readwithev's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
I love this book more than I initially thought! At first I was hesitant because Isma’s perspective starts the story. I didn’t feel like I understood her. However, each section of the book is from another character’s perspective (written in 3rd person). As more information is revealed by each character, I learned to empathize with Isma more. Home Fire asks powerful questions of us as readers and from the characters: how to endure racism as an immigrant, what does it mean to be a citizen, how do we endure grief, and what we are willing to do for our family? There were two unexpected twists that chewed my heart up and spit it back out 😭💔
I learned to see Eamonn as a man trying to escape his father’s shadow, coming to terms with his father’s selfishness and political motives, and learning to speak his mind.
All these characters have flaws that make them painfully human and relatable, but they also have redeemable qualities. They love their families, they feel lonely and inadequate sometimes, but they’re also seeking/working towards a life purpose. Even Karamat who is motivated by potential political gains, but loves his wife and is afraid of losing the power he has worked hard for. He’s also caught between his life as a political figure and his identity as a Pakistani immigrant.
Highly recommend!
I learned to see Eamonn as a man trying to escape his father’s shadow, coming to terms with his father’s selfishness and political motives, and learning to speak his mind.
All these characters have flaws that make them painfully human and relatable, but they also have redeemable qualities. They love their families, they feel lonely and inadequate sometimes, but they’re also seeking/working towards a life purpose. Even Karamat who is motivated by potential political gains, but loves his wife and is afraid of losing the power he has worked hard for. He’s also caught between his life as a political figure and his identity as a Pakistani immigrant.
Highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Grief, Death, Islamophobia, Murder, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Blood, Child death, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content
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 organisationsbexh'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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Grief, Islamophobia, Confinement, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
jmcampbell57's review
dark
emotional
tense
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Islamophobia, Xenophobia, and Death
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
antoniav's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Grief, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Sexism, Sexual content, and Misogyny
carolinalopezwatt's review
challenging
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Islamophobia, Physical abuse, Violence, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, and Torture
Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, Death, and Sexism
Minor: Classism and Racism
meenakshisathish's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Islamophobia, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Sexual content
spinesinaline's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-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
4.75
I learned of this book from Sunni @ Van Reads and when she explained that it was a retelling of Antigone, one of my favourite plays, but through the lives of British Muslims, I immediately added it to my list.
Even knowing that going in, it took me an embarrassing long time to pick up on how the story is connected (I really need to reread the play). But once I did, I was blown away, and the way the story progresses becomes a bit easier to stomach because it echoes the original. I do not disagree with those who are angry and disagree with the ending, though.
I think knowing that it’s a retelling, and knowing the source material, does help to piece this story together, particularly in reference to the above. The main antagonist in Shamsie’s story echoes the ‘villain’ of Antigone but with the context of the modernized story, it is a bit awkward that one man comes to stand for all of Islamophobia when we as readers know it’s not that simple to pin down to one person.
My final thoughts on this one were that it was depressing and infuriating and still an incredible retelling. I still want to seek out more reviews by Muslim readers as the book stirs up a lot of Islamophobia – portrayed as wrong but still a constant throughout the story. It’s certainly not a hopeful picture for Muslim communities as so much of the content is focused on the threat of jihadist movements and anti-Muslim sentiments in government so I wouldn’t be surprised if some choose not to pick this one up at all.
Even knowing that going in, it took me an embarrassing long time to pick up on how the story is connected (I really need to reread the play). But once I did, I was blown away, and the way the story progresses becomes a bit easier to stomach because it echoes the original. I do not disagree with those who are angry and disagree with the ending, though.
I think knowing that it’s a retelling, and knowing the source material, does help to piece this story together, particularly in reference to the above. The main antagonist in Shamsie’s story echoes the ‘villain’ of Antigone but with the context of the modernized story, it is a bit awkward that one man comes to stand for all of Islamophobia when we as readers know it’s not that simple to pin down to one person.
My final thoughts on this one were that it was depressing and infuriating and still an incredible retelling. I still want to seek out more reviews by Muslim readers as the book stirs up a lot of Islamophobia – portrayed as wrong but still a constant throughout the story. It’s certainly not a hopeful picture for Muslim communities as so much of the content is focused on the threat of jihadist movements and anti-Muslim sentiments in government so I wouldn’t be surprised if some choose not to pick this one up at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Islamophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Torture, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexism, Sexual content, and War
vivboyd98's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexism
k_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.
Content Warnings
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