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xelara's review against another edition
3.25
This was alright. I powered through the first few chapters because I loved the writing, but nearing the end I found my interest dwindling. I also thought the plot point before the conclusion was a bit silly, but if Mel's okay, then I'm okay.
telltalepage's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, just wow. This is an extremely powerful book.
It brought to my attention a part of history I never knew happened. It was raw and visceral and so real that it hurt to read at some points.
The author prefaces this with a content warning about this book and I highly recommend paying attention to it because this may be very hard for a lot of people to read for a number of reasons. That being said, I'm very glad that this book was written and that it exists for those who need to read it for whatever purpose.
There were a couple of typos in my ebook edition, but otherwise the writing in this was sharp and sucked you in. I felt like Melati was a real person and I was with her every step a way through her journey through chaos, grief and finally, acceptance and strength.
It brought to my attention a part of history I never knew happened. It was raw and visceral and so real that it hurt to read at some points.
The author prefaces this with a content warning about this book and I highly recommend paying attention to it because this may be very hard for a lot of people to read for a number of reasons. That being said, I'm very glad that this book was written and that it exists for those who need to read it for whatever purpose.
There were a couple of typos in my ebook edition, but otherwise the writing in this was sharp and sucked you in. I felt like Melati was a real person and I was with her every step a way through her journey through chaos, grief and finally, acceptance and strength.
aquariusisms's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
4.75
thea's review against another edition
5.0
this was a gorgeous and heart-wrenching story of a girl just trying to find her mother in the midst of the dangerous 1969 race riots in kuala lumpur. i didn't know much about this historical event in malaysia, but i deeply appreciated the non-romanticized and non-sensationalized horror of what was happening in those streets and how intimate and informed the storytelling was.
other people say the pacing is too jarring, but i didn't even notice because i thought it fit well into melati's, our main character, anxiety and trauma of having to experience violence and destruction at such a young age. the pacing and writing reminded me of how trauma survivors often tell their stories, and even though i wished it was longer, i appreciated the story nevertheless.
this was a beautifully written, bold story, and i appreciated the depth and somberness that was constant throughout the story, with some sprinkled lighthearted moments that had me smiling. the effort and delicate attention to the representation of mental illness and taboo it holds in certain communities was also a theme that the book touched on, and it was so raw. this is a beautiful debut from alkaf and i can't wait to see what she writes next.
other people say the pacing is too jarring, but i didn't even notice because i thought it fit well into melati's, our main character, anxiety and trauma of having to experience violence and destruction at such a young age. the pacing and writing reminded me of how trauma survivors often tell their stories, and even though i wished it was longer, i appreciated the story nevertheless.
"Di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung. Have you heard this before? It means where we plant our feet is where we must hold up the sky. We live and die by the rules of the land we live in. But this country belongs to all of us! We make our own sky, and we can hold it up - together."
this was a beautifully written, bold story, and i appreciated the depth and somberness that was constant throughout the story, with some sprinkled lighthearted moments that had me smiling. the effort and delicate attention to the representation of mental illness and taboo it holds in certain communities was also a theme that the book touched on, and it was so raw. this is a beautiful debut from alkaf and i can't wait to see what she writes next.
jonnaandherwails's review against another edition
5.0
As someone who doesn’t really read the synopsis before starting a book and choosing a book mainly because of the author, title, and book cover, I didn’t know what to expect with Hanna Alkaf’s The Weight of Our Sky—except, of course, that it would most likely break me.
This book is heartbreaking, and I’m just glad that the end provided a somewhat clean resolution because if it didn’t, I would be spending DAYS refusing to pick up another book. Anyway, I need to be debriefed now.
This book is heartbreaking, and I’m just glad that the end provided a somewhat clean resolution because if it didn’t, I would be spending DAYS refusing to pick up another book. Anyway, I need to be debriefed now.
thereadingsheep's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a sad book, but definitely worth a read as long as you pay attention to the listed trigger warnings. (Shout out to Hanna Alkaf for putting all those at the beginning of her book, by the way! Very considerate.)
This book covered a period of history that I barely knew about, but the author managed to give enough details for me to understand what was going on without overwhelming the reader with history and facts. It's set in 1969, during the riots in Malaysia when Malays and Chinese were fighting each other.
In the midst of it all is the main character, Melati. This is definitely a character driven book, and we get close to Melati as her every thought and fear is revealed. I thought this was very well done—how her hopes, loyalties, questions, and struggle with OCD were woven together to make a very dimensional character. It was painful to see how her OCD sometimes took over her body and added so much more stress to an already tense time, but she was also so brave.
This also is not a romance, which I am relieved for. The time frame covered in this book is quite short, so a love story in this would have annoyed me and taken attention away from the other important relationships. Sometimes she only met someone for a very short time, but each character had their own story and complexities—they were all human even when the country was trying to divide itself into Malay and Chinese.
To end, two quotes!
“Bloody politicians and their bloody stupid rhetoric, speeches, ideologies. You ever hear anyone say words don’t matter after this, you tell them about this day, when Malay idiots and Chinese idiots decided to kill one another because they believed what the bloody politicians told them.”
“If I’m going to wage battle with demons both on the street and in my own head, I’m going to do it with all of myself, and not weighed down by borrowed clothes and secondhand memories.”
This book covered a period of history that I barely knew about, but the author managed to give enough details for me to understand what was going on without overwhelming the reader with history and facts. It's set in 1969, during the riots in Malaysia when Malays and Chinese were fighting each other.
In the midst of it all is the main character, Melati. This is definitely a character driven book, and we get close to Melati as her every thought and fear is revealed. I thought this was very well done—how her hopes, loyalties, questions, and struggle with OCD were woven together to make a very dimensional character. It was painful to see how her OCD sometimes took over her body and added so much more stress to an already tense time, but she was also so brave.
This also is not a romance, which I am relieved for. The time frame covered in this book is quite short, so a love story in this would have annoyed me and taken attention away from the other important relationships. Sometimes she only met someone for a very short time, but each character had their own story and complexities—they were all human even when the country was trying to divide itself into Malay and Chinese.
To end, two quotes!
“Bloody politicians and their bloody stupid rhetoric, speeches, ideologies. You ever hear anyone say words don’t matter after this, you tell them about this day, when Malay idiots and Chinese idiots decided to kill one another because they believed what the bloody politicians told them.”
“If I’m going to wage battle with demons both on the street and in my own head, I’m going to do it with all of myself, and not weighed down by borrowed clothes and secondhand memories.”
bookishbasma's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the most intense books I’ve read this year. It’s also one of the first books I’ve seen with a trigger warning in the first few pages, which I highly recommend you read before you pick this book up. The Weight of Our Sky is a tough read that touches on topics of mental illness, racism, and senseless death. It’s a hard read, but a necessary one.
This was an emotional and beautiful story about a girl trying to navigate the riots in Malaysia to find her mother, while battling her mental illness (and addresses the stigma around mental health in the Muslim community). The book picks up the pace almost immediately and I had to force myself to put the book down a few time to catch my breath. The author doesn't shy away from showing the atrocities of these riots, and just how cruel people can be to people who don't look like them. While I loved the side characters (Vincent!), this story is ultimately about Melati and her journey. Her struggles to manage her mental illness in order to find her mom hit me in the gut, and I teared up on more than one occasion.
When I say I couldn’t stop reading this book, I mean I physically couldn’t put it down. It’s a brutally honest story full of tragedy and love, and it’s one everyone should pick up.
This was an emotional and beautiful story about a girl trying to navigate the riots in Malaysia to find her mother, while battling her mental illness (and addresses the stigma around mental health in the Muslim community). The book picks up the pace almost immediately
Spoiler
The movie theater scene had me BAWLINGWhen I say I couldn’t stop reading this book, I mean I physically couldn’t put it down. It’s a brutally honest story full of tragedy and love, and it’s one everyone should pick up.
pennsnape's review against another edition
5.0
What a heart wrenching and beautifully written book. It follows a 16 year old girl in Kuala Lumpur on the May 13th riot and aftermath. It showcases a diverse group of Malaysian characters from different ethnic backgrounds throughout the turmoil.
ayiien_'s review against another edition
5.0
Never really educated myself on what happened on 13 May 1969 but reading this book...
Those Malay girls who said “I was born to late
Those Malay girls who said “I was born to late