Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

274 reviews

abigailrsimard's review against another edition

hopeful informative sad medium-paced

5.0

this is one of the most heart wrenching books I have ever read. a rare book that sheds light on both the worst and the best of humanity, this is a must-read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Mental illness, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

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

petitshoo's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Heartbreaking and eye-opening but also full of hope with a love story set amidst the revolution in Syria.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, and War

Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, Violence, Death of parent, and War

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

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

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Genocide, Gore, and Forced institutionalization