Reviews tagging 'Blood'

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

229 reviews

spellbindingtomes'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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail

hello_lovely13'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? Yes

3.5

This unfortunately did not hit as I was expecting it to, and I think the primary reason is that I don't like how the character Khawf (hallucination/physical manifestation of Salama's fear) was utilized. For a majority of the book, but mainly the first half, he often felt like he was expressing Salama's fear in an overly cruel and aggressive way that felt more like fear-mongering rather than for survival. It got better at the very end when he popped up during crucial moments where Salama needed to make a decision or die (such as

when she suspected the bomb would drop on the hospital or when they had to jump into the water from the boat

). Another part of why I didn't really like Khawf's character is similar to why I didn't fully like I Fell in Love with Hope.

I was able to predict one of the main plot twists of the book pretty early on (

Layla already being dead

), so sometimes I was a bit impatient for it to be revealed, though I thought that the reveal was done well. After the halfway mark, not as much time was spent focused on the character the plot twist is based around (not in a bad way), so the reading experience got better.

I really liked the relationship between Salama and Kenan. It was very sweet, and their romance didn't feel unnecessary at all because the set-up was well done, and their chemistry made sense. I also like that all of Salama's secrets (apart from

Layla

, but she finds out when Kenan does, so it is done well) are revealed by her own volition and the conflicts between the two are resolved through healthy communication. I was surprised when Kenan

agreed to flee Syria with his siblings and Salama

, but I'm glad they got their version of a

happy ending

. I think that the references to Studio Ghibli usually felt randomly dropped in, except for references to Castle in the Sky, which were well-placed and reflected their relationship and circumstances well.

This book really does go into some brutal detail and makes the characters make tough decisions, each of which are done vividly and realistically. Overall, despite a couple details that I was nit-picky about, I would recommend this and could definitely picture myself rereading it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Grief, and War

Moderate: Rape, Blood, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Torture

ellaa_aahhh's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment

Minor: Rape and Torture

quinoafox's review against another edition

Just too much gore and violence. I loved the story but it was much harder to read than I thought it would be

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail

jstark'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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, Medical content, and War

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Mass/school shootings

kenanslvr's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring 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

4.0

I loved this book so much. it was so good and I would definitely read it again. the author explored the characters feelings perfectly and wrote the story beautifully. it is a nice book to read for educational purposes as well if wanting to learn more on war. I really enjoyed it as it touched my heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Medical trauma, and War

Moderate: Blood, Vomit, and Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage

singingshooter's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring lighthearted 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

This book is both heartbreaking and warming. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, and War

Moderate: Child death, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexism, Torture, and Pregnancy

handowskie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad tense fast-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, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail

foeksia's review against another edition

dark hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

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