jessi_mares's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Violence, and Physical abuse
Minor: Abortion and Mental illness
ladyinverse'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? It's complicated
5.0
I found myself cheering or yelling oh no at the characters as I read the deeper and deeper I got into this story.
Etaf Rum is certainly a new auto buy author for me. Her writing is elegant and captivating and her story telling transports you to the characters she's portraying.
Graphic: Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Physical abuse, Murder, Grief, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Sexual violence, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: War and Xenophobia
Minor: Abortion
bookiecharm's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Murder, Rape, Child death, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Abortion, Blood, and Car accident
readingwithgoose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Pregnancy, Rape, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Child death, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Abortion, and Death of parent
rimbluebooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Child abuse
Moderate: Abortion and Mental illness
wtffffer'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
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
ireadtoescape_'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence, War, Colonisation, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Abortion, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm
brennrul's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Murder, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Rape, Child death, and Abortion
Moderate: Misogyny, Colonisation, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Deportation, Sexual violence, Grief, and Islamophobia
Minor: Genocide
discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition
3.25
It’s a story about a teenager chasing after the hazy and confusing memories of her deceased parents, about her mother’s loneliness after following the stranger she married across the world, and about her grandmother’s role in perpetuating the abuse that was done to her.
It’s a tough read, and my heart went out to these characters. The book does a good job of highlighting the struggles of refugee families living in the US, and of the dynamics of immigrant communities struggling with wanting to both succeed in a new country, and not lose their cultural identities. It also paints a really vivid picture of generational trauma and its far-reaching impact.
I listened to this in audiobook format, and I have to say the narrators did a really good job. The character voices, the use of multiple narrators, it all worked really well to make the story come to life.
Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Child abuse, Abortion, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Blood and Islamophobia
booksandcurlz's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Isra - To be married off and plucked from your homeland, devastating. To have to meet unrealistic expectations from your new family, just wrecked me. The fact that she knew that she had to do something so her daughters wouldn’t suffer the same fate 😭
Fareeda - 😒 I initially did not like this lady, as the matriarch of the family she was too demanding of everyone. How she berated Isra, Sara, and later Deya, Isra’s daughter… horrifying. She was just projecting tho, and as the story unravels we learn why and that in itself is beyond sad
Deya - Reaching the age where she could be “married off” she fought back, she learned the truth about her parents deaths, what happened to her aunt Sarah and the power to change her life by fighting back against the expectations her family had for her.
Graphic: Death of parent and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Abortion, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Sexual assault
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Murder, and Suicide attempt