Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

60 reviews

eahhhhh's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and War

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm

Minor: Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Slavery, Trafficking, and Pregnancy

arayo's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, and War

Moderate: Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Violence, and Murder

tahsintries's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, and War

Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Blood, Murder, and Deportation

erinchezick's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, and War

issy_jacob's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and War

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Deportation

laura_alsop's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Murder, and War

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

3.0

the story was good, and i really appreciated the afterword that explained the backstory to the author writing it. however, the plot didn’t feel fully developed. it was definitely still good though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

oofsharkz73's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

there is nothing to not like about this book. it's powerful. definitely a must read. lefteri did an amazing job of invoking emotion and putting things into perspective with this novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Rape, Violence, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail

oftalone90's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-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

4.0

An increasingly relevant story, interestingly told. Each chapter is split into two times, joined by a single word. This book is well written and demonstrates the futility of war and the horrors of fleeing a homeland to seek asylum. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, and Murder

amyvl93's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I definitely went into The Beekeeper of Aleppo with some unjustified snobbery, and I'm now eating some humble pie, as I found this book to be incredibly moving and an excellent portrayal of the refugee experience.

The Beekeeper of Aleppo follows the journey of Nuri and Afra as they attempt to journey from war-torn Aleppo in Syria, to join their family in relative safety in the North of England, where they have found comfort teaching beekeeping to fellow refugees. Lefteri draws a heartbreaking portrayal of Aleppo, as Afra in particular struggles to leave their home and the place they have experienced unimaginable loss - but this portrayal becomes all the more challenging as we begin to follow the couple through Turkey and into Greece. The novel shines a brutal light on the desperate refugee experience, on the constraints related to safe routes and those who benefit from the desperation of fellow humans to reach a place of safety. Lefteri also shows the reality of the asylum process for people when they arrive in England, which is far from the gold-plated, benefit-recieving experience that certain newspapers would have you believe.

Against this, it would be unsurprising if the characters within the novel became mere ciphers for Lefteri to get her points across - but this is not the case. All the people that Nuri and Afra meet are given human complexity - as do Nuri and Afra as they struggle to adapt to a life having seen and lived the things they have.

Some of the imagery and metaphor used in the novel was a little too on the nose for me, but overall I really enjoyed and appreciated The Beekeeper of Aleppo.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Murder, and War

Moderate: Racism, Rape, Self harm, Xenophobia, and Trafficking

Minor: Deportation