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A review by autumn_sunfire
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
4.0
This book was deeply touching and blindsided me in the best possible way with a twist that completely reinvented the way I saw the author, the story, and the character. I didn't especially like the style/narrator's voice but grew to appreciate it more over the course of the book (especially after that twist, dude, STILL not over that). Present tense is always a bit of a rough ride for me anyway except in rare cases.
Read for: conversations about resistance and revolution, the complex emotions around making the survival choice and saying goodbye to one's homeland, no punches pulled in the realities of war, stunningly adorable and healthy romance, unreliable narrator, happy-ending epilogue (oh I do love me an epilogue).
Don't read if: you actively avoid books written in present tense; you don't want a book where the protagonist makes an objectively wrong and horrifying decision ["caught between hard places" scenario, choice not endorsed by the narrative or the character herself, carries severe mental/emotional consequences that she grapples with for the rest of the book]; you're not in a place to read about child death.
I did think the title would be more of a recurring theme in the book and was surprised by how late it was drawn in as a focus, but it was a sweet moment when it did appear.
There were a few moments that brought me close to tearing up, which on a 1-5 scale of "how hard did this book wring my emotions" is about a 4 for me. Pretty intense and poignant stuff. Recommended for ages 16+ for heavy topics and themes.
Read for: conversations about resistance and revolution, the complex emotions around making the survival choice and saying goodbye to one's homeland, no punches pulled in the realities of war, stunningly adorable and healthy romance, unreliable narrator, happy-ending epilogue (oh I do love me an epilogue).
Don't read if: you actively avoid books written in present tense; you don't want a book where the protagonist makes an objectively wrong and horrifying decision ["caught between hard places" scenario, choice not endorsed by the narrative or the character herself, carries severe mental/emotional consequences that she grapples with for the rest of the book]; you're not in a place to read about child death.
I did think the title would be more of a recurring theme in the book and was surprised by how late it was drawn in as a focus, but it was a sweet moment when it did appear.
There were a few moments that brought me close to tearing up, which on a 1-5 scale of "how hard did this book wring my emotions" is about a 4 for me. Pretty intense and poignant stuff. Recommended for ages 16+ for heavy topics and themes.