alishamegan's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I learnt a lot and I am better for having read this book. The middle was a bit slow but I really liked the facts and history and culture and geography melded into a fictional story of a Palestinian woman. The MC is freaking awesome tbh. A whole new world opened up for me in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Confinement, War, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Misogyny, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Violence, and Xenophobia
hadeelelelele's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Some scattered thoughts…
What I liked:
- Really enjoyed the conversation on prostitution, class, heroism, and honor
- Nahr was a very convincing main character. She’s flawed and quite unlikeable at times but you feel invested in her, and her character development was very well done
- The short sections where Nahr is in the prison were very well-written
- The depiction of Nahr and Bilal’s love was beautiful
My critiques:
- Though Nahr’s particular character trajectory from beginning to end was convincing and touching, I didn’t feel like the beginning and end of the novel came together in a convincing way to form an overall cohesive picture. The themes being explored felt quite scattered and unfocused at times
- I’ve read all of this author’s novels and they all seem to follow the formula of a character’s homecoming to Palestine and then being awed by the sense of collectivism and communal support etc etc and all that romantic jazz. I wouldn’t mind it if the substance & affect of this return to Palestine didn’t feel too repeated and formulaic across the novels
- Some sections in the middle felt unnecessarily long and wordy, could’ve been cut down
- The inclusion of certain Arabic words in italics felt forced and unnecessary. For example at one point why was the word “ghada” not just written as “lunch”?!
- Sometimes it feels as though the author has a piece of shrewd political observation/analysis or a lyrical line of prose that she’d really like to fit somehow and so includes it as dialogue to be said by a character even if it sounds unnatural as dialogue and out of place
- Felt like there was sometimes a lot shoe-horned into the narrative (eg. Mhammad’s back story)
Overall I’m glad I read this novel, it has a lot of great threads and touching moments. I just have an issue with the writing style at points, and the story - though made up of great threads - just doesn’t fully come whole for me by the end
What I liked:
- Really enjoyed the conversation on prostitution, class, heroism, and honor
- Nahr was a very convincing main character. She’s flawed and quite unlikeable at times but you feel invested in her, and her character development was very well done
- The short sections where Nahr is in the prison were very well-written
- The depiction of Nahr and Bilal’s love was beautiful
My critiques:
- Though Nahr’s particular character trajectory from beginning to end was convincing and touching, I didn’t feel like the beginning and end of the novel came together in a convincing way to form an overall cohesive picture. The themes being explored felt quite scattered and unfocused at times
- I’ve read all of this author’s novels and they all seem to follow the formula of a character’s homecoming to Palestine and then being awed by the sense of collectivism and communal support etc etc and all that romantic jazz. I wouldn’t mind it if the substance & affect of this return to Palestine didn’t feel too repeated and formulaic across the novels
- Some sections in the middle felt unnecessarily long and wordy, could’ve been cut down
- The inclusion of certain Arabic words in italics felt forced and unnecessary. For example at one point why was the word “ghada” not just written as “lunch”?!
- Sometimes it feels as though the author has a piece of shrewd political observation/analysis or a lyrical line of prose that she’d really like to fit somehow and so includes it as dialogue to be said by a character even if it sounds unnatural as dialogue and out of place
- Felt like there was sometimes a lot shoe-horned into the narrative (eg. Mhammad’s back story)
Overall I’m glad I read this novel, it has a lot of great threads and touching moments. I just have an issue with the writing style at points, and the story - though made up of great threads - just doesn’t fully come whole for me by the end
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
ashort's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion, Rape, Sexual assault, and War
katiechasingchapters's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, War, Colonisation, Police brutality, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Abortion, Violence, and Torture
Minor: Miscarriage
cgbr's review
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Sexual content, Rape, Confinement, Colonisation, Death, and Racism
Moderate: Homophobia and Abortion
sydapel's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Quite a challenging book to read both in terms of the geo political ground it's covering and the content (check trigger warnings), but wow. Nahr's journey is steeped in loss, insecurity and strife, but the core of it is about community and hope and love. It's a difficult thing to do to present both of these simultaneously in a novel about injustice and subjugation, but the author handles it so well. I was particularly impressed by the way suffering never feels glamorized or heroic, it exists right alongside Nahr's perception of her heroism and sacrifice. An important book to read and remember that war and conflict effect ordinary people the most, and that communities in the Middle East have been fighting for their right to live longer than I've been alive.v
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual assault, Murder, Torture, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Islamophobia, Homophobia, Antisemitism, Gun violence, Confinement, and Miscarriage
bibillyhills's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, War, Sexual assault, and Physical abuse
e11lla's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I loved this. I do not have the words to describe this book. So informative, emotional, inspiring almost in a weird way. Really captures the drive to fight in a world that has taken almost everything - driven by love. Feel like it tapped into other issues too like sex work, femanism, homophobia, what it's like to feel like you have no true home, to be a refugee, complicated family relationships etc.
TW sexual assault and rape
TW sexual assault and rape
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: War
random19379's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Grief, Genocide, Violence, War, Rape, and Colonisation
Minor: Vomit, Abortion, and Sexual assault
literarydeejay's review
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Confinement, Abortion, Sexual assault, Rape, Violence, and Torture