nuhafariha's reviews
1167 reviews

Dear Diaspora by Susan Nguyen

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

3.75

Thanks University of Nebraska and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Available now!

Susan Nguyen's "Diar Diaspora" is a tender, meticulous letter to a lost generation. Switching between Suzi, a second generation Vietnamese American, and her father, a first generation Vietnamese immigrant, we see how much trauma can shift and travel. Using first hand encounters, newspaper headlines, and research, Nguyen guides through the end of.the Vietnamese War and its aftershocks including mass punishment, the Vietnamese Boat People, American xenophobia and more. At a time when the fate of refugees around the globe seems more precarious than ever before, Nguyen's poetry is worth reading with keen eyes and an open heart.
Zahra's Paradise by Amir

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Part mystery, part political commentary, Zahra's Paradise covers the aftermath of the Irani elections of 2009. When Mehdi Alvani goes missing after a student protest, it is up to his mother and his brother to find out what happened. They follow the trail of breadcrumbs through corrupt political offices, aristocratic homes, and even a secret underground print house. The level of detail and suspense in this comic were wonderful and kept the reader engaged. I teared up at the horrific ending, especially as a mother myself.
The Moon That Turns You Back: Poems by Hala Alyan

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

4.25

Thank you Ecco & NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available March 12th 2024.

There's something familial about Hala Alyan's work that grips the soul and slowly turns it until you can't help but view the world in a different way. I love the poems in this collection, the way Alyan plays with form, expanding and questioning the very fabric of poetry itself. At the same time, her stories center around traditional themes - motherhood, immigration, and relationships. I devoured these poems, each unlike the other yet together a symphony, like a box of sticky baklava, licking remnants off my fingertips and a delicious echo in my ears.
We Were the Universe by Kimberly King Parsons

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dark emotional funny lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

3.0

Thanks Knopf and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's copy!

Available May 14 2024.

Wild and expansive, Kimberly King Parson's We are the Universe is a touching debut. The story follows Kitty's struggle to balance the grief of her sister's suicide along with her new role as a mother & an ever growing sense of loss of purpose. It's bitingly funny when Kitty goes through her day to day with her daughter Gilda and comments on the other moms, toddler classes and more. At the same time, Kit's own past as a troubled, drug addled teenager with a complicated family life is never far behind. At it's best the book is split between these two dynamics, switching indeterminately to manic observations and tired situations. I laughed, I wiped my eyes a few times, and mostly I wondered - what are we take from here? But maybe that's just the point- the gift is in the grift.
God Mornings, Tiger Nights by Nuha Fariha

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I am biased as I wrote this book, but I hope others enjoy it too!
Golden Rage Vol 1 by Chrissy Williams, Lauren Knight

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 31%.
It was very disjointed and I felt disconnected from the characters.