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vumalilli's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Confinement, Genocide, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Deportation
Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, and Terminal illness
Minor: Domestic abuse
stellenelcielo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book was beautifully written, although jarring in the particular themes it included, such as: Trafficking/Prostitution, Sexual Assault, Solitary Confinement
The story follows a character, Nahr, as she recalls her life while spending 16 years in solitary confinement in an Israeli prison. From her childhood, born of Palestinian refugees in Kuwait after the 1967 war, to then Jordan after the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait was overcome, to Palestine before the 2nd Intifada.
I really liked that it maintained a feminist theme to it. Characters like Nahr are a joy, she constantly advocates for herself, and is entertainingly snippy when she’s insulted. Her sense of humour is pretty sly, and she’s written realistically, in that she still has moments of introspection that doesn’t paint her in the best light, which she acknowledges and moves on to try and do better.
The events of her life, from a failure of her marriage, to being tricked and blackmailed into prostitution, to returning to Palestine and finding love there, drawn into acting against the occupation. It’s genuinely a powerful novel that broke my heart a few times. Definitely recommend.
Graphic: Confinement, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Murder, Colonisation, and Deportation
Minor: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, and Abortion
geoalice23's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
twitchywitchy314's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Islamophobia, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: Death and Homophobia
ddnreads's review against another edition
- 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
But this book is much more than the love story of Nahr and Bilal (eventhough their love is extraordinarily tender and healing).
Unputdownable and sharp, Against the Loveless World told a life of a woman who tried to find her way among the generational trauma of colonialism, refugee, and occupation.
I love how the characters are flawed. How bare and jarring they told their lives. I love the raw honesty, the swearing, the curses.
This is a feminist book in its own way.
I wept for the love mothers share. Their toughness through the worst of conditions. They're the real world's strongest soldiers.
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Deportation
holmahoney's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Colonisation
shieldbearer's review against another edition
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Deportation
Moderate: Infertility, Antisemitism, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Outing
vanessamariebooks's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Ableism, Dementia, Outing, and Cultural appropriation
schlady's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Islamophobia, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Blood, Vomit, Car accident, and Alcohol
dragongirl271's review against another edition
- 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
Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa
This book is phenomenal. It's absolutely fantastic in so many ways and I've been putting off this review for over a week because I simply cannot come up with the words that can do it justice.
This is the fictional story of Nahr, a Palestinian woman imprisoned by Israel for her part in the resistance against Israeli settlers. She's in a solitary confinement cell called The Cube with her only human interaction being guards and reporters. After finally getting access to pen and paper, she spends her time writing out her life story, which are the narrative flashbacks that make up the book.
Nahr's tale is one of love, loss, desperation, resiliency, radicalization, resistance, and survival. Her story and her relationships are complicated and messy. An entire book could be written just analyzing her relationship to Um Baraq, who throughout the book plays villain and best friend and savior and confidante. There's quite a few full-circle moments in her relationships that just elevate the storytelling of the novel. Abulhawa is so good at working out all the complexities in a character that make them feel so real and human. I've thought about this book every day since I first started reading it and, were it not for the #JanuaryPagesChallenge, probably would've taken a week or two off from even attempting to read another book to simply just let it sit with me.
1st-person POV. Mixed pacing. Two timelines with the majority of the narrative in the flashbacks leading up to present day. A complicated journey of resisting oppression in many different ways.
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual violence, Torture, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Abortion, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail