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A review by mmarlborough
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Gosh this book ran away with my heart! Yes this is a devastating book about loss during the Syrian Revolution, but it also a beautiful story filled with love, survival and hope. This is YA done right!
Salama’s traditional life was shattered when the Revolution began, claiming members of her family. She has spent her time volunteering at the hospital and taking care of her pregnant sister in law Layla. Her grief and PTSD has manifested by creating an imaginary friend she calls Khawf who wants her to flee Syria. Torn between the country she loves and safety, Salama doesn’t know what to do. Then she meets the smart and kind Kenan who she is drawn to and feels even more conflicted. Salama is faced with making the most difficult choice: to stay and fight or leave for safety.
While this is YA, this book deals so expertly with difficult themes all while illuminating the reader to the horrors of genocide that very much are real. I cared about these characters so deeply, I will remember them always. I read much of this book with my eyes filling with tears, but this is SUCH AN IMPORTANT BOOK that left me with a full heart and hope. We need more YA like this: that resonates, opens reader’s eyes, and makes them want to learn more. I cannot believe this is her debut. I will automatically buy whatever she writes next.
✨Trigger Warnings: War, Death, Child Death, Death of a Parent, Medical Content, Genocide, Pregnancy, Sexual Harassment
Salama’s traditional life was shattered when the Revolution began, claiming members of her family. She has spent her time volunteering at the hospital and taking care of her pregnant sister in law Layla. Her grief and PTSD has manifested by creating an imaginary friend she calls Khawf who wants her to flee Syria. Torn between the country she loves and safety, Salama doesn’t know what to do. Then she meets the smart and kind Kenan who she is drawn to and feels even more conflicted. Salama is faced with making the most difficult choice: to stay and fight or leave for safety.
While this is YA, this book deals so expertly with difficult themes all while illuminating the reader to the horrors of genocide that very much are real. I cared about these characters so deeply, I will remember them always. I read much of this book with my eyes filling with tears, but this is SUCH AN IMPORTANT BOOK that left me with a full heart and hope. We need more YA like this: that resonates, opens reader’s eyes, and makes them want to learn more. I cannot believe this is her debut. I will automatically buy whatever she writes next.
✨Trigger Warnings: War, Death, Child Death, Death of a Parent, Medical Content, Genocide, Pregnancy, Sexual Harassment