eve81's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Confinement, Islamophobia, Racism, Violence, Murder, Grief, Torture, and Religious bigotry
bexh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Grief, Islamophobia, Confinement, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
stw07's review
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.0
Well, that was disturbing.
I enjoyed the first quarter of the book, but that section is drastically different from the rest of the novel. Honestly I don’t know how I feel about it. It throws a lot at you, and makes you spend a lot of time in the perspectives of characters with disturbing viewpoints. And then the ending.
This is actually a retelling of the Antigone myth. I only learned that from the author’s acknowledgments since I’ve never read it. I think knowing that would have been useful for interpreting it, although it does spoil some plot points.
I enjoyed the first quarter of the book, but that section is drastically different from the rest of the novel. Honestly I don’t know how I feel about it. It throws a lot at you, and makes you spend a lot of time in the perspectives of characters with disturbing viewpoints. And then the ending.
This is actually a retelling of the Antigone myth. I only learned that from the author’s acknowledgments since I’ve never read it. I think knowing that would have been useful for interpreting it, although it does spoil some plot points.
Graphic: Religious bigotry and Islamophobia
Moderate: Confinement, Murder, Sexism, Death, Misogyny, Torture, and Violence
Perspectives of members of extremist groupsk_aro's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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
I don't even know how to rate this book... first, that it's a modern retelling of Antigone. Nobody ever told me this! I've never read Antigone so I never noticed the similarity (unlike with Six Crimson Cranes, where I absolutely noticed the similarities). I think a reading of this book would definitely be helped or at least be more fruitful knowing some of Antigone.
That's neither here nor there; I feel strangely fulfilled by this book. It absolutely ends on a pretty desolate note (maybe one helped by knowing how Antigone is supposed to go?) and I felt strangely untethered. As a child of an immigrant (though a Chinese one, so I am absolutely not trying to say that these stories are necessarily comparable) there are definitely parts of this story that hit too close to home; the internal struggle between loving your parents and hating what they might stand for, trying to be radical and forward pushing but always with one hand on the railing.
It definitely explores the role of loss well; actually, thinking about it, this sort of reminds me of another book I had read (but had not enjoyed, at all): Consent. The confusion over how a lost thing is supposed to take up your life, a missing gap.
I was really compelled by Parvaiz' chapters, which
Anyways, it's definitely a good book. But I don't know how to recommend it.
That's neither here nor there; I feel strangely fulfilled by this book. It absolutely ends on a pretty desolate note (maybe one helped by knowing how Antigone is supposed to go?) and I felt strangely untethered. As a child of an immigrant (though a Chinese one, so I am absolutely not trying to say that these stories are necessarily comparable) there are definitely parts of this story that hit too close to home; the internal struggle between loving your parents and hating what they might stand for, trying to be radical and forward pushing but always with one hand on the railing.
It definitely explores the role of loss well; actually, thinking about it, this sort of reminds me of another book I had read (but had not enjoyed, at all): Consent. The confusion over how a lost thing is supposed to take up your life, a missing gap.
I was really compelled by Parvaiz' chapters, which
Spoiler
made me think a lot about the nature of pain and punishment, and how pain seems so holy just by virtue of suffering. I don't know, something about how Parvaiz is continually drawn back to Farooq despite or maybe because of the pain Farooq inflicts on him...Anyways, it's definitely a good book. But I don't know how to recommend it.
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Torture, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, and Death
Moderate: Police brutality, Abandonment, Sexual content, and Confinement
Minor: Alcohol and Death of parent
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