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bookishmillennial's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Damn, this was incredibly upsetting and viscerally evocative. 18-year-old Yasmeen is finally reunited with her family in the United States, after 18 months of being trafficked and enslaved by an ISIS regime in Mosul, Iraq. The narrative oscillates between present day in the U.S. as Yasmeen navigates adjusting to her high school and confronting her parents' sadness over what Yasmeen had to endure; and the 18 months she spent in captivity as she was sexually abused and doing what she needed to do to survive. The rape and sexually violent acts were not explicitly on page, but they were strongly recounted in detail or alluded to.
There is a plot point towards the end where Yasmeen and her mom get a photo of Yasmeen's new friend deleted off of the teenage boys' phones that it was passed around to within a few hours. This unfortunately also speaks to real life, as this bullshit happens all the time. I ultimately appreciated the way that the sisterhood and friendships were depicted, both between Yasmeen's friends in Iraq and her new friends in the U.S.
My heart also hurt that Yasmeen's family was dealing with their trauma and grief in different ways - Yasmeen's brother struggled with his spirituality, wondering how a god would allow this to happen. Yasmeen's father tried to fit in at work and sometimes went against representing his authentic self, and Yasmeen's mother lost motivation to pursue a job since her credentials are not "valid" in the U.S. I was frustrated by the way that Yasmeen's father seemed to care more about Yasmeen's virginity more than anything sometimes, which felt seeped in toxic masculinity. However, I felt okay with where their relationships left off by the end of the book.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Islamophobia, Trafficking, and War
Moderate: Suicide attempt
kodi_rae's review
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Islamophobia, Trafficking, and War
Moderate: Suicide attempt
katsmedialibrary's review
3.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Islamophobia, Trafficking, and War
Moderate: Suicide attempt
kshertz's review
4.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Islamophobia, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail