Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

60 reviews

mowenwood's review against another edition

sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Murder, and War

jess_vitale's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

This novel is beautifully written, but with such darkness and despair. The harrowing experiences of the main characters makes this difficult to read but it is an important story reflecting reality for so many. It is especially heartbreaking reading this alongside the backdrop of war in current global affairs.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Murder and Rape

ree333's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, and Grief

Moderate: Violence, War, and Murder

Minor: Rape

oftalone90's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

An increasingly relevant story, interestingly told. Each chapter is split into two times, joined by a single word. This book is well written and demonstrates the futility of war and the horrors of fleeing a homeland to seek asylum. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Child death, and Mental illness

amyvl93's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I definitely went into The Beekeeper of Aleppo with some unjustified snobbery, and I'm now eating some humble pie, as I found this book to be incredibly moving and an excellent portrayal of the refugee experience.

The Beekeeper of Aleppo follows the journey of Nuri and Afra as they attempt to journey from war-torn Aleppo in Syria, to join their family in relative safety in the North of England, where they have found comfort teaching beekeeping to fellow refugees. Lefteri draws a heartbreaking portrayal of Aleppo, as Afra in particular struggles to leave their home and the place they have experienced unimaginable loss - but this portrayal becomes all the more challenging as we begin to follow the couple through Turkey and into Greece. The novel shines a brutal light on the desperate refugee experience, on the constraints related to safe routes and those who benefit from the desperation of fellow humans to reach a place of safety. Lefteri also shows the reality of the asylum process for people when they arrive in England, which is far from the gold-plated, benefit-recieving experience that certain newspapers would have you believe.

Against this, it would be unsurprising if the characters within the novel became mere ciphers for Lefteri to get her points across - but this is not the case. All the people that Nuri and Afra meet are given human complexity - as do Nuri and Afra as they struggle to adapt to a life having seen and lived the things they have.

Some of the imagery and metaphor used in the novel was a little too on the nose for me, but overall I really enjoyed and appreciated The Beekeeper of Aleppo.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Murder, and War

Moderate: Racism, Rape, Self harm, Trafficking, and Xenophobia

Minor: Deportation

sadiaa's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Blood, Drug use, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Grief, Miscarriage, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

auri_underthing's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

Very well written and terribly sad.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Gun violence, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Addiction, Self harm, Adult/minor relationship, Deportation, and Rape

enmcurrie's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

An absolutely beautiful book. Took me a while to get into the swing of it, initially I struggled to really connect with the characters but the latter half of the book totally fleshes them out and the powerful storytelling pulls through. I love the motif of the bees that represent the strength of human spirit and resilience through hardship and tribulation. Nuri and Afra’s relationship is beautiful and complex and I admire the strength of their love for each other even in the face of adversity. I think fiction like this is incredibly important in helping to humanise refugees (which the media always fails to do) because these are very much real people going through such harrowing journeys just to seek safety. The author’s afterward also explains how Nuri and Afra are based on real people that Lefteri met which is incredibly poignant (their stories are fictionalised but definitely drawn from real experiences)

I love the way the story is told, it flows beautifully from past to present. The characters are also wonderful and their stories are heartbreaking. A great read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child death, and War

Moderate: Murder and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape

thebankofbooks's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, War, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Gun violence, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Self harm, Medical content, Drug use, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

gloriazthompson's review against another edition

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? No

4.0

A very sad but beautiful story. Happy to have learned from this Syrian refugee perspective.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Child death, Death, and War

Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, Murder, and Trafficking