Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

83 reviews

elocinrhom's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

I went into this book completely blind.  It was one of my book clubs' picks of the month and I was told it was historical fiction.  Sold without even reading a synopsis.  I did have to break out of the traditional "historical fiction" mindset because this conflict is so recent.  I don't usually have Facebook in my historical fiction so that broke my brain slightly.  But I was fully engaged in Salama's story from the very start.  There are just enough twists and turns that make reading a book about a conflict you know a bit about new again. One particular twist threw me so hard that I had to stop reading and process for a bit before continuing.  So good.  Katouh wrote a book that embodies the whole range of human emotion so well that it's hard to believe that she's a young debut author.  I would be sad, scared, and extremely angry at times, but it also would make me laugh and my heart swell in the next chapter. Highly recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Violence, Medical content, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail

crayoncrayonn's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Vomit, and War

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Medical content

Minor: Sexual violence

autumn_melon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

So beautifully written!! But amidst all the devastation, there's a palpable hope and love. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Sexual violence and War

Minor: Vomit

rebeccakoury's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring 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

I am absolutely wrecked. I teared up for a bit but then at about 60% I started crying, which turned to sobbing, which turned to covering my eyes and mouth trying to not scream, turned to racing to my husband to get comfort, turned back to reading and crying for the rest of the book.

This story will stay with me forever. I am devastated but I feel honored to have read this story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Gore, and Torture

jesselynne0106's review against another edition

informative sad medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Abandonment, and War

wyvernsandwords's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

shanbam4's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Genocide, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and War

peregrina2023's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Pregnancy

nehaanna's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

I haven’t cried over a book in years. I’ve read plenty of war novels, novels about trauma and violence and fear and PTSD and unjust regimes and war crimes. But this book tapped into something so honest and wrenching. It’s a privilege to be able to just read about the Syrian Civil War and not ever experience something like it, as Syria did or as Palestine continues to feel. There is so much storytelling about the human range of emotions and ability to survive. Our brains are wired to adapt and overcome in the harshest of circumstances, and this book demonstrates this. 

There is no amount of words for the grief this book inspires. I think I started crying when I read the words “I’ll tell God everything,” and I never stopped. Reading this about a month or so after the Assad regime fell in Syria and a few days into a tentative ceasefire in Palestine, I can only think of the war torn, the displaced, the refugees, the asylum seekers, the ones who fled their country of birth for the chance of life. And now they can return home, their hopes have come to fruition. This book is just one of many stories about so many Salama’s, Kenan’s, Layla’s, Hamza’s, Lama’s, Yousuf’s, Dr. Zaid, and so many more. May their hearts be at peace and their souls at rest.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and War

Moderate: Confinement, Eating disorder, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

frenandjen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail