A review by girlreading
The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf
5.0
4.75* A beautifully put together story of a young girls desperate journey to reunite with her mother, despite the riots in the streets and the one in her mind.
There was an air of tension hovering over each sentence in this book and an urgency that made me anxious with every page I turned. I thought the candid, raw approach to Melati’s OCD and anxiety was fantastic. It brilliantly explored how debilitating and isolating mental illness can be at times, whilst also being hopeful, showing that having a mental illness doesn’t define you, nor does it prevent you from having an incredible amount of strength and bravery.
Despite going through so much in such a short amount of time, I loved the way Alkaf managed to make Melati and the way she reacted to the situation she found herself in, feel incredibly genuine.
Shamefully, I knew next to nothing about the 1969 Malaysian race riots prior to reading this book and while this book inspired me to do further reading of the event, I was awed by the way in which Alkaf depicted them. It was a brilliantly balanced illustration of the events that gave enough information for someone who knew nothing about them to easily follow the story, as well as learning about this important historic event.
Another aspect I absolutely adored? The trigger warnings in the authors note at the begging. It’s so simple and easy to do but can make a world of difference to readers. And to authors adamantly against trigger warnings, it didn’t spoil anything and made me appreciate the book and author ever more.
Personally, I felt the ending was a little rushed and despite liking the way it concluded, I wish it had been expanded on a little further. However, I think the fact that the only criticism I have of this book basically comes down to ‘I didn’t want it to end’, I think it’s safe to say I thought this book was superb.
If you’re looking for a beautifully written story featuring wonderful characters, strong relationships and a plot that will have your heart pumping from start to finish, The Weight of Our Sky is a must read.
TW: OCD, ableist language, ableism, racism, panic attacks, anxiety
There was an air of tension hovering over each sentence in this book and an urgency that made me anxious with every page I turned. I thought the candid, raw approach to Melati’s OCD and anxiety was fantastic. It brilliantly explored how debilitating and isolating mental illness can be at times, whilst also being hopeful, showing that having a mental illness doesn’t define you, nor does it prevent you from having an incredible amount of strength and bravery.
Despite going through so much in such a short amount of time, I loved the way Alkaf managed to make Melati and the way she reacted to the situation she found herself in, feel incredibly genuine.
Shamefully, I knew next to nothing about the 1969 Malaysian race riots prior to reading this book and while this book inspired me to do further reading of the event, I was awed by the way in which Alkaf depicted them. It was a brilliantly balanced illustration of the events that gave enough information for someone who knew nothing about them to easily follow the story, as well as learning about this important historic event.
Another aspect I absolutely adored? The trigger warnings in the authors note at the begging. It’s so simple and easy to do but can make a world of difference to readers. And to authors adamantly against trigger warnings, it didn’t spoil anything and made me appreciate the book and author ever more.
Personally, I felt the ending was a little rushed and despite liking the way it concluded, I wish it had been expanded on a little further. However, I think the fact that the only criticism I have of this book basically comes down to ‘I didn’t want it to end’, I think it’s safe to say I thought this book was superb.
If you’re looking for a beautifully written story featuring wonderful characters, strong relationships and a plot that will have your heart pumping from start to finish, The Weight of Our Sky is a must read.
TW: OCD, ableist language, ableism, racism, panic attacks, anxiety