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jourdanicus 's review for:
Habibi
by Naomi Shihab Nye
adventurous
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A sweet story told in beautiful writing. I always love prose written by poets.
The story was a little wandering, definitely more character- than plot-focused. That was fitting as a story told from the perspective of a dreamy, thoughtful teen. Liyana seemed a little mature/overly wise for her age, which I think tends to happen in middle grade written by adults. However, Liyana's youthful lens made this a great "intro" novel for someone like me, interested in reading Palestinian fiction but intimidated about where to start.
This is a timeless novel; it's both lovely and sad/frustrating that the cultural and policial issues Liyana observes during her time in Palestine are still topical now. I felt the ending of this book was a little abrupt. I wanted to know more about where Liyana and her family go, what they do next.
My experience reading this book won't be forgotten; I wish I'd read it when I was younger!
The story was a little wandering, definitely more character- than plot-focused. That was fitting as a story told from the perspective of a dreamy, thoughtful teen. Liyana seemed a little mature/overly wise for her age, which I think tends to happen in middle grade written by adults. However, Liyana's youthful lens made this a great "intro" novel for someone like me, interested in reading Palestinian fiction but intimidated about where to start.
This is a timeless novel; it's both lovely and sad/frustrating that the cultural and policial issues Liyana observes during her time in Palestine are still topical now. I felt the ending of this book was a little abrupt. I wanted to know more about where Liyana and her family go, what they do next.
My experience reading this book won't be forgotten; I wish I'd read it when I was younger!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail