elanuruysal's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Gun violence
interruptinggirljoke's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
4.75
paulinaer's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
laurenplattman's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
3.25
yazzzaayyyy's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
inkylabyrinth's review
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
My head has ached since May, more or less the same amount of time I’ve been in Istanbul. My brain is an earthquake or an ocean. Whichever I am more likely to survive.
Twenty year old Sibel travels from Brooklyn to Istanbul for the summer, where she's supposed to be studying for the MCAT and grieving for the sudden death of her father, but instead becomes obsessed with using ancient medicinal philosophy to cure her chronic headaches.
I loved the beginnings of this, where Sibel and her American Golden-Retriever-energy boyfriend Cooper wander the markets of Istanbul, or when Sibel hides out in her ailing grandmother's stuffy apartment watching Russian soap operas.
And some of the prose I just loved and had to stop to admire: "Silly, I thought, that I could take his heart into my chest cavity and let his beat in place of mine.", but things really fizzled out for me around the halfway mark.
It becomes less about Sibel and her headaches and grief and more about long hidden family secrets slowly becoming unraveled. Which sounds interesting, but emphasis on slowly. There was a lot of information on Turkish history and politics, which again was interesting, but felt far removed from the story.
You might enjoy this if you're a fan of The Idiot or My Year of Rest and Relaxation and have a bit more patience than me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Eating disorder, and Vomit
Moderate: Death and Gun violence
hayleyrhiannon's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
beautifully written, informative, and unique.
jkatey's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, Kidnapping, Medical content, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Vomit
alexwatsonreads's review
5.0
Beautiful, immersive, sensuous, delicious. I savored this book!
Highly recommend reading some of the brilliant interviews with the author, like this one: https://bombmagazine.org/articles/mina-seçkin-interviewed-by-mina-hamedi/
Highly recommend reading some of the brilliant interviews with the author, like this one: https://bombmagazine.org/articles/mina-seçkin-interviewed-by-mina-hamedi/