Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

16 reviews

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

qirhh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

It’ll leave you feeling bittersweet yet content. You’ll understand that what’s not meant to be has already been written in our fate, and what’s meant to be will always find its way to us. 

I love this book so very much. It will be on my mind for a while. I will look up the history of Iran and its people. I will think of Roya and Bahman and the people alike when I search it up. I will be reminded of not just the Iran-Iraq war, but the past world wars and the current ones. It will remind me of why I like to pick historical books though they are mostly of tragic stories yet there is always a lesson to learn from them. 

This book will be in my heart forever. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Grief

Moderate: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and War

blakeandbooks's review against another edition

emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, and War

Moderate: Miscarriage, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Mass/school shootings, Abortion, and Murder

mdavis26's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Islamophobia, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

cielo's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism

ddnreads's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

*inhale*

AAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH

HUFT

😡🥺😫😫😫😫😭😭

"Did we make it?"
*insert smile through the pain meme*

The Stationary Shop is a romance laced with historical fiction set in Iran. Told through non-linear timeline, it revolved around the political condition at that time, young once-in-a-lifetime lovers, and difficult condition of one's family. 

The story traced back the tangled love background history of a mother who affect the young lovers' path to the future. 

I have my suspicion, but how it turned out still enraged me :((( I hate miscommunication trope.  And I think they deserve better. At least the closure gave it justice 🥺

If you're into historical fiction romance with complicated family dynamic, the love of a mother and the lost of children, pick this book up and suffer with me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Gun violence

ksuazo94's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Violence, Gaslighting, and War

spellygirl's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.75

It's a pretty good book, just a bit slow for my taste, and a lot of back and forth between times/people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Grief, Murder, and War

Moderate: Blood, Abortion, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Cancer and Terminal illness

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

this absolutely wrecked me. i cried in public reading this. 

it was so enlightening on the tribulations many Iranian people faced during that time. i felt my heart break when the characters faced grief and loss.

i would recommend this 1000%, please just check trigger warnings!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

francestea's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative 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

4.5

This was a very emotional and moving book ranging from the absolute bliss of young love to the devastation of life lost. The audiobook narrator was excellent. I specifically appreciated hearing her correct pronunciations of the delicious meals they ate. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Violence, and Abortion

Minor: Sexism, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy