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aforestofbooks's reviews
498 reviews
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.5
Reading the author's note at the end of this book made me realize how few Indigenous books I've read over the last few years. I'm so happy I finally decided to pick this one up at Gretal and Kait's recommendation. They were right. This was a memorable read.
I love Daunis so much as the main character. Her drive and determination to learn the truth, her quick-thinking, but especially the aspects of her Anishinaabeg teachings and spirituality in her day-to-day life. As a Muslim, my faith plays such a huge role in my daily actions, and as the reader, we get to see how important it is for Daunis too. One thing I love about books with Muslim characters is when the author incorporates Islam into the character's actions, thoughts, and words. I can only imagine how nice it is to see something like this for Indigenous peoples picking up this book.
The community aspect in Firekeeper's Daughter, especially in the last couple chapters almost made me cry. It was beautiful seeing everyone coming together to commemorate and remember and heal and mourn. I miss community so much lately, that seeing it on the page makes my heart hurt and makes me wish there was more of it in our world right now.
The romance in this book was cute and did not make me cringe lol. I will say that I was low-key suspicious the entire time because when cops are involved, I just have trust issues. I do love the not-so-subtle digs at cops and the American government. Like literally-
<blockquote>"Scariest words ever spoken: I'm from the federal government and I'm here to help."</blockquote>
Just replace federal government with US military and literally nothing has changed since the early 2000s
I do want to stab a lot of people in this book. And maybe defenestrate someone too. The ending was heartbreaking but unfortunately realistic. We all know now more than ever that justice for Indigenous peoples in the US/Canada and around the world will never happen at the hands of a white supremacist governing body. Not on its own anyway. We have to fight for it every step of the way, and do everything in our power to bring down fascism and racism and zionism, and even that might not be enough.
Like I've said with every book I've reviewed since early October, it's very hard to read a book and not make connections to our world right now. I hope this is a tipping point for Indigenous peoples all over the world.
4.5/5 stars
I love Daunis so much as the main character. Her drive and determination to learn the truth, her quick-thinking, but especially the aspects of her Anishinaabeg teachings and spirituality in her day-to-day life. As a Muslim, my faith plays such a huge role in my daily actions, and as the reader, we get to see how important it is for Daunis too. One thing I love about books with Muslim characters is when the author incorporates Islam into the character's actions, thoughts, and words. I can only imagine how nice it is to see something like this for Indigenous peoples picking up this book.
The community aspect in Firekeeper's Daughter, especially in the last couple chapters almost made me cry. It was beautiful seeing everyone coming together to commemorate and remember and heal and mourn. I miss community so much lately, that seeing it on the page makes my heart hurt and makes me wish there was more of it in our world right now.
The romance in this book was cute and did not make me cringe lol. I will say that I was low-key suspicious the entire time because when cops are involved, I just have trust issues. I do love the not-so-subtle digs at cops and the American government. Like literally-
<blockquote>"Scariest words ever spoken: I'm from the federal government and I'm here to help."</blockquote>
Just replace federal government with US military and literally nothing has changed since the early 2000s
I do want to stab a lot of people in this book. And maybe defenestrate someone too. The ending was heartbreaking but unfortunately realistic. We all know now more than ever that justice for Indigenous peoples in the US/Canada and around the world will never happen at the hands of a white supremacist governing body. Not on its own anyway. We have to fight for it every step of the way, and do everything in our power to bring down fascism and racism and zionism, and even that might not be enough.
Like I've said with every book I've reviewed since early October, it's very hard to read a book and not make connections to our world right now. I hope this is a tipping point for Indigenous peoples all over the world.
4.5/5 stars
Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine by Hannah Moushabeck, Reem Madooh
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
First book of 2024!
Loved the illustrations and getting to see what life was like in Palestine before the Nakba for Christians.
Loved the illustrations and getting to see what life was like in Palestine before the Nakba for Christians.
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.75
I wasn't expecting this book to make me reflect so much on my life and the choices I make everyday. While I don't necessarily believe having a positive mindset or attitude can completely change your life, I think there is some truth to it.
Each chapter in this book follows a difference character. But every character lives in the same ward in Tokyo and do eventually come to know/hear about one another. I think it was a very sweet way to tie all the stories together. I wish I could meet the librarian who plays such an important role in each chapter and with these character's lives. She has a gift of finding the books that people need and giving them the push to discover a new way to look at life.
A lot of the characters in this book felt so similar to me. We live life on autopilot. Working so we can afford to live. Not sure if what we're doing is something that we're passionate about, or unable to follow through with our dreams because of life circumstances. And while a lot of that has to do with the capitalist environment we live in, this book shows the reader that there are ways to find some happiness and some passion and drive. It has a positive message about society and community, and how to belong in a world where we feel like we're not connected.
This book is meant for all ages and different stages of life, and I think everyone can get something unique from it.
<blockquote>"Sometimes, though, I think about the future. What will I be doing years from now? I don't have the same kind of burning desire like I used to when all I wanted was to escape to Tokyo, and I don't feel excited anymore about achieving a goal."</blockquote>
<blockquote>"You managed to find employment, you go to work every day and you can feed yourself. That's a fine achievement."</blockquote>
<blockquote>"I was working in order to eat, but I never had time to eat because of work."</blockquote>
^this one is a personal attack
<blockquote>"The days go by more happily when you have something to dream about. It's not always a bad thing to have a dream, with no plan of ever carrying it out."</blockquote>
<blockquote>"He might be tough enough to survive any conditions and have special powers, but he sulks if he doesn't get enough attention and cries at the drop of a hat."</blockquote>
<blockquote>"If you throw yourself into doing the things you like, it's possible to live a happy, healthy life as he does, even if one is old, retired, divorced and living alone."</blockquote>
^maybe for those of us who are especially lonely and covid conscious
Each chapter in this book follows a difference character. But every character lives in the same ward in Tokyo and do eventually come to know/hear about one another. I think it was a very sweet way to tie all the stories together. I wish I could meet the librarian who plays such an important role in each chapter and with these character's lives. She has a gift of finding the books that people need and giving them the push to discover a new way to look at life.
A lot of the characters in this book felt so similar to me. We live life on autopilot. Working so we can afford to live. Not sure if what we're doing is something that we're passionate about, or unable to follow through with our dreams because of life circumstances. And while a lot of that has to do with the capitalist environment we live in, this book shows the reader that there are ways to find some happiness and some passion and drive. It has a positive message about society and community, and how to belong in a world where we feel like we're not connected.
This book is meant for all ages and different stages of life, and I think everyone can get something unique from it.
<blockquote>"Sometimes, though, I think about the future. What will I be doing years from now? I don't have the same kind of burning desire like I used to when all I wanted was to escape to Tokyo, and I don't feel excited anymore about achieving a goal."</blockquote>
<blockquote>"You managed to find employment, you go to work every day and you can feed yourself. That's a fine achievement."</blockquote>
<blockquote>"I was working in order to eat, but I never had time to eat because of work."</blockquote>
^this one is a personal attack
<blockquote>"The days go by more happily when you have something to dream about. It's not always a bad thing to have a dream, with no plan of ever carrying it out."</blockquote>
<blockquote>"He might be tough enough to survive any conditions and have special powers, but he sulks if he doesn't get enough attention and cries at the drop of a hat."</blockquote>
<blockquote>"If you throw yourself into doing the things you like, it's possible to live a happy, healthy life as he does, even if one is old, retired, divorced and living alone."</blockquote>
^maybe for those of us who are especially lonely and covid conscious
Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand by Komori Yoko
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was so cute!
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, and I think I would have loved it even more if I had read it faster. But unfortunately, my reading the last 3 months has been super slow, sometimes not picking up a book for days at a time, not because I'm not interested in the story, but because my brain is just tired.
I loved so many aspects of this book. The main character is disabled and disfigured, which is so rare to see in fantasy. Kissen has a prosthetic leg, and uses a cane and a wheelchair at times. Her found family is also disabled and it's just so good and nice to see that incorporated into a fantasy setting seamlessly as it should be. One member of her family uses a wheelchair and the other is deaf, and they all use signspeak to speak to each other. I was literally 🥺 the entire time we were with Kissen's found family, and I really hope we get to see more of them in the second book.
Kissen herself is a badass and every word that comes out of her mouth made me snort. Her personality and the dialogue between her and the other characters was 👌🏼
Elo is such a soft boy, I just want him to be happy baking bread for the rest of his life. He showed a darker, fiercer side at the end, which I'm interested to see how it plays out in book two.
And I really grew to like and root for Inara. She definitely had a greater role to play in this book than I was expecting going in. Skedi, I had mixed feelings for, and still kind of do, but he also sort of redeemed himself.
Pacing wise, the book was pretty fast-paced (if I wasn't such a slow reader). Unfortunately because it took me so long to read, I started to forget who certain characters were and what had happened earlier in the book. The font was also so tiny, making the book seem a lot shorter than it was. I would recommend the ebook if small font makes things harder to read.
I am looking forward to the sequel, though I will definitely have to reread this one.
I loved so many aspects of this book. The main character is disabled and disfigured, which is so rare to see in fantasy. Kissen has a prosthetic leg, and uses a cane and a wheelchair at times. Her found family is also disabled and it's just so good and nice to see that incorporated into a fantasy setting seamlessly as it should be. One member of her family uses a wheelchair and the other is deaf, and they all use signspeak to speak to each other. I was literally 🥺 the entire time we were with Kissen's found family, and I really hope we get to see more of them in the second book.
Kissen herself is a badass and every word that comes out of her mouth made me snort. Her personality and the dialogue between her and the other characters was 👌🏼
Elo is such a soft boy, I just want him to be happy baking bread for the rest of his life. He showed a darker, fiercer side at the end, which I'm interested to see how it plays out in book two.
And I really grew to like and root for Inara. She definitely had a greater role to play in this book than I was expecting going in. Skedi, I had mixed feelings for, and still kind of do, but he also sort of redeemed himself.
Pacing wise, the book was pretty fast-paced (if I wasn't such a slow reader). Unfortunately because it took me so long to read, I started to forget who certain characters were and what had happened earlier in the book. The font was also so tiny, making the book seem a lot shorter than it was. I would recommend the ebook if small font makes things harder to read.
I am looking forward to the sequel, though I will definitely have to reread this one.
These Olive Trees by Aya Ghanameh
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Beautiful illustrations!
We're in This Together: A Young Readers Edition of We Are Not Here to Be Bystanders by Linda Sarsour
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
This was not only inspiring but gave me some hope with how relatable it is to current times. However, it’s also sad to see we’re dealing with the same issues as Linda has been fighting for for years. There’s definitely been a shift this time around, and we can only pray that we see actual change and accountability for once.
The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes by Suzanne Collins
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I had no intention of picking up this book. After the masterpiece that is the Hunger Games trilogy and The Underland Chronicles, I was hesitant to read book focused on President Snow and his villain origin story. However, Scholastics offered to send me a copy for free, so I couldn't say no, and decided to give it a chance.
This book took me much longer to read than it should have. The issue wasn't the pacing, but more the parallels I kept seeing between the Capitol and Israel, and the Districts and Palestine. It was hard to read sometimes seeing the kind of rhetoric that Snow and his fellow classmates and teachers and governments espouse and how similar it is to Israel's propaganda and lies we're seeing on the news right now. There were a lot of scenes that just felt too similar to real life.
I do want to reread this book one day and actually take notes or annotate this book, just so I can write a proper review.
The discussions Chorio (yes, I call him that because he reminds me of the infection) has with Dr. Gaul were horrifying at times, but also enlightening in a dark way. It put so much into perspective and made me realize that maybe this was an important story to tell. A lot of villain origin stories are personal; something happens to the main character, they're hurt by someone they love/trust, and instead of being the victim, they choose revenge. But Suzanne does something more with this book. There isn't just one main villain, but a society built on control, power, chaos, violence, and justification. We get to see the structural and societal aspects of how a governing body uses power to subjugate people, and then uses their acts of resistance to wage a continuous war against them and their values to stay on top. Like I said, the parallels with what is going on in our world right now fit so well with this book. It made for a difficult read.
There are two classic examples we see in this book that reminded me so much of the genocide happening in Palestine right now.
The first being the murder of a mentor by a tribute. We see the mentor toying with the tribute, playing with the food, keeping it just out of reach, knowing the tribute is starving. And when the tribute retaliates, the Capitol media twists the story to prove to their audience that the districts are violent and uncontrollable and the Hunger Games is a necessity to remind them where they stand in the social hierarchy. We see the same thing happening in Gaza. Israel blockages the Gaza strip, turning it into a concentration camp, restricting what can go in and out, and having complete control of electricity, food, water, fuel, and supplies. This isn't a new thing that happened just after October 7th. And yet when people fight back and resist, as is their right under International Law, what does Israel do? Decides to play the victim and use an act of resistance, a moment of self defence, to commit a genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians in Gaza. And they enjoy every second of it too. Just like we saw the Capitol dragging the tributes that ran from the bombing at the arena on the streets, relishing the torture they can inflict on the districts, we see the same macabre amusement in their tiktoks as they laugh while blowing up buildings and mosques, attacking schools and hospitals, and targeting civilians.
The second example we see is what happens during the tour of the arena. It doesn't take a genius to realize the bombing was staged by the Capitol to get the citizens riled up against the Districts, to get them to watch the Hunger Games with relish rather than discomfort. And what do we see irl. That Israel knew about Hamas' plans a year in advance and did nothing to stop it, and not only that, but they let teenage girls, who had no experience, blindly shoot into crowds of people killing their own, knowing they could use the deaths of their own civilians to wage a war against innocent people, also knowing that they would have plenty of support from the other colonizers they look up to.
I sit here writing this review, and I can't help wondering how people watched the movie and did not make the connections that I'm making right now. And this isn't even everything. There were a lot of conversations in this book with Dr. Gaul that I'm blanking on right now that go into more depth about the mental gymnastics colonizers/oppressors come up with to justify their war crimes. There is a lot of mention of chaos, control, and contract, and how humans are inherently violent and will attack if put in certain situations. It implies that chaos is inevitable, but by using control and contracts, people in a position of power can create a sort of "controlled chaos environment", which we see again in real world examples.
Propaganda, dehumanization, and villainization are used by the media and colonizers like the US, Britain, Europe, and Israel to mark brown, Arab people as dangerous, violent individuals who either need to be enlightened by white people's "democracy", or be subjugated and manipulated in order for these colonizers to make use of their natural resources for their own capitalistic gains. Their lives don't amount to the same as white lives, and can be used any way they please. And if a bunch of Zionist terrorists want to ethnically cleanse a country off the map and take it as their own, why would anyone care when they're just brown Arabs?
Reading this book through Chorio's perspective was frustrating. I honestly do not understand how people were falling in love with him. His narrative makes you want to strangle him. He is full of himself, and so obsessed with control and possessiveness when it comes to Lucy Gray, that it's close to impossible to ignore all the red flags just because he's charming. Everything he does has an ulterior motive. He's always in it for himself. At one point, I think he mentions how he doesn't really care about anything except his own comfort. And we see that at the end of the book.
The ending felt a little rushed. A lot happens in a few pages and as the reader, you're left with a lot of questions. But what is clear is that Chorio remains Chorio until the very end. He has slight side quests where he considers being different/better, but at the end of the day, he cares more about his own comfort and wellbeing, and knows that that is only possible with control. Whether it's controlling the narrative, the people, the news, etc.
4.5/5 stars. A book I will 100% pick up again one day to read more closely.
This book took me much longer to read than it should have. The issue wasn't the pacing, but more the parallels I kept seeing between the Capitol and Israel, and the Districts and Palestine. It was hard to read sometimes seeing the kind of rhetoric that Snow and his fellow classmates and teachers and governments espouse and how similar it is to Israel's propaganda and lies we're seeing on the news right now. There were a lot of scenes that just felt too similar to real life.
I do want to reread this book one day and actually take notes or annotate this book, just so I can write a proper review.
The discussions Chorio (yes, I call him that because he reminds me of the infection) has with Dr. Gaul were horrifying at times, but also enlightening in a dark way. It put so much into perspective and made me realize that maybe this was an important story to tell. A lot of villain origin stories are personal; something happens to the main character, they're hurt by someone they love/trust, and instead of being the victim, they choose revenge. But Suzanne does something more with this book. There isn't just one main villain, but a society built on control, power, chaos, violence, and justification. We get to see the structural and societal aspects of how a governing body uses power to subjugate people, and then uses their acts of resistance to wage a continuous war against them and their values to stay on top. Like I said, the parallels with what is going on in our world right now fit so well with this book. It made for a difficult read.
There are two classic examples we see in this book that reminded me so much of the genocide happening in Palestine right now.
The first being the murder of a mentor by a tribute. We see the mentor toying with the tribute, playing with the food, keeping it just out of reach, knowing the tribute is starving. And when the tribute retaliates, the Capitol media twists the story to prove to their audience that the districts are violent and uncontrollable and the Hunger Games is a necessity to remind them where they stand in the social hierarchy. We see the same thing happening in Gaza. Israel blockages the Gaza strip, turning it into a concentration camp, restricting what can go in and out, and having complete control of electricity, food, water, fuel, and supplies. This isn't a new thing that happened just after October 7th. And yet when people fight back and resist, as is their right under International Law, what does Israel do? Decides to play the victim and use an act of resistance, a moment of self defence, to commit a genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians in Gaza. And they enjoy every second of it too. Just like we saw the Capitol dragging the tributes that ran from the bombing at the arena on the streets, relishing the torture they can inflict on the districts, we see the same macabre amusement in their tiktoks as they laugh while blowing up buildings and mosques, attacking schools and hospitals, and targeting civilians.
The second example we see is what happens during the tour of the arena. It doesn't take a genius to realize the bombing was staged by the Capitol to get the citizens riled up against the Districts, to get them to watch the Hunger Games with relish rather than discomfort. And what do we see irl. That Israel knew about Hamas' plans a year in advance and did nothing to stop it, and not only that, but they let teenage girls, who had no experience, blindly shoot into crowds of people killing their own, knowing they could use the deaths of their own civilians to wage a war against innocent people, also knowing that they would have plenty of support from the other colonizers they look up to.
I sit here writing this review, and I can't help wondering how people watched the movie and did not make the connections that I'm making right now. And this isn't even everything. There were a lot of conversations in this book with Dr. Gaul that I'm blanking on right now that go into more depth about the mental gymnastics colonizers/oppressors come up with to justify their war crimes. There is a lot of mention of chaos, control, and contract, and how humans are inherently violent and will attack if put in certain situations. It implies that chaos is inevitable, but by using control and contracts, people in a position of power can create a sort of "controlled chaos environment", which we see again in real world examples.
Propaganda, dehumanization, and villainization are used by the media and colonizers like the US, Britain, Europe, and Israel to mark brown, Arab people as dangerous, violent individuals who either need to be enlightened by white people's "democracy", or be subjugated and manipulated in order for these colonizers to make use of their natural resources for their own capitalistic gains. Their lives don't amount to the same as white lives, and can be used any way they please. And if a bunch of Zionist terrorists want to ethnically cleanse a country off the map and take it as their own, why would anyone care when they're just brown Arabs?
Reading this book through Chorio's perspective was frustrating. I honestly do not understand how people were falling in love with him. His narrative makes you want to strangle him. He is full of himself, and so obsessed with control and possessiveness when it comes to Lucy Gray, that it's close to impossible to ignore all the red flags just because he's charming. Everything he does has an ulterior motive. He's always in it for himself. At one point, I think he mentions how he doesn't really care about anything except his own comfort. And we see that at the end of the book.
The ending felt a little rushed. A lot happens in a few pages and as the reader, you're left with a lot of questions. But what is clear is that Chorio remains Chorio until the very end. He has slight side quests where he considers being different/better, but at the end of the day, he cares more about his own comfort and wellbeing, and knows that that is only possible with control. Whether it's controlling the narrative, the people, the news, etc.
4.5/5 stars. A book I will 100% pick up again one day to read more closely.
Minor Detail by Adania Shibli
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I don't know how to review this book. It felt like a fever dream.
My brain is never quiet, there are always thoughts and images. The way this story is told felt very similar. The narrative and inner dialogue of the characters felt like a stream of consciousness, every detail, whether minor or major was included, and every detail was important to the story.
The first half of the book focuses on a platoon commander's POV in the summer of 1949. It's disturbing and dark and difficult to read at times. The second half is from the POV of a young Palestinian woman who is obsessed with how the rape and murder of a young Palestinian girl in 1949 coincides with her birthday many years later. Interestingly enough, there are many similarities between the two POVs. I can't help noticing the obsessive wanderings the commander would go on and how closely it mimics the final few pages of the Palestinian woman's POV as she wanders through the Negev Desert. Dogs barking. The smell of gasoline. And the camels. And the similar outcomes we see in both POVs. I can see why this book has been nominated for so many awards. It is a literary masterpiece. A short, but haunting read that will stay with you forever.
<blockquote>"Sometimes it’s inevitable for the past to be forgotten, especially if the present is no less horrific.”</blockquote>
My brain is never quiet, there are always thoughts and images. The way this story is told felt very similar. The narrative and inner dialogue of the characters felt like a stream of consciousness, every detail, whether minor or major was included, and every detail was important to the story.
The first half of the book focuses on a platoon commander's POV in the summer of 1949. It's disturbing and dark and difficult to read at times. The second half is from the POV of a young Palestinian woman who is obsessed with how the rape and murder of a young Palestinian girl in 1949 coincides with her birthday many years later. Interestingly enough, there are many similarities between the two POVs. I can't help noticing the obsessive wanderings the commander would go on and how closely it mimics the final few pages of the Palestinian woman's POV as she wanders through the Negev Desert. Dogs barking. The smell of gasoline. And the camels. And the similar outcomes we see in both POVs. I can see why this book has been nominated for so many awards. It is a literary masterpiece. A short, but haunting read that will stay with you forever.
<blockquote>"Sometimes it’s inevitable for the past to be forgotten, especially if the present is no less horrific.”</blockquote>
God's Emissaries- Adam to Jesus by Shaykh Rizwan Arastu
5.0
Honestly a great compilation of all the stories of the prophets. I definitely learned a lot of new things, and other things felt more clear because this is written in story format compared to the Quran where we get bits and pieces about the different prophets not always in the chronological order of events. Highly recommend. Something I will definitely pick up again.