22halo 's review for:

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

---

compelling character histories but the character presents(?) had much more to be desired…. its mostly a story told about the past, which makes sense, but i didn’t find the ongoing interactions engaging at all. i think it would’ve been better had we been placed in the side characters perspectives rather than told a summary of their pasts condensed into a chapter. like other litfic i have the same criticisms about telling vs showing but it’s mostly a difference in writing taste. i skimmed most of it. one thing i dislike is when diversity and explanations of how things are like feels shoehorned in, which is a criticism that im not sure others share.

i read this book on my plane ride to türkiye and throughout my stay in istanbul. the story is set in istanbul, and i do appreciate its explorations of its fluidity as a city and the struggle between eastern and western cultures (which ive observed myself) but i kinda wish i read another book instead. if only i had my ereader with me…. i regret buying the physical copy from the bookstore in london but at least it was 50% off???

the parts where they depict childhood sexual abuse is sooooooo gutwrenching. made me feel so nauseous. in terms of the murder mystery payoff and the entierity of part 2 i felt a bit let down by.. but i really like the setup and the segway from each minute to the next combined with the sensory experiences sights smells etc associated with the different memories