Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Behind You Is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj

27 reviews

ukponge's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

shay43geek's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Dementia, and Death of parent

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship

themadbloodstone's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• 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? Yes

5.0

One of the most moving stories I have ever read in my lifetime. All the characters were real people — the way they talked, the way they acted, the way they thought — it was as if Darraj had eavesdropped and typed passing conversations while writing. I normally am not a fan of multiple POVs and narratives. I did get occasionally confused when one chapter was written in first-person when the next was in third, but it wasn’t enough of a problem to deter me from enjoying this book. And Darraj intertwines the different narratives flawlessly and smoothly, like a late spring stream flowing by. The chapters were pretty much their own characters as well, with different moods, themes, and messages. I could enjoy each story as a standalone and as an important part of a grander plot. They were all written with the most care. “The Hastag” left me on the edge of my seat; the majority of the time I read “Behind You is the Sea”, I rooted for Maysoon; and “Worry Beads” and “Escorting the Body” had me in tears, especially the latter. Seeing the country of Palestine and its people depicted as the kind, life-loving people they are and their perseverance despite the fascist occupation and the discrimination they face gave me hope for the future. Even if this book is a work of fiction, it was still reality.
Behind You is the Sea is definitely going to be one of those future classics the next generation will read in school and learn from, like The House on Mango Street or Wiesel’s Night. It is such a beautiful book and deserves all the recognition it gets.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free 🍉

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Xenophobia, and Dementia

Moderate: Misogyny and Death of parent

Minor: Cancer and Sexual violence

sydapel's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad

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

4.75

Holy wow this was such a good set of interconnected stories. I often have trouble connecting to or feeling invested in short stories because the characters don't feel fleshed out enough, but Muaddi Durraj managed to create entire worlds within paragraphs. If you're looking to support Palestinian authors, or just read something that will make you cry a little, I cannot recommend this enough. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

florecita_lectora's review

challenging emotional reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Dementia

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent

yourbookishbff's review against another edition

emotional sad tense fast-paced

• 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

While I really appreciated the concept for this narrative - a loosely connected, multi-POV weaving of slice-of-life vignettes for Palestinians living in diaspora in Baltimore, Maryland - it ultimately felt like it never exceeded the sum of its parts. I'm actually confused after reading an interview with the author that suggests the Marcus POV was her starting point. Marcus's POV didn't feel nearly as compelling as several of the others, and it romanticized policing in a way that didn't make sense for the rest of the narrative and feels tonally confusing. The prose is compelling, and I love the focus on stand-alone scenes (there are several short stories in here that were truly beautiful). The author absolutely shows more than she tells here, and it made this feel fast-paced and immersive. Marcus's police POVs were jarring, though, and I'm not sure I fully understand the author's intention with this character and perspective. 

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Content Warnings

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

bookishmillennial's review

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• 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? Yes

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

Overall, this is a short story collection (but the stories are interconnected and we do come full circle in the end) of three Palestinian American families in Baltimore, Maryland. They are navigating topics like racism, misogyny, classism, being first-and second- generation immigrants, neurodivergence, marital issues, pregnancy, and more. While some stories called to me more than others and I can't deny that I thoroughly appreciated SMD's voice and depth she provided for certain characters/POVs, I couldn't get behind the copaganda, which feels like such a mindfuck, as I know she has been vocal in #FreePalestine. So many people who want a free Palestine recognize the fact that all of our liberation is connected, and I really could have done without the unchallenged copaganda.   

I went in with an open mind, but the glorification of cops/policing in this is inexcusable. Look, I waited for SMD to provide some sort of commentary on this, but besides a separate chapter (not the cop Marcus's two chapters) mentioning a character recounting a friend not knowing how to feel about basically signing up to kill Black and brown men (in reference to him thinking about joining the army), there is no implicit or explicit commentary on Marcus' job as a cop. This really does speak to me as copaganda, and I tried so hard to believe that Marcus or someone else would call him out on his complicity in the violence enacted on specifically Black bodies in BALTIMORE (like I can't believe I have to point this out?!), but to no avail. Super disappointing and saddening. Again, I will give the author another try, like maybe her middle-grade stuff? However, this one missed the mark for me and fell into wildly problematic territory.

I also felt the chapter on the parents with a neurodivergent child were..... something. I fully recognize ableism is real, and that even if you have one marginalization, it does not mean you cannot act or think in harmful ways towards other marginalizations. However, I don't know how this is supposed to operate within a book that was billed as, "fac[ing] stereotypes about Palestinian culture head-on and, shifting perspectives to weave a complex social fabric replete with weddings, funerals, broken hearts, and devastating secrets." I don't know. I really am a bit disheartened by those three chapters.

I really encourage others to listen to ownvoices reviewers (I'm neurodivergent, but not Palestinian, so I'm not necessarily saying listen to me lol I'm nobody), both Palestinian and autistic reviewers, because their POVs matter and should be taken into context. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Dementia

Moderate: Cancer, Self harm, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Murder

skye_era_books's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative sad fast-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? Yes

4.25

With books that are just interconnected stories, I typically find myself not liking at least 1 or 2 of them. But I was completely immersed into this book. I wanted to know more about each of their lives. This audiobook could have been 30 hours long and I still would have loved it, though I think 6.5 hours was perfect. I loved learning more about their Palestinian-American lives

and even one being able to return home to Palestine after death.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Islamophobia, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Classism

robinks's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

This was such a beautiful collection of interwoven, nuanced stories. I loved getting to see the characters from different perspectives. Escorting the Body was a powerful way to end the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Islamophobia, Dementia, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Infertility, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

lettuce_read's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Dementia

Moderate: Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, and Classism