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status_woe's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
A beautiful written collection of short stories.
achubb's review
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sarahobaid's review
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I don’t really read short story collections so I feel like I’m not the best judge of them. I really enjoyed the topics covered in the stories.Especially loved Firecracker and The Wishes from all the stories.
zitasbeans's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hedgehogreads01's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Short stories collections are always tricky. There would be some great ones along with some that do not work.
Here, I’d say, I had a more even, well balanced experience, with just one that was less engaging for me than others. So I rather enjoyed myself reading this collection. Looking forward to read other Qureshi’s work.
Here, I’d say, I had a more even, well balanced experience, with just one that was less engaging for me than others. So I rather enjoyed myself reading this collection. Looking forward to read other Qureshi’s work.
cristina_02's review against another edition
5.0
A tearjerker of a masterpiece.
This collection of short stories has pulled every single heartstring I had and forced me to look deep at my own frustrations and expectations in relationships, both romantic and familial.
It made me feel seen, as though every deep burning desire I have from a partner has been felt before by so many women, and subverted by so many of their partners.
As though the anger one feels towards a parent is both rejuvenating and self-destructive.
The unbearable pain of being a parent, and your child being an autonomous individual for whom you are and are not responsible.
I felt every emotion the varied characters experienced, despite not being of South Asian heritage. It speaks to the universality of feelings that may seem to taboo to discuss within one’s own circle, based on the assumption that they are unique. If anything, it highlights just how powerful love can be, and how miserable its absence can make people.
This collection of short stories has pulled every single heartstring I had and forced me to look deep at my own frustrations and expectations in relationships, both romantic and familial.
It made me feel seen, as though every deep burning desire I have from a partner has been felt before by so many women, and subverted by so many of their partners.
As though the anger one feels towards a parent is both rejuvenating and self-destructive.
The unbearable pain of being a parent, and your child being an autonomous individual for whom you are and are not responsible.
I felt every emotion the varied characters experienced, despite not being of South Asian heritage. It speaks to the universality of feelings that may seem to taboo to discuss within one’s own circle, based on the assumption that they are unique. If anything, it highlights just how powerful love can be, and how miserable its absence can make people.
krissy1's review
3.0
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧-𝐮𝐩 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐈𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭. 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬, 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠.
𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩. 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵, 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥. 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘐 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘧𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯.
𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩. 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵, 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥. 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘐 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘧𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯.