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uhhjeepers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This could be recency bias, but this might be the best book I’ve ever read for school. It was an extremely difficult read at points, but I feel so rewarded by the experience regardless.
Leila and her friends are characters that I truly believe will stick with me forever. This book is filled with difficult topics, but it is also filled with so much heart. Love and friendship seep out of this book.
I’m left with an overwhelming feeling of appreciation for the people in my life. Nobody is companionless, and this book forces you to know that, even when you’re at your loneliest.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Trafficking, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Pregnancy
bitsofcherry's review against another edition
- 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
The book turned out to be way darker than I expected (note to read trigger warnings before starting a new book) but it was a very powerful read and left me reflecting on life, death and power dynamics in different cultures throughout the world. I absolutely adored the friendships like sprinkles of light in such a dark setting.
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Ableism, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Cancer, Drug abuse, and Miscarriage
avamaria90's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Religious bigotry
hanamany's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
meadhbh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I used to think that I didn't like historical fiction. It seemed boring and stuffy to me, and I could never really get into it.
I mostly still feel the same, but a series of non-Western modern history books have been slowly warming me to it. The Seven Moons of Mali Almeida and Mexican Gothic are two other recent reads I have loved.
This book is mostly about Leila and her friends, but it's also about Istanbul. It's about communism, and Islam, and sex work, while also not really being about any of those things. Read it.
Graphic: Death, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Transphobia, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Genocide
imlfox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, and Dementia
sakisreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Rape, Violence, Islamophobia, Colonisation, and Classism
ruthmoog's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship
moonchildjuli's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
aided by an interesting, intriguing structure, the novel's first part reads like snapshots from the main character leila's life. while initially very slow going - the pace making me actually put down the book for 2 weeks - things start to pick up once we get out of leila's hometown, leila thrusted into the wider world - for better and for worse - while also gradually learning abt the five friends she so treasures.
i rly enjoy reading abt istanbul thru the POVs of characters marginalized by society, seeing the city thru a different, less sanitized perspective, yet a sense of love for the city, interestingly, still pervades. shafak spotlights those rarely seen or heard in the mainstream, let alone humanely, in this novel, be it those who are turkish and arent, esp the more recent and pressing refugees. the book's period of upheaval also serves as a revealing, rollicking - though at times painful - historical archive.
what i love most abt this book is perhaps the relationship between leila and her 5 friends, both individually and as a group. theirs is a bond deeper and closer than those of their respectively wretched families, and it's surprisingly touching. in a society that shuns them and wrongs go unpunished, they band tgt to survive, find joy and stand up for themselves.
this is an enjoyable book thats as much abt the characters as the city of istanbul they live in, in all its glory and misery. though i personally think there's too much exposition, some parts could be trimmed, and the initial pace too slow, i dont merely feel but also learn a lot from this book, and thats always a good reading experience in my book.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia, Police brutality, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Trafficking, and Murder
Minor: Infidelity and Miscarriage