Reviews tagging 'War'

A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum

25 reviews

wtffffer's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, War, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Violence

Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

Minor: Xenophobia, Rape, Abortion, and Blood

mmmmmm's review against another edition

emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

this is the best book i’ve read in a long time (and i’ve promptly started evil eye). will need to grab a physical copy to reread with my eyes so i can underline things & such. 

absolutely devastating but in a way that felt so honest, with such an array of strong, complex characters. this is an absolute masterclass in exploring the damage of inter generational trauma, as well as how such a painful cycle is perpetuated. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Violence, and Sexism

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

Minor: War and Xenophobia

ireadtoescape_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, Colonisation, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Abortion, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm

shelvesofivy's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Rape, Sexism, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Suicide, and Murder

Minor: War, Grief, Child death, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Blood

lindsayerin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexism, Misogyny, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Alcoholism, Abortion, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: War and Injury/Injury detail

sydapel's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

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

4.5

I had little to no idea what to expect going into this (it was on my every growing list of recs from TikTok and I picked it up purely on a whim), and boy oh boy did  it make me confront my privilege in a few big way. The recent craze of the Barbie movie has centered a lot of white feminist thinking in my brain (it's still an excellent movie that makes a lot of good points), and I'm very glad I read this book soon after to remind myself that domestic violence and limitation of girls' education are still real issues that cultures are permeated with. The characters in this book feel both rich and raw with emotion, and the fierce hope they manage to hold onto in unimaginable circumstances is incredible. Additionally, the author manages to capture the real feelings of hesitation of guilt they feel at acting outside their roles as obedient wives and mothers with such empathy, and you get this complete picture of women at odds with themselves, trapped in a culture that actively harms them, still seeking love and care in whatever ways they can find it.  It's beautifully done, and I'm so glad I read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Death of parent, Death, Sexual assault, Murder, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Abortion, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

Minor: Islamophobia, Colonisation, and War

misslaurenreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.5

Honestly this book was incredible. A lot of reviewers say it was repetitive, but bear in mind it is being told from three different perspectives so some of it is bound to repeat. It is a beautiful story of the strength of women and will definitely stick with me for a while.

the plot twist at the end?? So many different theories I may or may not have googled. The plot twist really is what knocked it down from 5 stars for me. I needed one more chapter…. Or even paragraph really… to give an explanation of what happens after the subway doors open.

all in all, it was a great read and I highly recommend it - just make sure you’re in the headspace for something pretty dark.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Death of parent, Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, and Islamophobia

Moderate: Child abuse, Xenophobia, Blood, and War

augie_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Self harm, Addiction, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexism, Alcoholism, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Pregnancy, War, Toxic relationship, Abortion, and Injury/Injury detail

beebeewin's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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? No

5.0

I deeply enjoyed this novel and the multi-generational perspective that it provided. With unflinching honestly Etaf Rum tells a story of the struggles of Palestinian women in America. Rum doesn't sugar coat nor make a version of trauma porn, but instead shows how generational trauma, sexism, war, and poverty can create lives that are extremely painful and dark yet full of strength, resilience, and hope. I grew to love and care for all the characters as Rum fleshed them all out beautifully. As the story went along you could see how all the women share many similarities and histories, but are their on people with diverse perspectives. I cannot voice enough additional how even with this deep character work, I still felt gripped by the plot and the story. You could feel the mystery lurking from the beginning and the story built to big reveal gloriously. It is sad that this probably mirrors many women's true life, but as someone who does not have this lived experience it was eye-opening and a reminder of how much I should value my freedom. I would recommend this book to anyone, but be prepared for at once a heartbreaking but incredibly hopeful novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Child death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Misogyny, and Mental illness

Moderate: Murder, Alcoholism, War, and Sexual assault

Minor: Abortion

sagala_'s review

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

I enjoyed the storytelling and multiple perspectives. An interesting way to jump between timelines and characters. Did not like how it reinforced negative stereotypes about Muslim/Arab marriage and the treatment of women in Islam. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Violence, Abortion, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault

Moderate: War and Murder