Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

6 reviews

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

alisha94's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Torture, Pregnancy, War, Police brutality, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Death of parent, and Physical abuse

sirissacgluten's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, War, Colonisation, Genocide, and Grief

Moderate: Blood, Islamophobia, Abortion, and Sexism

Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, Excrement, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Vomit, Alcohol, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Terminal illness, Torture, Antisemitism, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, and Medical trauma

fromjuliereads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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

4.0

This book was such an emotional rollercoaster and such a difficult read. But wow. It was so incredible, raw, graphic, hopeful. I found it to be incredibly difficult and sad to read at the beginning through so many of Nahr's experiences. As the story goes on, there is more and more hope. 

I think it was a hard read because you know even though this is fiction, there are people with stories like this, people like other characters in the book. 
Definitely recommend but check the trigger warnings. 

I will admit that it has a slower start and I struggled with the pacing and the plot at the beginning, just with it being such graphic and difficult experiences written for a long portion. But as the story evolved and broadened it made more sense why it started out that way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Blood, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Child death, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Outing

Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Vomit

jouljet's review

challenging informative tense slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Torture, Murder, Miscarriage, Hate crime, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, and Abortion

kdawns13's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• 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

This book is incredible. The emotion is tangible, and it's hard not to be totally sucked into the character's lives. Some of the dialogue was a little "girlboss"-esque, but everything felt genuine, and it didn't detract from the plot in the slightest. Definitely a worthwhile read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, Confinement, Sexual content, Medical content, Sexism, Terminal illness, Hate crime, Abortion, Death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence