Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

9 reviews

rimsha04's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder

libbyyjo's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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

Moderate: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail

bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Genocide, Gore, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail

memoirsofabooklover's review against another edition

challenging hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.75

this book was beautifully written; i highlighted so many passages. the story was beautiful as well, it told the reality for so many, and is a really important piece of modern literature as to the syrian war and the struggles of those who leave their homelands, everything they know, after countless unimaginable loss, living in inhumane conditions, seeing monstrous acts, living under the constant threat of death and worse, and then risking their lives and spending all they have, being taken advantage of for the chance of a safer life, only to often arrive in countries where they are seen as a nuisance.
this book is so important and everyone should read it!
aside from the real-world connotations, the fictional story was beautiful

i fell in love with salama and kenan and their loved ones. when we found out that layla wasn’t real: i have not been that shocked by a twist in i don’t know how long, i had not seen it coming at all and it was genuinely heart-wrenching. i appreciated that the ending was “happy” but it didn’t shy away from the long lasting effects of the everything they had been through

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War

Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Xenophobia, Vomit, and Kidnapping

serendipity421's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit

def_ni's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and War

Moderate: Kidnapping

lenchen25's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Genocide, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

halfass_reviewer'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? It's complicated

5.0

This book broke my heart. It mended back, barely. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Kidnapping

ddnreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

Bury me before I bury you.

I'm still incapable of forming the words that captivate my feelings perfectly after reading this book. I don't think my review would ever do the book justice. This is easily the best written story I read this year 😭🍋💛

When I go to heaven, I'll tell God everything.

A book about striving, surviving, loving, and sacrificing. A book about humanity with all its fractured souls and bones. Woven from the bloody Syrian soil, it captured sharply the trauma felt by the innocences, hospital buzzing with new victims everyday, and the inevitable choice between helping or leaving. Staying or trying to be alive.

In a historic city plagued by bombs, life has persisted.

Told through the eyes of a 18yo girl named Salama, the story evolved itself into her daily routine as a pharmacy student turned doctor. Her coping mechanism of losing. Her hallucinations. It was so often torn my heart in pieces. Admist all those, sassy jokes were thrown, an angel disguised doctor, and found a love meant to be. A possibility of new life. And it was blend perfectly.

There are enough people hurting you. Don't be one of them.

Lots of Ghibli references that I don't mind at all. A cute banter. An understanding heart. Halal romance at its best. Siblings love so strong it hurts.

This is a book of hope. It ripped my heart appart and stich it back together. I don't know what else to say than do yourself a favour and read this masterpiece.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting