Reviews tagging 'Torture'

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

150 reviews

booksanna's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Rarely do I ever start a book not because of its popularity or blurbs, but of the Acknowledgements page. This is one of them.
It takes tremendous amount of time and strength to write a well-written book, and seeing this author not only thank the people important in her life, but also thank all the other authors, creators, and artists that helped them on the way. All of these works of art really added to the story and truly made this book so beautiful.

I saw the BTS reference heheh, and the katniss and peeta

Firstly, I want to discuss how well-written the characters are. With unique personalities, interests, skills, and dreams. Layla with her personality, Knawf with his twisted ways of keeping Salama alive, Kenan with his joy, Hamza with his determination, and Salama with her strength. Life was breathing in all those characters(even the ones who were not alive). Even the villains had a depth of humanity to them that made me even more furious with them. 
The plot itself was beautifully written, although the author changed the timeline of the events, I really like how she tried to keep the depiction and the story of Syria as realistic as possible. Knowing that this fictional story has so much pain and truth makes it so much more than a story. But an urgent light of hope and strength. I also liked how mental health and its presence in the revolution was portrayed. The plot twists were very well-written, and some scenes left me sobbing with the beautiful (and terrifying) imagery.
I love this book. I hope its message spreads.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, and War

Moderate: Rape, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Self harm and Torture

eunnerd's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Poignant, heavy, and grief-stricken. I appreciate this book for opening my eyes to the horrors of war. The hospital scenes were especially hard to read and that plot twist punched me hard in the face.

Writing style was a hit or miss. Some moments were great while others a bit cheesy. I wasn't a fan of the out of place anatomical terms and overly repetitive studio ghibli references. Overall, it was unique read that made me appreciate freedom even more. Solid 4.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Medical content, and Murder

khadfield13's review against another edition

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

multitalented_egg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

One of the most beautiful, thought-invoking books I've read in a while. It follows a young girl, Salama, through the horrors she faces during Syrian war, her guilt, her loss, the difficult decisions she has to make everyday, as well as the people she meets along the way. Reading this book evokes emotion from the first till the last page; whenever you think her story can't get more tragic, it does. 
It also shows how Salama suffers from PTSD, which materializes in the form of a man named Khawf - which literally translates to 'fear' in English. 
This story features the blooming of hope in a battered heart that believes hope is a luxury, and a brain that creates multiple coping mechanisms to help its owner keep up. 
But most of all, it shows the suffering of those who are ignored, whose lives are mere numbers, who are forgotten after the bullet goes through their skulls, and the rigid dichotomy between the suffering of the Palestinians and Syrians. 
With a halal romance subplot going on,  this book is a refreshing representation, and a perfect segue into educating ourselves more about the unfortunate.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and War

Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual assault and Torture

scarlettmay's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I have never had a piece of writing stick with me in the way that “As long as the lemon trees grow” has. This book has opened my eyes. It explores the revolution in Syria in a complex and beautiful way that we do not experience often in western media. With well fleshed out characters and a gripping plot- this book will shock you and take you on such a journey. I have recommended it to every person I have seen since I finished it. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

lisewolters's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and War

Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, and Mass/school shootings

meggles801's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

"No matter what happens, you remember that this world is more than the agony it contains. We can have happiness. Maybe it doesn't come in a cookie-cutter format, but we will take the fragments and we will rebuild it."

I do not feel that I can write a review that will truly encapsulate the emotions this book brought out of me. I felt every single one. I felt grief, laughter, shock, anger, surprise, giddiness, and true sorrow that I didn't think my heart would recover from. I've seen so many documentaries and stories about Syria and what the Syrian people are being forced to endure, but nothing has truly brought a real and tangible face to the people of Syria like the characters in this book. I absolutely love each and every none of them, and I hope that everyone reads this book and is able to see what life truly is like for so many people in Syria, told through the words of a truly gifted author. 

This story and all of it's characters will live with me for a very, very long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and War

meg2009's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Grief, and War

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Torture

Minor: Vomit and Trafficking

kia_y_k's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative sad tense

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

piprigsby's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective 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

4.75

this book is so good. first of all, it is so very informative (despite being fiction) about the syrian civil war, and the reflections of grief and trauma are written beautifully. secondly, THIS IS LOVE PEOPLE. kenan and salama are so freaking cute and the course of their romance is so good. every time kenan called her "my wife" made me silent scream it was so good. 


SPOILERS

i do have to say that i was very worried that the author would not address salama using samar's life as leverage to get away from syria, just because i had it in the back of my mind every time salama and kenan were super happy, but i was satisfied with how salama told kenan, and his reaction of "you have suffered enough" because of what she did changed my life. especially because i totally recognize that she was just trying to lookout for her loved ones, but that she recognized that it was still not a great thing to do. 

SPOILERS OVER

i think i'm kind of around a 4.75 just because of the whole holding a child's life hostage, despite knowing that she was doing it for her loved ones and to keep her promise to hamza, and i can't judge her too much because she was forced into a horrible position. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Eating disorder, Torture, Vomit, and Pregnancy