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ameliafr7's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Sexism, Terminal illness, Blood, Police brutality, Stalking, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Sexual violence
captaincocanutty's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This books tries to do too much, and yet doesn't do enough. There was a trend in historical fiction a few years ago to follow at least 2 or maybe 3 different main characters, and I think this is a product of that trend.
There are very immersive moments that make it worth reading, and it's clear the author spent time in Iraq during the end of the reign of Saddam. The beginning and ending of the novel had me invested in what happened to the characters, but I felt like in the middle the author was trying to make a 300 page count, because it dragged and I was definitely skimming in some parts. There were also a few paragraphs that reappeared word for word in a couple different chapters.
The book is interesting enough, but I think some changes to the editing could have made it a lot more engaging.
There are very immersive moments that make it worth reading, and it's clear the author spent time in Iraq during the end of the reign of Saddam. The beginning and ending of the novel had me invested in what happened to the characters, but I felt like in the middle the author was trying to make a 300 page count, because it dragged and I was definitely skimming in some parts. There were also a few paragraphs that reappeared word for word in a couple different chapters.
The book is interesting enough, but I think some changes to the editing could have made it a lot more engaging.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Rape, Torture, and War
betag1013's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I thought this book had really good tension, and I got really worried about the characters. It's written well. When I picked it up, I assumed that it was written by an Iraqi writer, but it's by a white woman who was a journalist in Iraq. And that just feels a little... exploitative? Her author's note just sounded gross and defensive, so that kind of soured the book for me. I probably won't read this writer again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Police brutality, and Stalking
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Grief, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War, and Classism
Minor: Death, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Alcohol
bleeaa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Violence
Moderate: Torture and War
Minor: Sexual violence
kelly11111's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Torture, Sexual harassment, and War
tigeryear's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
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
3.0
"Ally turned a seasick green.
'I never wanted to cause trouble,' she said. 'I'm such a fool, just like my mom.'"
Yes, yes, you are.
"'It's my fault.' The words leaped from Huda's mouth before there was time to think...
'You're not to blame. And neither was your mom.' She took Ally's hands in hers. 'The informant would have drawn her close. Just like I did to you.'"
No, it's not your fault. Good ownership, but who are you to take blame for actions you were coerced into doing under threat of your and your loved ones' lives?
Something I annotated on page 92:
White women endanger and profit off of the suffering of brown women. Ally's selfish desire to posthumously learn about her mother via her travel log directly correlate to Huda's suffering.
Ally knows she is endangering everyone around her by making this her priority. Huda realizes she is going against her own moral compass by lying, deceiving, and threatening, but feels powerless in the presence of her aggressors -- who regularly visit her home and threaten her family.
I think this kind of writing is dangerous, especially when Huda apologizes to Ally. Glossing over and forgiving Ally's ignorance of others' suffering is detestable to me and an inexcusable tenet of the work.
I understand the author wrote this fictional story based on her real-life experiences working in 2000s Iraq in the OIP as a way to cope/find closure from being "betrayed" by an actual informant. The fact that she writes fictional forgiveness of ignorance on the atrocities world governments inflict upon the peoples that live under them is bullshit.
I admire the context of the story. I was overjoyed that I found a book that could explain through firsthand accounts the tension and danger of the era in this corner of the world. However, the white savior complex written into Ally's character and the ideal that culture can be disregarded -- that we can all live in peace and happiness without reparations or even critical examination of the effects of colonization and racism make this book exactly what it is: coffee table Suburban wine mom garbage reading. It could have been a MUCH better story if Iraqi voices were not merely referenced and consulted but put at the forefront rather than have a third of the novel be a wild goose chase by a well-to-do white woman.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Fatphobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Abandonment, and Colonisation
kerrireads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, and Murder
whatskatiereading's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
WHEN THE APRICOTS BLOOM is listed as historical fiction, but honestly this felt kind of like a thriller to me. The book follows Huda, Raina, and Ally and takes place in Iraq in 2002. The three women’s lives intersect, but they all have secrets that can tear their worlds apart.
This book has a lot of secrets, a lot of “sitting on the edge of your seat” moments where you’re hoping the women find a way to make it out of the situation safely. Each of the women’s stories captured my attention, but I found myself really rooting for Huda especially. The story talks a lot about the secret police under Saddam Hussein’s regime, so there’s some mention of violence that some readers might not feel comfortable reading. Overall I found the book to be really interesting and thought the writing was phenomenal.
One thing I was a little unsure of going into the book was a white woman writing about the experiences of two Iraqi women. The author’s note was really helpful in explaining that the book is drawn on her experiences of living in Iraq in a similar situation that the American/Australian character Ally was in. The author also acknowledges the need for “diverse books, written by diverse authors, in settings and situations that reflect the deep richness of our world”. Reading that put my mind at ease a little bit, but that does not mean this is the only book set in a Middle Eastern country that I will be reading this year. I’m looking forward to reading more books set in the Middle East by authors who are from the region. Thank you Bookish First and Kensington for my copy of WHEN THE APRICOTS BLOOM
This book has a lot of secrets, a lot of “sitting on the edge of your seat” moments where you’re hoping the women find a way to make it out of the situation safely. Each of the women’s stories captured my attention, but I found myself really rooting for Huda especially. The story talks a lot about the secret police under Saddam Hussein’s regime, so there’s some mention of violence that some readers might not feel comfortable reading. Overall I found the book to be really interesting and thought the writing was phenomenal.
One thing I was a little unsure of going into the book was a white woman writing about the experiences of two Iraqi women. The author’s note was really helpful in explaining that the book is drawn on her experiences of living in Iraq in a similar situation that the American/Australian character Ally was in. The author also acknowledges the need for “diverse books, written by diverse authors, in settings and situations that reflect the deep richness of our world”. Reading that put my mind at ease a little bit, but that does not mean this is the only book set in a Middle Eastern country that I will be reading this year. I’m looking forward to reading more books set in the Middle East by authors who are from the region. Thank you Bookish First and Kensington for my copy of WHEN THE APRICOTS BLOOM
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Violence
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Rape and Sexual violence
madelonpaige's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Violence, and Police brutality
Minor: Gun violence