brandiereadsbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

4.5


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jessereadsthings's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Really interesting. Definitely need to reread in the future. Enjoyed the translator’s note as well.

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chaconne's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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woolgatherer's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional fast-paced

4.0

This was an interesting collection of short stories from the late author, Malika Moustadraf. I appreciated her highlighting the experiences of women and queer people in Morocco in these stories, especially since they are in a deeply conservative society due to religion and tradition. Moustadraf creates sites of resistance in so many of her characters, all of them standing up to patriarchy and misogyny that they face on a day-to-day basis. Were there happy endings? Not really, no. The stories were bleak, and it was clearly deliberate to really shine a light on how Moroccan society failed some of its most vulnerable groups. (An aside, kind of, but this includes disabled people, which she highlights in one of her stories.)

There were so many fascinating themes and issues covered in this collection, but the reason I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to was because every story was far too short. Maybe it was because of Moustadraf’s health that she was unable to expand on these ideas, I don’t know. I just wish there was more, and it’s heartbreaking to know that we won’t be able to read more of her sharp writing.

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2treads's review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

The stories in this collection are sharp-witted and read with an echo of the author's personal experiences within a country, community, and with individuals.

Moustadraf is direct in the themes that she explores and they all centre women and intersex persons, showing how they are victims of tradition and patriarchal views, the ways in which they exist within the margins that only ascribe value in their bodies and not their identities, words or actions.

The awareness that each character had of their societal position, the injustices that surround them and the mistreatment they suffer as a result did not hinder their dreams of leaving or taking the reins of their present for a better future. 

I can only imagine what she could have achieved literally if she had lived longer, but I am glad that I read this collection.

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