A review by czoltak
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
dark
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
โNo matter what happens, you remember that this world is more than the agony it contains.โ
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
I am honestly speechless after this book. I am in shock over how many intense emotions I just experienced over the course of 400 pages. I want to start by saying first and foremost that this should absolutely be required reading in schools. People need to read this and understand a larger scope of the world. This book is so important for spreading the importance of how deeply a war destroys regardless of whoโs shores itโs on. The messages and themes of survival, PTSD, and the loss of innocence were heartbreaking and yet so necessary especially in todayโs world. For fans of โThe Book Thiefโ and โThe Hunger Gamesโ, As Long As The Lemon Trees Grow is an incredibly moving story about one girlโs journey to survive war torn Syria. Salama must find a way to save herself and her sanity while the world around her is torn apart and the life she has always known is completely obliterated. With a hallucinatory form of fear as one of her only constant companions, Salama struggles with the need to stay alive but also to stay true to her roots and her home country. Her strength and bravery is so deeply infectious, youโll be unable to do anything other than root and hope for her over the course of the story. Much like โThe Book Thiefโ, the personification of darker themes (death/fear) and the blunt descriptions of the destruction will draw you in and wonโt let go even after you turn that final page. This book needs to be picked up and read by so many more. Please pick this up and spread its influence if youโre able. In todayโs world this is the kind of literature we need and should be promoting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Genocide, War, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Medical content, Physical abuse, Hate crime, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Torture and Xenophobia