chelseareads's review against another edition

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4.25


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neyomi_reads's review against another edition

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4.0

A very eye opening and honest novel of life in Iran in the late 20th century. Being half-Turkish myself, the idea of belonging and identity really struck me and I found myself identifying with some interpersonal aspects of MarJane. A very bleak novel yet you felt like you were learning as she was, about life and relationships and politics. I really liked it. 

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markwillnevercry's review against another edition

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0.5

So, there is a bit to tell. I really did not like this book. You might think "Ah, so you did not like it, because it was bad", but it wasn't. Marjane Satrapi does a very good job of showing how she grew up and how stuff changed her. However, it felt a bit like listening to your friend go through absolute shit, without recognizing that you also have problems that you have to deal with. Marjane Satrapi just kept going, because she wanted to tell her story and it was uncomfortable to read, specifically the Vienna part. As a separate note, this book is just in general giving the vibe of "i do not care about the way you feel, because i will never reflect on this", so we got slutshaming and fatphobia. I kind of feel like I wasted my time with this book. 

Reading notes:

Momo sucks ass.

She just accused man of a crime he didn't commit? And what she accused him of is not even comparible of her wearing lipstick? And her and her boyfriend are so happy about it? They deserve each other. 

The scene with the pills in uni. Just like, girly, if you have something on your heart, maybe don't throw it at the first person you see?

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readingwithcoffee's review against another edition

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5.0


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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

This is really such an accessible look at living in Iran during the war in the 1980s, which honestly not a lot of YA lit really covers. It's a realtively simple art style, but there are panels that really get the emotions across. Marjane feels a lot of things, and props to her parents for encouraging the freedom she desired. 

There are parts of this that are also hard to read, given the subject matter. It would make great required reading for a social studies class in high school. It will definitely make for good discussion tonight at our book club.

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maria_elizabeth_harden_pope's review against another edition

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5.0

I had never read a graphic novel before this book because I thought they were shallow or for kids or immature, but this book defies all expectations. Extremely thoughtful, Satrapi balances the fun and little challenges of growing up with huge political and sociological reflections. She captures exactly what it means to be a child, the way a child's mind works, and how that changes as we get older. She is so humblingly and brutally honest about her life's choices-- and that they don't always make sense, but they happen anyways. LOVE this book. Plus, it'll give you a whole education on Iran's history, which I found really helpful!

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issyd23's review against another edition

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5.0

So heartbreaking but very punk rock 5🤘

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iris_sofia07's review against another edition

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4.0


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jialianyang's review against another edition

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5.0

What a gorgeous graphic novel! Marjane writes and illustrates with honesty, humor and wit to convey her singular experience of her childhood in Iran and Austria, experiencing war and revolution, personal and communal rebellions, fundamentalism and political struggles and more. The graphic novel unfolds in a way that is at once attuned to daily life and Marjane's emotional world, as well as the larger global circumstances that inform her experiences. It is an epic of personal growth and the evolution of a country and a society, connected by a passion for family, home, Iran, friendship, justice and self expression. I felt parented by the meaning making efforts in this journey.

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pandemonicbaby's review against another edition

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4.5


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