jojo_'s review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Racism, Xenophobia, Animal death, Blood, Classism, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Grief, Injury/injury detail, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Misogyny, Cancer, and Homophobia
Minor: Transphobia, Deadnaming, War, and Dementia
seawarrior's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Colonisation, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, Xenophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Cancer, and Dementia
cereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The prose was so incredibly rich and poetic. Joukhadar is definitely a master of language: every word he used struck exactly the right cord.
The queer people in this book were wonderfully written - in a very natural, honest but still raw and vulnerable way. Incredible.
And the story has left me choked up and emotional, in a good way. I immediately want to reread this book.
Graphic: Blood, Cancer, Death, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Islamophobia, and Xenophobia
Minor: Sexual content
baponthecob's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Medical content, Misogyny, and Transphobia
Minor: Blood, Cancer, Dementia, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
booknerdnative's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I want to first say that as a cishet person, I cannot directly speak to the experience of being trans and have tried to be aware of that in my review. One thing I really found influential about this narrative, is being able to walk with our protagonist (who is unnamed at the start of the novel), as they discover their true self. I have read more books with trans folks at the center, in which they are more settled in their identity, & I really appreciated this look into someone finding the openness within themselves to be who they are and embrace themselves fully. This book has a lot of inner dialogue, and dialogue between characters surrounding sexuality and gender that I found to be really reflective and important to the overall conversation. I also really love that this book brings to light the notion that we can still be figuring out who we are even in adulthood. There is no timeline to gender, sexuality, or self discovery.
This book also discusses immigration -the cast is multi-generational, mostly Syrian-American, living in post-9/11 New York City.
It's also full of art, nature, avian passion, and beauty.
It has an epistolary element as well, if that's something you enjoy!
I just think this book has so much to offer, and i really hope that more people read it.
Moderate: Transphobia, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Death, and Grief
Minor: Cancer and Misogyny