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bionicsarah's review against another edition
4.0
Shortlisted for the 2022 Woman’s prize this is an accomplished novel .It looks at the life of a family before during and after the atrocities that occurred during the partition of Cyprus in the 1970s .I was vaguely aware of the islands history and the fact that British armed forces have had a base there for years but didn’t fully appreciate why .The novel informed without ever feeling like it was giving a history lesson
Totally believable relatable characters
Loved the story of the fog tree taken as a fitting from the island and nurtured over the years including the story of having to bury it in the ground in a particularly cold British winter
Loved the picture of the prickly pear growing through the dividing wire fence and it’s inclusion in the story
Totally believable relatable characters
Loved the story of the fog tree taken as a fitting from the island and nurtured over the years including the story of having to bury it in the ground in a particularly cold British winter
Loved the picture of the prickly pear growing through the dividing wire fence and it’s inclusion in the story
katrae22's review against another edition
5.0
I love learning from reading. I knew nothing of the Greece/Turkish fighting in Cyprus. I’m always amazed at the amount of world history I’m so ignorant on that books bring to life for me. I listened to the audio on Libby and the narrators were outstanding. I was confused as some others were at the beginning being that the book is told from the pov of a fig tree but it all comes together and I found it beautiful and truly touching.
fienvermeylen's review against another edition
3.0
The Island of Missing Trees is een prachtig geësceneerd, goed uitgedacht en sterk geschreven verhaal. Zeker het personage Kostas bewijst in mijn ogen hoe briljant Elif Sjafak is als persoon en als schrijfster. Toch miste er voor mij iets, vooral in de verhaallijn in Londen. Ondanks alle troeven, werd ik nooit helemaal meegesleept. Dit blijkt voor mij wel een dealbreaker te zijn.
jennitarheelreader's review against another edition
4.0
I’m going to try my hand at a quick review for this one. I’m grateful I finally tried this author. I own several of her books, and wow, this one is so special. Thanks to Beth for buddy reading it with me.
The Island of Missing Trees is about a teenage girl named Ada, her parents’ young love, and a fig tree.
Yes, the fig tree is one of the narrators, and that is part of its magic. I don’t know how Shafak made that work, but it does in this case.
Ada’s parents are young, in love, and living in Cyprus- one a Turkish Cypriot; the other a Greek Cypriot. A civil war breaks out between the two groups and Kostas and Defne are very much in the middle.
I loved this book and its messages. It’s absolutely huggable. I couldn’t give it the full five stars because I was a little more invested in some of the storylines over others. As a bit of a tree hugger, I loved the voice of the tree. It was refreshing and enlightening, too. I cannot wait to read more of Elif Shafak’s books.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
The Island of Missing Trees is about a teenage girl named Ada, her parents’ young love, and a fig tree.
Yes, the fig tree is one of the narrators, and that is part of its magic. I don’t know how Shafak made that work, but it does in this case.
Ada’s parents are young, in love, and living in Cyprus- one a Turkish Cypriot; the other a Greek Cypriot. A civil war breaks out between the two groups and Kostas and Defne are very much in the middle.
I loved this book and its messages. It’s absolutely huggable. I couldn’t give it the full five stars because I was a little more invested in some of the storylines over others. As a bit of a tree hugger, I loved the voice of the tree. It was refreshing and enlightening, too. I cannot wait to read more of Elif Shafak’s books.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
kaitwernsing's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book and honestly didn’t want the story to end. The beautiful fig tree has to be one of my favorite characters ever and the way that she taught us readers about the interconnectedness of all nature was incredibly heartfelt and thoughtful. The story of love lost and found again tugged at every single piece of my heart. Just an absolutely beautiful read.
jacobinreads's review
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
relaxing
sad
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
5.0
It would be, frankly, hard for me to overstate how much I loved this book. The characters were so wonderful, so cleverly written, so real, in their love, their heartbreak, their grief, and their joys. The island of Cyprus likewise, with her divided recent history, pours our her heartbreak over violence and partition, and looms large over this tale.
Nevertheless, this is so perfectly written. I really recommend it.
Nevertheless, this is so perfectly written. I really recommend it.
boronguyen's review against another edition
4.0
Per her last book, the innovative technique feels right at home. However, the pacing could be better for me.
helenlp's review against another edition
5.0
This is such a beautiful book. I wasn’t at all sure what to expect and read it purely on the basis that it had great reviews and was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize. I’m so glad I did.
There’s so much here to enjoy and to think about but for me it’s the way the story is centred around the fig tree and the relationships between people, nature and island that create it’s real magic. I love books that provoke and leave me with so much to think about and this is most certainly one of those.
There’s so much here to enjoy and to think about but for me it’s the way the story is centred around the fig tree and the relationships between people, nature and island that create it’s real magic. I love books that provoke and leave me with so much to think about and this is most certainly one of those.
emmanugent's review against another edition
2.0
oh my god i’ve never been more bored by a book I expected to like so much. was extremely disappointed with this one :/ guess it just wasn’t for me
ericasbookshelfx's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0