A review by ruei
There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak

emotional reflective 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? No

4.0

A brilliant example of a connecting theme tieing together three stories, with beautiful considered prose. Arthur's story takes centre stage as the 'main' plot, but this imbalance helps more than hurts, with this thread giving the most propulsive narrative. The only major snagging point for me was Nen's "quirky-yet-perfect-Mary-Sue" characterisations which failed to make her feel like a grounded character instead of someone's dream girl, and we get shockingly little of Zaleekah's train of thought regarding her.