Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The Arsonists' City

Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Arsonists' City by Hala Alyan

6 reviews

rustedtrains's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.75

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bookreviewswithkb's review

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emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

5 ✨ it’s a favorite

literary fiction, family saga

cw: abortion, drug use, grief, sexual assault

Hala Alyan is an incredible author - her writing is beautiful and captivating and deeply reflective. The Arsonists’ City is a messy family drama, but more than that, it’s about what happens to us when the life we dreamed is so far away and all we can do is try to make a life from what we have.

Mazna, the mother of the centered family, is a character that will stay with me for a very long time.

“…the way her heart constricted so tight, it never truly loosened again.” this is Mazna to me. the result of living her life trying to give something close to pleasantness or, satisfaction to those around her all the while giving up everything she ever wanted for herself. that resentment, that pent up anger, that lack of joy in her life might look like bitterness to the outsider. because the more secrets we have, the less room there is for peace. and without peace, without freedom… well we know what that looks like. and instead of saying how can we cultivate more peace for this person, we criticize her for not meeting our expectations

“People don’t need much of a reason to hate each other. We’re programmed to blame others for our unhappiness. And if your priest or imam or big brother tells you a whole group of people hates you, it’s not like you’re going to stop to ask them if it’s true.”

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caseythereader's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

5.0

- I feel like I've lost my ability to write any kind of proper reviews of literary fiction, especially this kind of sprawling family epic variety, but THE ARSONISTS' CITY was too beautiful to leave off my feed.
- I was completely gripped by the stories of every member of the Nasr family. The way the story unraveled between the two timelines was just masterful.
- Also, going in to this book I didn't know there was a lesbian character! Hooray for adult queer fiction!

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woolgatherer's review

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challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

The Arsonists’ City was an ambitious book that was made up of several stories to reveal a larger narrative (that isn’t quite revealed until later in the book, interestingly enough). It was bittersweet, with a heavy leaning towards the bitter, but there were certainly sweet moments as well. Hala Alyan really nails the messiness within a family. At the start of the novel, I was admittedly disinterested in most of the characters and the story because everyone just seemed frustrated, it came off too much like a bad soap opera, and there weren’t detailed reasons behind their annoyances. It seems this was deliberate, however, because the moment Alyan started unravelling the Nasr family’s secrets, the characters’ emotions started to pour out, the nuances of their lives became apparent, and I was stunned by how rich the story became.

There was so much detail that went into every family member’s story, particularly from the mother (Mazna) and the children (Ava, Mimi, and Naj). Even though the father’s perspective isn’t revealed much, the few moments we do, it adds a particular depth to his character. Alyan doesn’t hesitate to reveal the flaws of all her characters, particularly the Nasr family (understandably, since they’re at the center of the story). They hide a lot of painful secrets that weigh heavily on their shoulders, which the reader slowly discovers as the story progresses.

I was most taken to Mazna’s story and her incredibly complex relationship with Idris, the father. I thought her story was the most engaging parts of the book, perhaps due to the sheer number of secrets that were floating around. But more than anything, it was the way Alyan took care to explore the complexities of grief and love when we were reading Mazna’s perspective that I really appreciated.

I think my main issue was pacing. It felt a little awkward at times, though it really came together as more of the puzzle was completed. Other than that, though, I found this to be a rich multigenerational family story. It will require you to take time to read and contemplate the various themes that exist in this complex book, but it’s well worth the ride.

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thebakerbookworm's review

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

If you're a fan of character-driven family dramas, you will love this book!

The story follows the Nasr family, when Idris, the father, decides to sell their family home in Beirut. This decision brings everyone to gather in Beirut for the summer. We get the perspectives of the three children, each living their own independent lives, as they come to terms with what being back in Beirut with family means. And then we flash back to their mom's life when she was young growing up in Syria, and what led to her marrying Idris and how they eventually ended up in California raising a family. I thought the book started slow, and the past timeline was when the story really grabbed me. I found Mazna a really intriguing character, and I loved that we get different perspectives, so what you initially think about one character changes in the next section. All these characters are complex and compelling--I didn't like all of them but I found myself rooting for them and this family anyways.

There's not a ton of plot, but this is the kind of story where secrets drive the story—everyone has secrets and fails at communication, which of course causes drama and heartbreak. I was frustrated at times and just wanted to stick the Nasr family in one room together and force them to be honest with each other.

The writing was excellent and really captivated me. And I loved the setting—we get California, Brooklyn, Austin, Beirut, and Damascus. There's also a lot to learn about the Lebanese Civil War, and this book will make you want to learn even more about it. If you're tired of the World War II historical fiction books, you should definitely give this one a shot!

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bookedbymadeline's review

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

5.0

I loved this book! The complex look at family and sibling relationships drew me in and made me feel part of these characters lives. My heart was aching and I cried a few times throughout the novel as I got to know these people. The ending felt perfect but I’m definitely going to have a book hangover.

The story makes me want to learn more about Lebanon and the conflicts discussed throughout the book. Also enjoyed the switching POVs and timelines to get an in depth look at each character. Will definitely be reading more of Alyan’s novels!! Highly highly recommend.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. All the opinions above are my own.

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