jasgrace's review
2.0
I found this book really difficult to get into. I didn't love the writing style or the changes back and forth of referring to Samir as boy-girl, Samir or Samira. There was a lot of inconsistency in the way Samir was referred to.
It got a little more interesting 2/3's of the way in and I wanted to know the ending. It ended well, and the ending almost makes up for the very slow beginning.
It got a little more interesting 2/3's of the way in and I wanted to know the ending. It ended well, and the ending almost makes up for the very slow beginning.
ricemilkman's review against another edition
2.75
Amo lo stile con cui scrive Siba Shakib, sopratutto le metafore come i serpenti degli emozioni, la storia comunque è poco credibile. Non sono state usate le virgolette, una cosa che ha creato un bel po' di confusione
megelizabeth's review
2.0
This was beautifully written and very moving, with a really vivid sense of place and time. Important topics were explored, sometimes well, and it did a good job of highlighting gender inequality and female oppression. However, it read entirely like fiction and there was no indication at all of what research the author did and how they got their information, which frustrated the fuck out of me. The narrative was very repetitive and it took so long to get to things that are literally mentioned in the blurb, and I also found the ending confusing.
Finally and most importantly, for much of the book I felt a lot of empathy for Samira/Samir (it was never quite clear which way, if either, they ended up identifying), but something happened towards the end that was very vague but seemed to be suggesting rape, and that's just obviously something that cannot be condoned in any way. To not properly explain or explore what happened was irresponsible on the part of the author, and if they had written things in another way and explained their actual research process things could have been different, but I was just left so annoyed and unsatisfied. I'm still interested in the genuine story of Samira/Samir and what it tells us about Afghan history and culture, but this book failed in that aim in my opinion.
Finally and most importantly, for much of the book I felt a lot of empathy for Samira/Samir (it was never quite clear which way, if either, they ended up identifying), but something happened towards the end that was very vague but seemed to be suggesting rape, and that's just obviously something that cannot be condoned in any way. To not properly explain or explore what happened was irresponsible on the part of the author, and if they had written things in another way and explained their actual research process things could have been different, but I was just left so annoyed and unsatisfied. I'm still interested in the genuine story of Samira/Samir and what it tells us about Afghan history and culture, but this book failed in that aim in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Misogyny, and Animal death
jcravens42's review
4.0
A book that provides excellent insight into the brutality that surrounds women's lives in Afghanistan, and their incredible strength to endure. It also illustrates the beauty of the county and culture. Having lived in Afghanistan for six months, I found the book particularly fascinating.
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