Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

52 reviews

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Confinement, War, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Misogyny, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Violence, and Xenophobia

clarabelitz's review

challenging 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, and Rape

Moderate: Homophobia, Abortion, Sexual content, and War

waybeyondblue's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Rape, War, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Infidelity, Homophobia, Death, War, Torture, Antisemitism, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Excrement

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

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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

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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

literarydeejay's review

emotional inspiring slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Confinement, Abortion, Sexual assault, Rape, Violence, and Torture

beanypole's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Confinement, Sexual violence, Racism, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Colonisation, War, Sexual assault, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Infertility, Torture, and Pregnancy

Minor: Dementia, Death, and Cancer

ka_cam's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Ooph, an intense read. Nahr’s rage and numbness at the violence she experiences and witnesses are at time visceral in this reflective navigation of a Palestinian woman in Istraeli solitary confinement reflecting on her life in Kuwait, Jordan, and Palestine. Doesn’t shy away from sexual, structural, and interpersonal violence so please mind the content warnings. I felt the Palestinian characters could have been a bit less rosy/more complex, but with the narrator’s shifting mental state what lacks in the story can be excused for the narrator. Compellingly and sometimes beautifully written esp for such heavy subjects. Highly, highly recommend

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Hate crime, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Colonisation, Genocide, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: War and Abortion

Minor: Child death, Medical content, Racial slurs, Cancer, Ableism, Addiction, and Animal death

rachelsbookishlife's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Death, Sexual harassment, War, Physical abuse, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Abortion, Death of parent, Cancer, and Death

Minor: Drug use

rai's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, War, and Religious bigotry