Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

84 reviews

bridgjm's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, and War

nataliecoyne's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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

Words cannot express how much I loved this book. It is such an easy 5 stars and I now really admire Marjan Kamali's writing. I loved her other book that I read, <i>The Lion Women of Tehran</i>, but it's entirely possible that I loved this one even more. The story is so beautiful, albeit tragic at times. And it felt very <i>real.</i> It didn't feel like I was watching some cheesy romance movie.

At first, I didn't really understand the decision to include a romance between Ali and [name I'm not including to avoid spoilers], when I read the chapter with introducing that romance at the beginning of part 2 I was like "okay, this is random??" But, by the end, it made a lot of sense.

I absolutely would recommend this to others. Easy 5 stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Vomit, Islamophobia, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Abortion, and War

natreadthat's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.0

Amidst the rising Iranian revolution, two kids find solace in one another as their love story blossoms. A chance encounter more than sixty years later leads Roya back to Bahman, the boy she was going to marry. Will she finally learn why he never met her in the square all those years ago? 

 

This story is not a happy one, it’s a tale of love, loss, and forgiveness. What would you do if the lost love of your life resurfaced decades later? How would your current partner handle it? The story follows Roya as she grows up, heals from heartbreak, leaves her country to attend college, marries, and crosses paths with Bahman once again. There are different kinds of love in the human experience, and this was a great reflection of that. 

 

I really, really loved The Lion Women of Tehran (read it!!) and was hoping The Stationary Shop would be just as excellent. It was good, but Lion Women is my favorite Kamali so far! And wowee, check out that beautiful cover! 🤩

bookstagram: @natreadthat

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Grief and Abortion

elizabethpowers's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-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? No

3.0

had to force myself to read it and finish it but at the end i was glad I did? some parts were really good but overall felt like something was missing, and I didn't really care for the characters. it was pretty predictable and followed some of the cliches and tropes of the notebook. i was surprised by random explicit parts that weren't needed at all.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Abortion

medini_l's review against another edition

emotional sad 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, and Abortion

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Grief, Abortion, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Colonisation, and Classism

chaitra_brewedbookworm's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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? No

5.0

The Stationery Shop of Tehran is a beautifully written, heart-wrenching novel that truly tugs at your emotions. It made me cry, feel deeply for the characters, and reflect on the ease of life we enjoy today compared to the struggles of the past. Though I'm not typically a romance reader, this book pulled at all the right strings, making me want to know more about the boy who would change the world and his beloved, Roya Joon.
The depiction of political unrest and its lasting impact on people’s lives is breathtaking. The way Marjan Kamali weaves history into the love story is seamless, capturing both personal and political turmoil. Written in multiple timelines with third-person narration, the story also includes poignant letters that provide a deeply personal touch.
I cried, hurt, and even cursed at the characters' fate as I experienced their journey through love, loss, and betrayal. This story is filled with so much—passion, sisterhood, dreams, trauma, trust, friendship, and psychological struggles. The ending left a lump in my throat; it was so painful yet so incredibly moving. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Classism

Moderate: Cancer, Death, and War

artemismoon057's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, and War

adrians_library's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexism, Police brutality, Abortion, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism

lomesia's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Self harm, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Abortion, and War

Minor: Cancer, Incest, Pedophilia, and Police brutality

talasa's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, and Rape