for showing off to much of her female body and then shamed for not being feminine enough. Not really fitting in with her Palestinian family, and not being really American either. Constantly afraid of her sexuality and disappointing her loved ones.
I enjoyed the writing style. I initially hated the protagonist but as we got to see her grow during her stint in rehab, we began to see her layers unfold and began to see her, which is all she ever wanted. And I found myself rooting for her.