Reviews

Miss Ex-Yugoslavia: A Memoir by

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ajlaaap's review against another edition

5.0

I usually never write reviews, but I felt it was important to address. Having immigrated to the US from Bosnia because of the war, I related to much of this book—Stefanovic really hones in on the diaspora experience, which was both funny and heartbreaking. Growing up in post-war Bosnia and having family members who lived in Bosnia during the war, I was skeptical about reading this book as it was from the POV of a Serbian author, and I wasn't sure which retelling of history I would read. However, Stefanovic does a great job at recognizing the past histories and even acknowledges the brutalities that were being done around her. Overall, I highly enjoyed this book and appreciated her witty Balkan sense of humor.

jcontd's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

anneke_b's review against another edition

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4.0

Really enjoyed this book! Being born in 1982 too, I definitely recognised some references, and I found Sofija's voice to be a very interesting (and entertaining) one.

In my head we would be friends.

miamh's review against another edition

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informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.25

lauraa06's review against another edition

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3.0

I read this based on a bookseller's recommendation, and I'm glad I did. The title is kind of misleading -- the book is really about a girl/woman who was born in Serbia before the war, moves to Australia as war ramps up, returns to Serbia after the war, and finally returns to Australia. I love reading about lives in countries I know little about, and this was a thoughtful look at what it means to not belong anywhere and to have your home country change so drastically (and frankly it was a reminder that not all Serbians were fans of Milosevic). Overall, it was an interesting look at a country I've actually visited but knew very little about.