Scan barcode
nell216's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
I liked the writing and atmosphere quite a lot which helped bump up the enjoyment.
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Self harm and Trafficking
Check other content warnings, there are probably the need for others but I'm not always good at knowing what to tag.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 abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, and Murder
sophiegs's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Child abuse, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Self harm, Grief, and Murder
writtenontheflyleaves's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
🌟🌟🌟🌟
-
⏳ The plot: Our main character is Leila. Vibrant, defiant, vital; after being rejected by her family she flees to Istanbul where she makes a living as a sex worker, gathering a disparate group of friends around her to become a second family. She is murdered on the first page. The rest of the novel traces her thoughts in the 10 minutes and 38 seconds after her heart stops beating, and her friends’ efforts to put her peacefully to rest.
-
This is a bookstagram favourite and I can certainly see why. From the first page the writing is amazing - there were so many phrases that I underlined or starred because they seemed so peculiar and true. You come to care deeply about each of the characters, and the structure the book is told in is intriguing and compels you forward. Honestly I think it’s really remarkable.
-
That said, I would love to read some reviews from any trans readers who picked this up - one of the best characters in the whole thing is Nalan, a trans woman who is one of the band of friends that rally around Leila in Istanbul. Leila meets Nalan before she starts transitioning, and at this point he/him pronouns are used. This makes sense in the context of their meeting, but then there’s one part in the second half of the novel where he/him pronouns were used to refer to Nalan that I just found jarring, to the extent that I wonder if it’s a typo! If anyone has read any reviews from trans readers that deal with this aspect of the novel I would love to read them.
-
🌊 Read it if you love stories about deep friendships, and omnipotent narration that gives you a bird’s eye view of a story.
-
🚫 Avoid it if you’re avoiding stories that include sexual assault, paedophilia, transphobia, violence, and grief. I’d really recommend looking up content warnings for this one if you’re in any doubt about it!
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Deadnaming, Miscarriage, Self harm, and Medical content
niecierpek's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Self harm, and Trafficking
the_literarylinguist's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Police brutality, and Trafficking
yatesis's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Self harm and Transphobia
vampiretree's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Death, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Addiction, Self harm, and Transphobia