Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak

29 reviews

interlunar's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Police brutality, and Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Ableism, Self harm, Transphobia, Kidnapping, and Murder

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, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

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

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

sakisreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? No

2.5

As striking and vivid as some of the imagery was, I unfortunately found this book disappointing 🥺 I think it had such an incredible concept (e.g. someone passing away and seeing parts of their life flash before their eyes) but it wasn’t well executed. I felt that Elif Shafak was rushing through some vital parts and slowing down some others. I am intrigued by Shafak’s walk of life and might venture to try her other books, but am not rushing to do it 🥲 Overall, I gave it a 2.5 out of 5 stars ✨

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Rape, Violence, Islamophobia, Colonisation, and Classism

irenemarie's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

Whew. My heart is filled and aches at the same time with this novel. The first half your admiration grows for someone whose fate you know is death. It is truly bittersweet. Tequila Leila is the friend you want to have, compassionate, accepting and courageous. Through her last minutes of life, you are introduced to her people, the five, whom she was fiercely loyal to, in return through the second half we learn how much she meant to them. I will reiterate what others have said, Elif Shafak is a phenomenal storyteller. Learning more about her voice through this novel and subsequent browsing on her, she is solidified as an auto-buy author for me. I am excited to explore her back catalogue.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Self harm, Sexism, Transphobia, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Ableism, Child death, Miscarriage, Rape, Suicide, Police brutality, Trafficking, and Pregnancy

sydneyjn's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? Yes

4.5

What a beautifully written, stunning book.  I loved the structure of the novel, with Leila remembering her friends and how they all met, and then the second half being her friends coming together.  The idea that, after you die, you're still remembering and piecing your life together - I loved it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Child abuse

Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Death, Transphobia, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Deadnaming

ollie_again's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Trafficking, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Ableism, Drug abuse, Torture, Police brutality, and Sexual harassment

moonchildjuli's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

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

milliminal's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad fast-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? It's complicated

3.75

What I liked:
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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Transphobia, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Outing, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

hiba_biba's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, and Transphobia

Moderate: Ableism and Death

linguisticali's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

3.0

I liked the writing, but, as other reviewers have pointed out, this becomes a different book halfway through, which is odd - it felt like the main premise of the book (based on the blurb and title) should have been most of the story, and the rest could have been covered in an epilogue. The second part onwards was interesting at first, but ended up dragging. It was nice to see some joy and hopefulness in the midst of the relentless tragedy, but so much of it was only really clear after her death. 

It felt like the book was leaning into the idea of sex work as inherently tragic, and I was also uncomfortable with the way the trans character's physicality was constantly foregrounded (her size! her hands! her surgeries! her breasts!).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Misogyny, Rape, and Murder

Moderate: Miscarriage, Self harm, Transphobia, and Trafficking

Minor: Ableism