littki's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia and Racism
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
jackbifrost's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deportation, Grief, Murder, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Racism, and Death
Moderate: Racism, Classism, Hate crime, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
withlivjones's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book exemplifies what a mythology retelling can be - by transporting Sophocles’ Antigone into the present day where the characters are no longer Greek royalty but instead British Muslims, Shamsie gives the myth clear relevance to today’s society, all while staying true to the plot and retaining the themes and conflicts that make Antigone so timeless. The complex moral issues in this book are discussed with such empathy, so that even when characters make decisions one may not agree with, one can understand why they might be driven to do what they do. Antigone is one of my favourite plays, and this book captures its essence perfectly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Racism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Abandonment, Murder, Gun violence, Death, Violence, and Sexual content
Graphic depictions of terrorist organisationseve81'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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Confinement, Islamophobia, Racism, Violence, Murder, Grief, Torture, and Religious bigotry
astridmalmhester's review
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Islamophobia, Racism, War, Death, Murder, Violence, Grief, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Misogyny
jordan21's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was an incredible read, and a perfect modern tragedy. The perspective shift of each chapter worked well with the flow of the story. The complexities of race, religion and nationalism shine through every word.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
anneke_nie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Racism, and Death
nannahnannah's review
3.0
I’m not quite sure what to think about this book. I can understand its appeal, for one being a retelling of Antigone (though, to be honest, I didn’t know that -- or forgot about that -- going in, and I’m not familiar with it so can’t judge this adaptation based on how faithful or successful a retelling it is), and for another taking on the issues it does.
Representation:
- most of the characters are British and Pakistani
Home Fire tells the story of two British families, both of Pakistani origins. One is the Pasha family, consisting of the three orphaned siblings: Isma, Aneeka, and Parvaiz, all children of a jihadist father. Isma has just moved to America to pursue a dream she has long put off to take care of her siblings, leaving Aneeka and Parvaiz, both twins, behind. While Aneeka doesn’t seem to mind, Parvaiz feels abandoned, and then feels their family further break apart when Aneeka reveals hints about wanting to leave. Isma’s worries about them turn out to be justified when Parvaiz follows in their father’s footsteps.
Then Eamonn Lone, son of the conservative British MP, falls for Aneeka. And Aneeka clings at the little bit of hope that she can get her brother back.
This one’s hard for me to review. While I became very much invested in the story into the second half, I nearly DNF’d it because of the first. It also does that thing I’ve seen people talk about lately (but shouldn’t expand upon, because I’m not Muslim) where it divides Muslims into clear Good or Bad groups -- though that possibly also contributes to its mass appeal, because I’m like 95% sure this was written for a largely white, Christian audience in mind.
The book is divided into sections with different PoVs, starting with Isma with the strongest chapter. Unfortunately, after this fantastic beginning, the prose becomes bogged down with what seems like an exercise involving cumbersome language and a thesaurus: “By midafternoon the temperature had passed the 50 degree Fahrenheit mark, which sounded, and felt, far warmer than 11 degrees Celsius [...]. Isma tilted her post-lunch mug of coffee toward herself, touched the tip of her finger to the liquid, considered how much of a faux pas it might be to ask to have it microwaved. She had just decided she would risk the opprobrium when the door opened …” I understand the desire to differentiate the style of the PoVs, but this is the only one where a distinct style is apparent, and it still needs to be … pleasing. Especially if it’s the opening one. I couldn’t stand it.
The other PoVs are much better and sucked me in (except for Eamonn’s … which … has some uncomfortable fetishistic views toward hijabs and hijabis, although I largely contribute that done to show his character development later on. It still is, uh … not the greatest to read, though this is extremely subjective and obviously not a common opinion).
Surprisingly, the most interesting PoV is Karamat Lone’s, Eamonn’s father. I didn’t like him at all, but getting inside his head, his motivations, and eventually his change of consciousness was a pleasure to read. I think his development is the most well realized, though I don’t think the characters’ arcs are given great focus.
I wasn’t surprised this was a retelling, because it does feel like it’s following a script a bit. Things become a little bit too shiny and polished, conversations are a little too planned, etc.
These are minor things. The novel really did engage me in the second half, and held my attention until the very startling ending.
Representation:
- most of the characters are British and Pakistani
Home Fire tells the story of two British families, both of Pakistani origins. One is the Pasha family, consisting of the three orphaned siblings: Isma, Aneeka, and Parvaiz, all children of a jihadist father. Isma has just moved to America to pursue a dream she has long put off to take care of her siblings, leaving Aneeka and Parvaiz, both twins, behind. While Aneeka doesn’t seem to mind, Parvaiz feels abandoned, and then feels their family further break apart when Aneeka reveals hints about wanting to leave. Isma’s worries about them turn out to be justified when Parvaiz follows in their father’s footsteps.
Then Eamonn Lone, son of the conservative British MP, falls for Aneeka. And Aneeka clings at the little bit of hope that she can get her brother back.
This one’s hard for me to review. While I became very much invested in the story into the second half, I nearly DNF’d it because of the first. It also does that thing I’ve seen people talk about lately (but shouldn’t expand upon, because I’m not Muslim) where it divides Muslims into clear Good or Bad groups -- though that possibly also contributes to its mass appeal, because I’m like 95% sure this was written for a largely white, Christian audience in mind.
The book is divided into sections with different PoVs, starting with Isma with the strongest chapter. Unfortunately, after this fantastic beginning, the prose becomes bogged down with what seems like an exercise involving cumbersome language and a thesaurus: “By midafternoon the temperature had passed the 50 degree Fahrenheit mark, which sounded, and felt, far warmer than 11 degrees Celsius [...]. Isma tilted her post-lunch mug of coffee toward herself, touched the tip of her finger to the liquid, considered how much of a faux pas it might be to ask to have it microwaved. She had just decided she would risk the opprobrium when the door opened …” I understand the desire to differentiate the style of the PoVs, but this is the only one where a distinct style is apparent, and it still needs to be … pleasing. Especially if it’s the opening one. I couldn’t stand it.
The other PoVs are much better and sucked me in (except for Eamonn’s … which … has some uncomfortable fetishistic views toward hijabs and hijabis, although I largely contribute that done to show his character development later on. It still is, uh … not the greatest to read, though this is extremely subjective and obviously not a common opinion).
Surprisingly, the most interesting PoV is Karamat Lone’s, Eamonn’s father. I didn’t like him at all, but getting inside his head, his motivations, and eventually his change of consciousness was a pleasure to read. I think his development is the most well realized, though I don’t think the characters’ arcs are given great focus.
I wasn’t surprised this was a retelling, because it does feel like it’s following a script a bit. Things become a little bit too shiny and polished, conversations are a little too planned, etc.
These are minor things. The novel really did engage me in the second half, and held my attention until the very startling ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Islamophobia
twin1's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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 this book in one day. It's slow to start but it really builds at the end. Really great story like nothing I've read before
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Islamophobia and Racism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, and Violence
noahsingh's review
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Grief, Islamophobia, Violence, and Racism
Moderate: Colonisation, Death of parent, Murder, War, Deportation, Misogyny, Police brutality, Abandonment, and Suicide
Minor: Child death