Reviews with content warning for Forced institutionalization - As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow

Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

8 reviews

nasab's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Unforgettable story, beautiful strong characters , well executed plot. This book shook me to the core and played with my heart strings. Simply remembering some scenes in the book brings tears to my eyes because i know that it's not just fiction and these things, and even worse, do happen.
It feels different reading this after Syria is finally freed from the sadistic rule of Bashar Alasad. I'm really glad that Syrians reclaimed authority over their land and I hope in the next few years their country will grow and bloom.

I made the mistake of reading this at work, risking weeping in front of patients and coworkers. As I rarely tear up in emotional scenes, crying in public isn't something I'm concerned about. But this book did it, twice even. Reading it broke my heart, I can't comprehend how it affects people living and witnessing the massacre and loss. May god protect us all.

Salama is a pharmacist. She just finished her second year when her world shifted completely. Her father and brother were arrested. Her mother died in front of her. The only family she has is her cousin Layla who is basically a sister. When her mother died she started seeing hallucinations in the form of Khawf, a tall man in black with bright blue eyes, who is the manifestation of fear. He shows her all the bad possibilities and and increases her mistrust and doubts. What he does to her mental well being is torture, but at the same time it's pretty sane and logical. A good amount of fear is necessary.

Kenan is one year older than Salama and is an animator. He's just the sweetest boy ever, considerate, caring, respectful, thoughtful. I'm just so happy he found Salama and she found him. They desperately needed one another especially Salama. He became her family.

Layla is hope, just as much as Khawf is fear. She helped Salama see the light at the end of the tunnel. Khawf scared her of staying in Syria, while Layla showed her hope in life outside of Syria.

I'm not gonna talk about chapter 29. I don't know why I didn't expect it. I thought she would die of hunger and fever but not that she wasn't there at all. Even thinking about it now brings tears to my eyes. Salama was completely lonely for five whole months. Talking to herself and hugging herself. I shouldn't be surprised considering the amount of trauma she endured. Later she received the news that her father died in prison but her brother's state is unknown, but death is kinder than life in prison. She lost everyone and everything. Her mind conjured Layla at a desperate attempt to keep her from crumbling. Thank God she had Kenan by her side.

Yousef is terribly traumatized. He lost both of his parents and the shock left him mute. He probably has hallucinations just like Salama. This war would tear apart the mental health of an adult let alone a child of thirteen years.

This is the first novel I've read that has halal love! It's wonderful and wholesome and in my opinion I think respecting boundaries and having controll over yourself is so commendable in the character of someone you want to share a lifetime with. His feelings and temptations were always there but he never acted on them until they were married and their relationship not a secret. I hope more novels represent this pure type of love.

When the Syrian revolution started, I was too young to understand why it happened. This book also informed me about the situation in Syria for years. Citizens' anger had been growing for years, and the Arab Spring gave them hope for change, but the dictatorship would rather burn itself and everything in its way to a crisp before backing down.

About the ending, I'm so glad the author didn't leave us hanging and reassured us of our protagonists fate for at least 3 years forward. It warmed my heart and allowed me to leave the book in good spirit.

This is one of the books that never really leave you. It's will definitely be one of my all-time favorites.

Qoutes:

"Don't you think the Syrian dictatorship is more like a cancer that has been growing in Syria's body for decades, and the surgery. despite the risks, is better than submitting to the cancer?"

"Auntie, don't cry. When I go to Heaven, I'll tell God everything"

His emotional growth is a plant that people forgot to water, so it tries to capture any moisture it can.

Content Warnings

nataliecoyne's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring sad 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

"Why are you crying?"
Because Kenan and Salama can go home now. 🇸🇾❤️‍🩹

This isn't actually a quote from this book, but rather from a TikTok by @soumiaelmarr that I saw just over a week ago, following the collapse of the Assad regime. I had this book on my tbr list before all of the more recent events, and definitely before seeing that TikTok, but that TikTok definitely bumped it up on my tbr. And I'm glad it did, this was a great read and one I'd absolutely recommend to others.

It's a very emotional and touching story. I almost cried at several points throughout. With the more recent events in Syria, I think it also gives a lot of context that some may not know about. For example, with Sednaya Prison.

I know it's said repeatedly that Salama hopes Hamza dies, to avoid the terrible torture. I can completely understand that seeing all of the stories come out of the prison. But I also like to imagine myself that Hamza is one of the newly freed prisoners.

This is definitely a five star read, and one that I feel everyone should read.

Also, stick around for the acknowledgments section. After such an emotional rollercoaster, it provided some lightheartedness (particularly with the shoutouts to Suzanne Collins, Taylor Swift, and BTS, I get it though I would also shoutout Taylor Swift if I were to ever write a book).

I saw on Instagram that the author is working on another book, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with.

Content Warnings

gabriellegoldenhour's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense slow-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

Content Warnings

serendipity421's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense slow-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

4.25

Content Warnings

bint_idris517's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

5.0

The way this book had me fully sobbing the whole way through! It rips your heart out only to mend it again only to rip it back out again😭😭😭😭 and the way the halal romance is done in this book...incredible 5 out of 5? Naaa 10 out of 10...Zoulfa Katouh has me feeling too many emotions to count (main ones being sadness and hope)😭😭🩵🩵

Content Warnings