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roisinie's review against another edition
3.0
Parts of this were touching and clever but overall I didn't get a lot out of it?
clairebartholomew549's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I went back and forth on giving this book three and four stars - for most of the book I was a hard three stars, and towards the end I found more meaning in it and almost gave it four stars. Ultimately, I settled on three stars because I think this was an incredible concept that lost a lot of its impact through the execution. I highlighted so many passages that I found really powerful about how people can turn away from those less fortunate and how the policies that determine whether a country "admits" refugees completely dehumanizes those caught in the bureaucratic mess, but Richard was not a compelling character and I found him a bit self-aggrandizing. I wanted to like this book more than I did, but I still feel like it was a meaningful book to read - I feel like there are two few books written about the callous response to refugees.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Deportation
saschaben's review against another edition
5.0
this book is too timely, too real, and too good to not be read. And read right now.
vrop's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
This book was so slow it felt like a chore. We see Richard slowly learn about the realities of the refugees, yet he never gets angry or is even compelled to take action beyond helping a handful of them. His way of helping them feels more like charity to appease his conscience more than anything. We also never see him react directly when he encounters racism, not even among his friends. The story made me feel a little bit like Richard just took interest in the refugees because he had nothing better to do...
liedora's review against another edition
4.0
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
(Martin Luther King)
Thought provoking and relevant in this day and age. It's a must read, and raises questions as to what constitutes a border; where are we as human beings and a slew of others.
Well translated and I will definitely be reading this again after I've digested this first read.
(Martin Luther King)
Thought provoking and relevant in this day and age. It's a must read, and raises questions as to what constitutes a border; where are we as human beings and a slew of others.
Well translated and I will definitely be reading this again after I've digested this first read.
bookengulfer's review against another edition
challenging
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? Yes
4.5
actualgrandma's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5