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daisyfont'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
3.75
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Transphobia, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Vomit, Violence, Rape, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Grief, Racism, Child death, Death, and Self harm
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: Hate crime, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Incest, Death, Rape, Sexual content, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual assault, Racism, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Transphobia, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Miscarriage, and Trafficking
Minor: Pregnancy
ainotah's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Racism, Murder, Mental illness, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual harassment, Death, and Drug use
Moderate: Alcohol, Gun violence, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Transphobia
acupofmouie'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
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Racism, Miscarriage, Transphobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death, Homophobia, Rape, and Violence
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: Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Child death, Death, Racism, Alcoholism, Drug use, Hate crime, Dementia, Misogyny, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexism
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: Gun violence, Sexism, Misogyny, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Death, Transphobia, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Trafficking, Violence, Murder, and Racism
Minor: Miscarriage and Infidelity
manasvini's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
The concept, the narrative, the cast of diverse characters and stories, the vivid and immersive descriptions of Istanbul
What I disliked:
The sheer amount of trauma, which almost started feeling like sensationalism, especially when accompanied with little to no reflection on it. (I wish I had read the trigger warnings before hand.) How much the first part slogged in comparison to the second and third parts.
It was a good read but does not make me motivated to read other works by Shafak.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Grief, Incest, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexism, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Transphobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Body shaming, Drug use, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Car accident, Cursing, Deadnaming, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Infertility, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Outing, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Self harm, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Torture
hilarylouise's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Transphobia, Violence, Racism, and Death
bethnash's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Medical content, Murder, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Addiction, Gaslighting, Mass/school shootings, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Trafficking
julied's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.0
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Transphobia, and Violence