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themoostconfused's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
i read the entire book within a single day and didn't want it to end. i loved the interwoven paths of the characters and how their lives are connected with each other even in ways they might not even realize themselves.
it touches on the experiences of being an immigrant/a child of immigrants and all the everyday struggles, racism and generational trauma that entails.
the fight for freedom for palestine is on-going and the colonial powers are still not being stopped on a big enough scale. from the river to the sea, palestine will be free.
after reading the lines...
...i had to take a quick break because that sums up so many experiences into one and made me feel seen in such a painful but freeing way.
this book is a work of art and i will treasure it forever.
Graphic: Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, Violence, Abortion, and War
Minor: Torture
kerriski's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Dementia, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Mental illness, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, and Classism
thehomiemona's review
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Abortion, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Miscarriage, and Rape
lunabbly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I read this while we are in month 6 of the ongoing genocide of Palestinians -- since the media has started to frame this genocide as a "war" between a resistance organization and the Israeli government. I think that Susan Muaddi Darraj does a phenomenal job of bringing out the most human emotions to the forefront while rejecting stereotypes about Palestinians and actually, drawing humor out in facing stereotypes. Aka it should make people feel like fools if they're still bought into those heinous stereotypes..
We follow stories of single mothers, complicated relationships, relationships that don't fit the traditional monogamous stereotypes. Darraj does a beautiful job of complicating storylines, characters, plots without illustrating unnecessary violence and using violence as a plot device. Even though we get shorter vignettes of people because it's a collection of short stories, we do see growth in characters. In particular Marcus, the cop (not my favorite character tbh), we see him through the lens of various characters and he himself gets 2 short stories dedicated through his perspective where we see the ending of his relationship with his girlfriend as well as with his father; and then we see him traveling back to Palestine to bury his father and he ends up marrying a Palestinian woman who is self-sufficient but also has experienced the sexual abuse traumas of war. Although I don't love the fact that he's a cop, we do see growth. There's a softness to him in the second story. As well as an appreciation for the land his ancestors came from but where he is unfamiliar. But there's no sensationalizing it, there's no exoticisizing it -- there's just a deep appreciation and a profound quietness about Palestine, Marcus's roots, and the Palestinian culture he was born into but had to reshape and remake into his own.
I highly recommend. It was full of desire, sadness, joy, and the contentment of being in community and being with oneself.
Moderate: Sexual violence and War
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Child death, Confinement, and Sexual violence
metaphorsandmisc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Dementia, Death of parent, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Rape, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Ableism, Infertility, and Suicide attempt
bookreviewswithkb's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
there were parts of this book that were really beautiful. i loved how the author wove together interconnected stories of the members of 3 different families. how each felt like a short story, but also a continuation. how the reader is exposed to various ways that Palestinian immigrants might experience america. the beautiful storytelling.
but there were also some problematic components that made my experience with this book difficult, including Arab stereotypes, misogyny and the glorification of policing
Moderate: Police brutality and War