Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Blue Between Sky and Water by Susan Abulhawa

21 reviews

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

ialim01's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

blueghost's review

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder

chi__'s review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative reflective 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Deportation

Minor: Addiction

afrathefish's review

4.5

4.5

this book couldn’t be more poignant, especially considering that it looks at the lives of palestinians in gaza specifically. when applied to today’s context… yeah. yeah.

abulhawa writes with such vivid candor that lends itself perfectly to this type of narrative. following several generations of families originating from gaza but finding themselves across the world, this book directly recounts the realities of being palestinian in todays world, how israel’s expansion has worked and how it carries out its colonial efforts, and the specific feeling that you don’t have a place to go back to , that is distinctly palestinian, as more and more of their land gets illegally taken from them. the day to day liberties that they are denied, and how these experiences culminate into an existence defined by struggle. it also depicts the small joys, and how those joys come about. abulhawa also perfectly describes the role of religion in enduring these experiences, and as such, how religion comes to define and dictate a community. you see such dynamics play out in the west, but in much different circumstances. the subtle nuances caught in the writing also gives one much to think about. referring to the israelis as “the jews”, and what this means for the wider conflict … . abulhawa also writes with such vividness; every character felt real, tangible, and it’s what made these experiences feel so much more harrowing. you felt the horror when things were happening. and the ending . oh my god. how beautifully poetic. whenever i now think of gaza i think oh it as the space existing within the blue between the sky and water. 

the only issue i had with it were specific triggers, but i guess that was on me for not reading them up before. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Torture, and War

careinthelibrary's review

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

It doesn't quite meet the sky-high reputation of Mornings in Jenin, but it's a great book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Islamophobia, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Colonisation

linhsreadinghour's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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? No

4.0

Beautiful historical fiction novel about a multigenerational Palestinian family. Tells the story of from the Naqba all the way up to the present day when the book was first released, I think in 2014.

The writing is beautiful and the family’s daily life and struggles was seemingly interwoven into the narrative and story, casting a real reflection on life in occupied Gaza. Has disability rep, themes of grief, lost, but also sisterhood, resilience and hope. An illuminating book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

lizziejem's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

5.0

Beautiful, magical but sad book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Child abuse and War

stmagda's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Rape, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and War

erinmcav's review

challenging emotional reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, and War

Moderate: Eating disorder