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singlier'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? No
4.5
Oh my goodness. I loved this book. It is beautiful: a reflective mingling of past and present explored through alternating POVs of a two Syrian artists: one, a sapphic immigrant who fled Syrian during the French/Syrian war and the other, a closeted trans man struggling under the grief of his mother's death. It is a story about loss, which means it is a story about love: lost loves, familial love, love of our communities, love of ourselves. On the five-year anniversary of his mother's death, the man finds the journal of the Syrian immigrant and discovers his life and her life are irreparably intertwined through their shared obsession of a rare bird: a bird his mother died before she could prove it was real. What follows is a parallel narrative between past and present, unfolding the lives of both artists as they attempt to unravel their own identities admist the complex and varied social pressures of their varied eras.
The only reason this book isn't a full five stars for me is that, despite how beautiful it is to read, it is SLOW. It's a very reflective piece, and I loved the real-world history that went into the creation of this book, but even I at times found myself skipping ahead to get to the next piece of the mystery. I still do highly recommend it.
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Deadnaming, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Dysphoria, War, and Classism
hmstaab's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Xenophobia and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Deadnaming, Death, Dementia, and Dysphoria
rexpostfacto'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
Moderate: Deadnaming, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, and Medical trauma
rorikae'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
5.0
The story weaves between two narratives. The first follows a Syrian American trans boy struggling after the death of his mother. Longing to be his full self, he paints murals at night. One night he comes across the journal of a Syrian American artist who may have encountered the same rare bird as one that his mother saw as well. Haunted by the ghost of his mother, he searches for what happened to this artist who disappeared years ago. As he searches for what happened to her, we also get to experience her journals and the story of how she came to America and became a painter. As both stories progress they become more and more entangled.
Joukhadar's storytelling is beautiful. His prose is lush, conjuring up the worlds of both of his protagonists. We come to fall in love with the birds that Nadir and Laila experience as we also come to care deeply for each of the characters. They stand as one of the incredibly strong parts of this book. Flawed and deeply human, both are searching for where they belong, parallel stories across time.
As someone who loves birds and art, Joukhadar does a wonderful job of painting a picture with his words that makes the reader feel as if they are right beside the characters. This is truly a beautiful book and one that I think everyone should read. The audiobook is phenomenal and the two narrators do a great job of capturing the emotions behind both of the characters. I will definitely be checking out more of Joukhadar's work.
Graphic: Animal death, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content
jojo_'s review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Hate crime, Racism, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, and Misogyny
Minor: Deadnaming, Transphobia, Dementia, and War
unboxedjack'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
This was a book I didn't want to end, but I can't imagine it ending any other way. It migrated its way into my heart and will nest there for quite some time. Five stars, no question about it.
Minor: Deadnaming, Death, Homophobia, Racism, Transphobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
dosymedia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Chronic illness and Dementia
Minor: Animal death and Deadnaming
caseythereader's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ð Beautiful writing, particularly the descriptions of birds and the paintings of them.
ð This is an #ownvoices book, and the portrayal of a trans boy who isn't out yet feels so real - the delicacy of the situation is tangible.
ð The way the two storylines interweaved was masterful, and I was in tears at the end.
ð I don't think I've ever read a story about a queer Syrian American and I'm so glad this book exists now.
ð I just cannot find the words to adequately express to you how beautiful THE THIRTY NAMES OF NIGHT is. Please read it if you can.
Content warnings: miscarriage, deadnaming, Islamophobia, animal death, death, grief, xenophobia, transphobia, sexual assault.
Graphic: Deadnaming, Miscarriage, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Animal death, Deadnaming, Death, Transphobia, Xenophobia, and Grief
Minor: Sexual assault