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jinmichae's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.25
Slice of life, but all characters are connected through family. Place is another character, as the family is split and comes together across countries, often moved by war.
A line that especially struck me was the younger generation visiting Jaffa, and thinking of the privilege of families back in Boston who have hundreds of years of generations all buried in the same cemetery, while her ancestor's graves are--by was and against their will--spread across an entire region.
I found it a very compelling read, only held back by my having to remember who was who and related how.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Genocide, Violence, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Dementia, Grief, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
careinthelibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Dementia, Grief, Pregnancy, and Colonisation
Moderate: Genocide, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Murder, and War
Minor: Gun violence
nattiemoff's review
4.75
Graphic: Genocide and War
Moderate: Dementia and Grief
Minor: Racism, Rape, and Torture
amberinpieces's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Moderate: Death, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Drug use, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
lexcellent's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Fatphobia, Genocide, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
knaappers's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Death, Genocide, and War
Moderate: Sexual assault
sineadz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Racism, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
robinks's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Dementia, Grief, and Colonisation
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and War
Minor: Racial slurs, Vomit, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
warlocksarecool21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Salt Houses beautifully raw story about a Palestinian family spread across the world after the Six Day War in 1967. We follow four generations of this family as they grapple with the enormous loss of being forced to leave Palestine and have to continue their lives elsewhere.
Hala Alyan’s writing is absolutely incredible, it’s lyrical and elegant and I underlined so many powerful quotes while reading. Through her captivating prose, Alyan is able to weave a story of four generations, centering on the relationships between mothers, and daughters and sisters.
We see how they are impacted by Israel’s violence against their family and land for decades after and how the loss of their homeland shaped their lives. This is a story of loss and grief, but we also see these characters in their most tangibly human moments. They grow up, they find love, have children, get old. There is sorrow but there is also joy and love.
Each member of the family carries the memory of Palestine with them in a different way, they are shaped by it but each of their lives takes a different path. I found myself attached to each character for different reasons, they were all so vivid and human I couldn’t help but be drawn in. Even if I disliked particular characters I was fascinated by them and resonated with their messiness and imperfections.
Salt Houses is such an incredibly impactful story about life, loss and family and I urge everyone to read it.
Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, Grief, and Pregnancy
Minor: Fatphobia, Genocide, Violence, and War
jackie_marion's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Genocide and War
Moderate: Islamophobia and Pregnancy
Minor: Toxic relationship