A review by nenaveenstra
Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

dark informative reflective medium-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? No

3.5

 I’m struggling to write this review. Obviously this book is very well-loved, which is in part of why I read it - the other reason why I picked it up is because I wanted to learn more about the Israel-Palestina situation, and it definitely achieved that. But I found myself feeling bored, having to force myself to pick the book back up whenever I had put it down. I am relieved now that it’s finished and get to move on to something else. 

Part of the reason why is the writing style. It is often very matter-of-fact, and filled with a lot of dialogue. I was confused about the timeline, and it was like the narrator was floating above the characters, observing the situation from afar rather than living - and feeling - it, which is weird, because Nahr is our narrator, and she has supposedly lived it all. As a result, I found it hard to distinguish the characters from each other - I had to consciously label them in my head as ‘the brother’, ‘the pimp’, ‘the wife of …’, etc. - and to empathize with them. 

I could sympathize, though, as Nahr obviously lives through very messed up situations. I think this book succeeded in teaching us about Muslim culture and the hardships Palestinians have to endure time and time again, treated as an impostor, even in their own country. It might not have hit me emotionally as much as I had hoped, but I still think people should read it, if only to understand why we should call for a ceasefire. 
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