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A review by whatannikareads
The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
hello reporting to you from the depths of my pain!!!!!!!! i loved this book!!!!!!!!!!!
i wouldn't go into this expecting to learn a lot of history about iran. the 1950s political scene is the backdrop of the plot and is involved with the characters but isn't loaded with facts and information, so adjust your expectations accordingly!
i loved this book because it was like "The Notebook" (the movie, haven't read the book) but ethnic and thus more interesting lol. while there are some cliches, i didn't mind them in this particular sense because it wasn't used distastefully, i don't think. when i put myself in roya's shoes, it felt like i was experiencing the new love and glamour that is associated with 1950s nostalgia (yes it was not a good time period for ethnic people i know).
i loved the main couple as well as the supporting couple and characters. i think they all sort of stood out, or at least helped move the plot along. i loved the time jump between the 1950s and modern times (1953) and i love that the "second lead" of sorts wasn't made to just juxtapose the first love; they were both good people to love in different ways, which pulled at your heartstrings even more.
the reasons i gave this a 4.75 instead of a full 5 (i know, tragic right): i'm not sure if the way mental illness is portrayed is mmmm PC? but also i think that's the point of how it's written—since this is a time and place where mental illness wouldn't really be handled with utmost care so i get it. also, i'm not sure if i liked the lgbtq small twist just because it was kinda random and not developed? it would've been interesting to dive into that more.
doesn't detract from the fact that i teared up at 3am when this ended!!!!!!
i wouldn't go into this expecting to learn a lot of history about iran. the 1950s political scene is the backdrop of the plot and is involved with the characters but isn't loaded with facts and information, so adjust your expectations accordingly!
i loved this book because it was like "The Notebook" (the movie, haven't read the book) but ethnic and thus more interesting lol. while there are some cliches, i didn't mind them in this particular sense because it wasn't used distastefully, i don't think. when i put myself in roya's shoes, it felt like i was experiencing the new love and glamour that is associated with 1950s nostalgia (yes it was not a good time period for ethnic people i know).
i loved the main couple as well as the supporting couple and characters. i think they all sort of stood out, or at least helped move the plot along. i loved the time jump between the 1950s and modern times (1953) and i love that the "second lead" of sorts wasn't made to just juxtapose the first love; they were both good people to love in different ways, which pulled at your heartstrings even more.
the reasons i gave this a 4.75 instead of a full 5 (i know, tragic right): i'm not sure if the way mental illness is portrayed is mmmm PC? but also i think that's the point of how it's written—since this is a time and place where mental illness wouldn't really be handled with utmost care so i get it. also, i'm not sure if i liked the lgbtq small twist just because it was kinda random and not developed? it would've been interesting to dive into that more.
doesn't detract from the fact that i teared up at 3am when this ended!!!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Police brutality
Minor: Dementia