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A review by historyoftape
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
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? Yes
5.0
I think this book will sit with me for a long time. From Salama, to Layla, to Kenan, Yusuf, Lama, even Khawf-all of them people, beautifully fleshed out, all of them brilliant stars agains the harsh reality that this book portrays. My heart goes out not only to them, but to the whole of Syria. To the men, women & children for whom this is not merely a story, but an echo of their own life.
As long as the lemon trees grow, hope will never die. This book has planted a seedling in my heart, and I am willing to see it grow.
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Now that it's been a few days, I'm ready to go into more detail on why I liked this so much. The characters all had strengths and flaws, grew and developed. There was no sugarcoating of what it means to live in a war zone.the romance was cute & not annoying. The hallucinations were well written and believable.The twist with Layla was completely believable,but also I did not see it coming at all.
As long as the lemon trees grow, hope will never die. This book has planted a seedling in my heart, and I am willing to see it grow.
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Now that it's been a few days, I'm ready to go into more detail on why I liked this so much. The characters all had strengths and flaws, grew and developed. There was no sugarcoating of what it means to live in a war zone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Death, Murder, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, War, Violence, Death of parent, Blood, Child death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Vomit, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Mental illness
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Pregnancy and Trafficking
This book is about the reality of living in a war zone. There is no sugarcoating what that means, and does to people. But that's why I think reading it is so important.