A review by chargriffith
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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? No

3.0

This book was so close to a 4/5 star book. But it fell apart at the end.

I really enjoyed the idea of reliving someone's life via stories told every minute of the 10 minutes during which their brain is shutting down due to death.  The flashbacks were told so well, and you really got to understand the character and the most important people in her life.

Where it fell apart was after the 10 minutes one jumped to her friends and a "quest".


Edited to add:
I was talking with my husband about the ending, and he had a good insight into why the author chose to end it the way they way they did.  The story was about being seen as unimportant in society and how even in death, it was the same. This made me understand why the author chose to end this way rather than end the moment her brain shut down completely.
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