A review by clairewrobel
I Love I Hate I Miss My Sister by Amélie Sarn

5.0

This book made me cry. I am a woman and a sister, and a highly empathetic one at that. I felt the tension and terror caused by Majid and his gang. I felt Sohane’s anxiety because I have felt unsafe walking and watching in the streets. I can’t imagine trying to live after the death of a sibling, and I don’t want to. Every time I think of Sohane’s pain, it literally brings me to tears. As a white Christian living in America, it doesn’t immediately seem like I would have a lot in common with an Algerian Muslim living in France. But this book crosses boundaries. The author creates Sohane’s story so that it can be felt across all types of people, but she also does justice to explaining and representing the culture of Islam.

The structure of the novel built up a heartbreaking suspense that left me uneasy chapter after chapter. It was a mix between flashbacks and healing. I can’t remember if I’ve ever read a book written like this, but it was incredibly powerful. Now I’m going to go hug my siblings.