Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

I Will Greet the Sun Again by Khashayar J. Khabushani

2 reviews

memoirsofabooklover's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

this story was beautiful. the story of the main character was heartbreaking to follow. 
wasn’t a fan of the writing style. no chapter titles, and no quotation marks for when someone is speaking. also, scenes often felt unfinished, like being left hanging without resolve. didn’t particularly enjoy that chapters often skipped months or years ahead, and sometimes it took a while of confusion to figure it out. 
overall i did really enjoy it and was quick to read. the ending was hopeful, even though it felt incomplete, it also felt realistic.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

ellenwelsh's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I Will Greet the Sun Again is a beautifully written novel following K, a sensitive young boy from an Iranian family living in LA around the turn of the millennium. 

The story moves between LA and Iran, and Khabushani evokes a vivid sense of place in both of these settings. At the same time, the writing feels murky, like snippets of childhood memories. I very much got the feeling when I was reading this of seeing the world through a child's eyes; not an easy thing for an author to accomplish. 

Despite my upbringing being very different from K's, I felt that it captured feelings of youth very well; awkward moments of being trapped in your own fear; boredom; roaming around simply for something to do; the different things you notice when you're a child. The different ways adults treat you, and perhaps not realising why they treat you these ways until later in life. I really enjoyed the parts of the book set in Iran where K meets relatives like Amoo and Khaleh who understand him and show him kindness. Those were really touching.

The moments of K experiencing queer desire and yearning were so tender and relatable. Although I felt nervous of where they might lead, knowing how pervasive homophobia was at this time, they felt like a balm, balancing the heavier emotions throughout. 
There are some upsetting scenes in this book, particularly of child sexual and physical abuse, and racism, especially in the wake of 9/11. They are sensitively handled in my opinion, but read with care if these issues affect you.

I did struggle slightly with the punctuation in this book (no speech marks) but I know not everyone feels the same way about this choice.

Overall, this is a moving book about family, diaspora, and growing up that I will keep thinking about. Khashayar J. Khabushani is a promising new writer of literary fiction.

Thank you to Viking for sending me this advance proof copy.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...