Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

10 دقائق و 38 ثانية في هذا العالم الغريب by Elif Shafak

52 reviews

uhhjeepers's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

*for school*

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.

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Content Warnings

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

cartermon4's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Death

Moderate: Classism, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Suicide, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content

Minor: Trafficking and Drug use

cicip's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Transphobia

Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, and Trafficking

bitsofcherry's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

This book was beautifully written, the imagery and metaphors are amazing, and I adored the emphasis on tastes and smells in each memory chapter.
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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Transphobia, Sexual assault, Mass/school shootings, Grief, Gaslighting, Death, Child abuse, Confinement, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Misogyny

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Ableism, Suicide, Mental illness, and Self harm

Minor: Cancer, Drug abuse, and Miscarriage

jess_vitale's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-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

5.0

I guess I should've assumed that a novel where the protagonist is dead/dying from the start would be dark, but it was more intense and depressing than I expected. Despite this, I was immediately drawn into the story by the author's writing style (I also loved The Island of Missing Trees) and the flashbacks of Leila's life were really interesting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Child abuse

Moderate: Death and Trafficking

adampjt's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Mental illness, and Death

Moderate: Trafficking, Miscarriage, and Ableism

Minor: Self harm, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

amkclaes's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

i found this book raw, beautiful, tender, transporting.. really vivid settings and narrative frame. i felt a bit estranged from the main character though

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Rape, Murder, Trafficking, and Sexual violence

gbmillar2002's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Shafak beuatifullly weaves narratives and prose to create Tequila Lelia’s story. This is a story that blends her experience of death and her life, whilst also exploiting the affects on her found family. The plot, characters and word choice is excellent, however i the reason why I have not given this novel 5 stars is because strong emotion was not evoked eg sadness, happiness etc.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Xenophobia, Transphobia, Self harm, Ableism, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Child death, Mental illness, and Trafficking

emily_madcharo's review against another edition

dark funny 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Incest, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Miscarriage, Transphobia, Murder, and Trafficking

meadhbh's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

This is the story of Leila, a sex worker who has just been killed in Istanbul, and the memories she recalls in her last 10 minutes and 38 seconds of life. It's also the story of the friends she's made, and how desperately we can care for the people we love.

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Death, Grief, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Transphobia

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Trafficking, Blood, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Miscarriage, and Murder

Minor: Genocide