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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
kshertz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
mayacymone'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? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Grief
readandchill23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual assault and Colonisation
Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Terminal illness, Torture, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Outing, Toxic friendship, War, and Deportation
Minor: Sexism
kelseyvsy'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
4.5
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Cancer, Drug use, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Police brutality, and Gaslighting
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
ogechi_reads'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Physical abuse, Abortion, and Deportation
zoekyriacou'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, and Abortion
Moderate: Child death, Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder
saucy_bookdragon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Against the Loveless World is a very thematically charged novel. Following the life of a Palestinian woman named Nahr, she is continuously upheaved by political turmoil leading to her making home in various places including Kuwait, Jordan, and Palestine, eventually landing her in an Israeli prison where she writes her story. Along the way the book discusses a very large variety of topics related to the region, including but not limited to genocide, colonialism, and feminism. It's a fiction novel that reflects the reality for many Palestinians.
The prose was absolutely gorgeous, flowing smoothly and lyrically, immediately transporting the reader into the story. It's pretty episodic and I liked some sections more than others, in particular the one where she was a prostitute and the one where she was actively rebelling against Israel I found the most interesting and poignant. I do wish that the book had lingered more on some aspects as at times it felt as if it was mentioning themes and topics without fleshing them fully out. I also found Nahr to be somewhat distant from the reader, she was often pretty passive and I never felt I really knew what were her personal beliefs and motives. The sections I mentioned enjoying the most where the ones Nahr and the themes were the most fully realized.
There's a lot to unpack and think about with this book and it's a good reminder for me that I still have a lot to learn about Middle Eastern history. It's a thematically rich story about someone marginalized by both her ethnicity and gender, left wayward in a world torn apart by violence.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: Antisemitism
corriejn's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit, Medical trauma, and Abortion
Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy