Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

They Called Me a Lioness: A Palestinian Girl's Fight for Freedom by Dena Takruri, Ahed Tamimi

47 reviews

leweylibrary's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0

It took me a long time because of work to feel like I was in a place mentally where I could handle this book, and I'm glad I waited. There were some things I knew, but so many things that I learned reading this book. I really appreciated the pov of someone who is Palestinian and lived there their whole life and is such an activist. I saw so much of our students in her and her story and the way she talks about this conflict, even before it ramped up in 2023. I think it would be very hard for anyone to read this book and be pro-Israel still. Part of me feels a little bit like something about the voice felt off, but I know that's just because the journalist wrote the story (and narrated the audiobook) with Ahed and translation was necessary, so it's fair. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Grief, Murder, and War

Moderate: Gore, Sexual assault, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

aliireads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Great book! Well-written and very relevant and informative. Ahed tells her story and the story of her family/people. The book is sad and hard to read at times, but also inspiring with the stories of resistance and resilience. I would recommend this one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

umm_igor's review against another edition

challenging informative medium-paced

4.25

Accessible introduction to contemporary Palestinian resistance and the events surrounding Ahed Tamimi's incarceration as a teenager.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

ninakeller's review against another edition

informative fast-paced

5.0

Ahed Tamimi comes from a long line of steadfast freedom fighters who assert their humanity in the face of Israeli occupation of their home. At just 23 years old, she tells the story of her childhood challenges of frequent raids on her home, enduring unpredictable checkpoints, being restricted from the sea, seeing her family members brutalized and even killed.

Of course, she details the infamous slap which, at age 16, resulted in interrogation and imprisonment that has been condemned by Amnesty International.

While imprisoned, she learned about international law and international humanitarian law, and became committed to studying and practicing law for the purpose of combatting Israeli apartheid. Underlying her fight for Palestinian liberation, she consistently reiterates that people are people, and how much she appreciates foreigners and Israelis and Jews who join her people in solidarity and struggle. She speaks of the pity she feels for Zionists who have been sold propaganda and stripped of their humanity. In the context of brutal acceleration of US-supported, Israeli government aggression that has escalated to indiscriminate carpet bombing and genocide, reading her right now sort of helps, as we all watch the horrifying events unfolding in Gaza. 

In the book she appeals to the reader to take action by spreading awareness, further educating yourself, and standing in solidarity for people combatting oppression. All this, BEFORE the retaliation of October 7 horrors and subsequent ICJ ruling and UN appeals.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Hate crime, Torture, Violence, and Colonisation

toniboi's review against another edition

informative inspiring tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

jouljet's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Islamophobia, Grief, Medical trauma, Colonisation, and War

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

brynalexa's review

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Palestine will be free. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and War

kimreads14's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad

Tamimi's story is one of thousands that you will hear if you take the time to listen to Palestinian voices. Her recounting of what she went through during her teenage years inside Israeli prison system. 

Ahed is truly a freedom fighter and the fact that she willingly shared her traumatic experience is incredible. She is inspiring and I truly hope that anyone who reads or listens to this book will realize what Palestinian children have to endure daily. 🍉 🫒

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Sexism, Torture, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

megnut's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Violence, Islamophobia, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation