Reviews

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

oliviahoffmann's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5. I really liked this book for the most part. I thought the descriptive writing was beautiful and the characters well thought out. I didn’t particularly love the convenient run ins of different animals with the fig tree that seemed to just move the story along (i.e by telling where the baby was buried). I also wish Ada was told a little bit more about her family’s past, because we got the whole story but it doesn’t seem she does by the end of the book. I do like the idea of reincarnation of Dephne as the fig tree, but also felt like it was kind of thrown in at the end

dinareads's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

joana00's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

snow_phie's review against another edition

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4.0

Oscillating between 4.5 and 5. There is so much to dissect in this book. Making a fig tree a narrator is honestly a genius move as it ties all the themes in the book together - intergenerational trauma, eco anxiety, being uprooted and the immigrant experience, loss and grief. Not sure how I feel about the ending though.

britt_e's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

miacaven's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Beautiful. A piece of my home. 

zinedine's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Beautiful story, and a great insight to the civil war in Cyprus. Although fictional, a lot of research went into the book to give a realistic perspective of what people went through during that time. I also enjoyed the elements of looking at the climate and how humans often neglect nature and the impact this has. 

izzyniccraith's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

ailbhe's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

patricia63's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0