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zbzzzz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
Moderate: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Suicide, Torture, Blood, and Grief
laurataylor's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Blood, Death of parent, and Colonisation
peskimo's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and War
abbyreadsandwrites's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism and Abortion
annika_hogan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Death, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, and Death of parent
Minor: Abortion
rc_1991_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and War
Moderate: Child death and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Infidelity, Blood, and Abortion
larkais's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Mariam's childhood and relationship with her parents were terribly sad. Nana wished for a miscarriage while Jalil didn't want to publicly acknowledge that Mariam existed at all.
Now a list of quotes/spoilers
There was a sort of intergenerational trauma in this story where Nana lived unhappily and passed on the burden of living to Mariam where she suicided the day Mariam went out to meet Jalil. Laila and Aziza also faced a brunt of Mariam's unhappiness early in their relationship.
There was a brief sort of joy when Mariam thought the arranged marriage was going to be okay: "Nana had been right about Jalil's gifts. They had been half hearted gifts of penance, insincere corrupt gestures meant more for his own appeasement that hers. This shawl, Mariam saw, was a true gift".
Each snowflake was a sigh heaved by an aggrieved woman ... as reminder of how women like us suffer. How quietly we must endure all that falls upon us.
Laila never would have believed that a human body could withstand this much beating, this viciously and regularly but keep functioning.
I liked the islamic flamingo with water colour pants story! It was a light hearted break... after we got the revelation that Tariq never died!!! What I was screaming internally.
When Mariam swung the shovel and killed Rasheed, wow, I'm glad that she was the one to do it in the end. It was powerful that she saved Laila's life and ended their suffering. There was no other light hearted moment for Mariam.
All the call backs at the end of the story were so sad. The signing of her life away for the second time, the visit to her childhood outside of town and even to the Pinocchio movie (Jalil's letter/cinema call back was very sad).
I'm happy that Mariam's sacrifice gave Laila a better chance at life. She became a teacher and Aziza got to go to school. It's all wonderful especially if Laila has another baby girl, she already knew what to name her.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, and Violence
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, and Police brutality
mniva21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Medical content, and Kidnapping