Reviews

The Blue Between Sky and Water by Susan Abulhawa

laura0506's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

amargada_'s review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

One of the best books I’ve read this year. It reminded me of Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi because was a multigenerational storyline that managed to weave real life events into a fictional story. I haven’t wept this hard for a book in a while but it was hard not to when everything described in the book is actually happening to real life people. Like Homegoing, it also touches on mental illness and how cultures across the globe view things like schizophrenia as having “gifts.” In this case, one of the matriarchs is able to speak to Djinn but those around her see it as a power and look to her for guidance. 10/10 and a book I’m bound to reread.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War

rociovoncina's review against another edition

5.0

Titulo: El azul entre el cielo y el agua
Autor: Susan Abulhawa
Año publicado: 2015
Motivo de lectura: #MarzoAsiatico
Lectura / Relectura: Lectura
Fisico / Electronico: Electronico
Mi edicion: -
Idioma: Español
Puntuacion: 5/5

Asi es como me siento. Como si no hubiese nada que me mantenga unida. Como si estuviese formada por un monton de pedazos de diferentes sitios pegados con cinta y todo fuera a resquebrajarse si me muevo bruscamente o hablo demasiado alto.

Que decir de la pluma de Susan Abulhawa? Realmente es una maravilla. Logra capturar a la perfeccion los sentimientos, leer a Abulhawa se asemeja a la experiencia de poder ver los sentimientos, es que su escritura traspasa y trascience las paginas.

La construccion de sus personajes (en su gran mayoria mujeres) es esplendida, como asi tambien como plantea la dinamica familiar balanceando entre cultura/costumbres y religion, pero por sobre todas las cosas, hace enfasis en el amor infinito que puede nacer en circunstancias tan espantosas como lo es una guerra (o mas bien un ataque) absolutamente injusto. Todo lo que se relata en el libro no es ni exagerado, ni inventado, es la realidad que los Palestinos pasan dia a dia desde hace muchisimas decadas. El dolor por la tierra es una herida que jamas cicatriza, ni tampoco se olvida.

Leer a Susan Abulhawa fue una experiencia muy personal para mi, donde en muchas partes me llevo a las lagrimas, y donde tambien encontre rastros de mi abuela, mi madre y mis tias. Esta historia hace que te duela partes del alma, es un viaje emocional poderoso. Pero a su vez Abulhawa nos entrega un sabor a esperanza, una tierra donde algun dia la libertad correra por las calles.

Siento que no habria estrellas suficientes para darle justicia a este libro absolutamente brillante, desde su escritura hasta su intencion.

princesstempura's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

mmerlot's review against another edition

Well we finally decided to DNF. It's a shame, I really liked the authors other book but this one was not it. The writing style was awful, I had no idea the message she was trying to relay.


Hoda

readsbysalima's review

5.0

Powerful story of a Palestinian family scattered after the Nakba in 1948. Every narrative is inspired by real Palestinians that Susan Abulhawa met during her life, and the world-building based on historical facts is fluid and enlightening.
Arab women are the main protagonists, with Nazmiyeh, matriarch of a family constantly struggling for freedom and their right to live on the land of their ancestors. Nur, descendant of the same family who lives in the USA, lost and found by her Palestinian family after she went through traumas of her own in America.
Many topics are mentioned : sexual violence, forced displacement, exile, belonging. And above all, a story of love.

faliiza's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

lovebrydie's review

adventurous challenging emotional fast-paced

4.5

layannsu's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad fast-paced

4.0

daydreams's review

reflective medium-paced

3.25