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cristiana_criss's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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? No
4.5
Într-o lume în ruină, în care durerea și deznădejdea sunt acoperite de praful răscolit de suflul unei bombe, Nuri încearcă să își aducă soția înapoi la lumină. Din Siria scufundată în beznă, pe valurile mării din Turcia spre Grecia, în taberele labirint, în care îți uiți calea și în care te afunzi și mai mult în propriile coșmaruri, ochii Afrei văd mai departe decât cei ai soțului ei, chiar și de sub vălul pierderii. Purtat de amintiri și înconjurat de zumzetul albinelor din stupii din Alep, Nuri nu se poate rupe de trecutul lui, făcând tot ce e posibil pentru a-și apăra familia în prezent. În căutarea siguranței, cheia de bronz reușește să deschidă, în cele din urmă, o ușă către o nouă viată.
"Dar Afra nu voia să plece, așa că ieșeam în fiecare zi, scotoceam printre ruine, căutând mâncare, și mă întorceam cu câte un cadou pentru ea. Găseam tot felul de lucrușoare ciudate, bucăți frânte din viețile oamenilor: un papuc de copil, o zgardă de câine, un telefon mobil, o mănușă, o cheie. Ce ciudat, să găsești o cheie într-un loc unde nu mai există uși pe care să le deschizi. Dacă stai bine să te gândești, e și mai straniu să găsești un papuc și o mănușă acolo unde nu mai există un picior sau o mână care să le poarte. Erau cadouri triste, rămășițele unor povești dureroase. Cu toate acestea, i le ofeream, i le puneam în brațe și așteptam o reacție din partea ei, dar asta nu se întâmpla niciodată. Însă continuam să încerc. Era o modalitate bună de a ne distrage atenția. În fiecare zi ieșeam și găseam ceva nou. Într-o zi, am găsit cel mai bun cadou posibil: o rodie."
- pg. 42
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Drug use, and Murder
Minor: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
honestrabbit's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, and War
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
lillyll's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and War
Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Sexual harassment
sumisreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
4.5
A deeply moving book that'll stay on my mind for quite some time. I liked how we're able to see the events of the story unfold through Nuri, whose perspective we come to learn isn't always the most reliable. How he loses everything he loves, and is forced to try and start again with his wife who's become a shell herself. A story of broken people trying to become unbroken. That's how I'd summarise the book in a sentence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Mental illness and Sexual harassment
Minor: Suicide
nick13's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
This novel is truly beautiful and it harnesses that beauty, taking the reader to some of the darkest depths to suffocate them within its pages. The trail for a refugee is rough, tortuous even, and yet no matter how hard the road gets, the characters find some sort of hope to cling on to. Sure, not one of these characters has power, nor even are a hero, but they are so human, so hopeful, that it is impossible for me not to love them more than any hero.
5/5: some of the best characterization, the best portrayal of grief I've ever read, and an impactful story that will make you feel...not great.
5/5: some of the best characterization, the best portrayal of grief I've ever read, and an impactful story that will make you feel...not great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Trafficking
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and War
Minor: Self harm
jasminrain's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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? No
4.5
Its the kind of book that ticks all the trigger warnings but you still need to read it. I listened to it as an audiobook and the narrator did an absolutely phenomenal job capturing the characters, their emotions and the world around them. I loved that the story was not linear but jumping back and forth between the present and the past. I can't say that its a book that blowed my mind with twists as it was quite easy to figure out what was coming.
It's the kind of book that you have to read because of the topic. While its definitely on the heavy side with content and themes, lots of the darker events are actually not discussed in detail which was a bit of a relief. The only thing that I found really appalling was the ableist language that the main character used about her disabled wife. All the other triggers in the book were rooted to the story and the trauma that the characters experienced, but it was the choice of the author to use this language. When I started reading the book I also thought that the author had Syrian background and I was suprised to learn later that she didn't. It kinda made me wonder if that was her story to tell in the first place.
Regardless of all this I really enjoyed the book. I wanted to keep listening and learning about their journey and all those past events that were discussed in the present. The book was quite fast paced at times and the story of their journey jumping a lot. I think I would have liked to learn more about certain moments. But apart from all that it was such a good book!
It's the kind of book that you have to read because of the topic. While its definitely on the heavy side with content and themes, lots of the darker events are actually not discussed in detail which was a bit of a relief. The only thing that I found really appalling was the ableist language that the main character used about her disabled wife. All the other triggers in the book were rooted to the story and the trauma that the characters experienced, but it was the choice of the author to use this language. When I started reading the book I also thought that the author had Syrian background and I was suprised to learn later that she didn't. It kinda made me wonder if that was her story to tell in the first place.
Regardless of all this I really enjoyed the book. I wanted to keep listening and learning about their journey and all those past events that were discussed in the present. The book was quite fast paced at times and the story of their journey jumping a lot. I think I would have liked to learn more about certain moments. But apart from all that it was such a good book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Grief, Murder, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Islamophobia, Trafficking, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism and Emotional abuse
chgwritesss's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I think this book had a lot of potential, I definitely see why so many people love it but I just hated Nuri the entire time I was reading the book. Afra deserves so much better than him. At some point the only reason I was even reading was to see what became of Afra and the bee. The end was pretty unsatisfactory, I was hoping for more and this book just didn't give what I thought it would. Forgetting Nuri and the shitty ending, there were pretty good plot-twists and it really made me think. I definitely recommend this book if you want something that'll make you think.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, Grief, Murder, and War
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Gun violence
smellyellie07's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape and Sexual harassment