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pineapple919's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
storiedadventures's review against another edition
4.0
This was an absolute beautiful piece of the strength of the bond between a mother and her daughter. A mama bear ain’t got nothin’ on Nadine. She literally takes on Death. Hanna is a master storyteller. I love how she weaves middle eastern mythology throughout her tale. Layala struggles with who she is and what she is meant to do. As the reader, I definitely feel for these characters, especially as a mother! It is a story of the strength of women. The strength of a mother. I also love that everyone’s soul has a unique story.
icouldbemason's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Xenophobia, and Grief
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Sexism, Death of parent, and Classism
deannawalton's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
inky_cap's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lazstearns's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mickey14's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this story. I especially liked the stories peppered throughout the book, but there were a few things that just didn’t work for me. The most important one was that there was no clear explanation of the “rules” for the magic system. I was so confused throughout the book. Also, things were mentioned and then never explained or just stopped mattering. There is no explanation as to how things came to be. I just needed more world building.
ayzreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
hannahreadsstuff's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Beautiful book, I devoured it.
jgnoelle's review against another edition
4.0
The Jinn Daughter is a short, bittersweet, folkloric tale about jinns, death magic, souls passing on to the afterlife, loss, and the desperate love of mothers for their daughters.
I enjoyed the book's “stories within a story” format that is often seen in Middle Eastern storytelling, as well as the fact that main character Nadine, a jinn bound to her role as Hakawati (the one who moves souls along after death by consuming the pomegranate seed of their soul and releasing the story contained within it) is not an especially righteous character. She lies—has been lying to her 14-year-old daughter Layala for years about the extent of both their powers—she double-crosses, she's a rather suffocating, over-protective mother, albeit understandably given her widowed grief plus the extreme harm humans have inflicted upon jinn, both to the jinn population as a whole and within Nadine's personal life.
The story is simple but not entirely straightforward—Nadine's magic powers as Hakawati were rather arbitrary and the rules for necromancy and the human sacrifice that fueled it seemed a little inconsistent. As well, the pacing of the story was fairly unchanging, which made some of the reveals and turning points feel rushed and emotionally flat. I also felt that Layala was too young at 14 to.
Still, though, the writing was lovely and the message that it’s pointless to try to prolong or reverse the inevitability of death is clear and powerful. Three-and-a-half stars rounded up.
I enjoyed the book's “stories within a story” format that is often seen in Middle Eastern storytelling, as well as the fact that main character Nadine, a jinn bound to her role as Hakawati (the one who moves souls along after death by consuming the pomegranate seed of their soul and releasing the story contained within it) is not an especially righteous character. She lies—has been lying to her 14-year-old daughter Layala for years about the extent of both their powers—she double-crosses, she's a rather suffocating, over-protective mother, albeit understandably given her widowed grief plus the extreme harm humans have inflicted upon jinn, both to the jinn population as a whole and within Nadine's personal life.
The story is simple but not entirely straightforward—Nadine's magic powers as Hakawati were rather arbitrary and the rules for necromancy and the human sacrifice that fueled it seemed a little inconsistent. As well, the pacing of the story was fairly unchanging, which made some of the reveals and turning points feel rushed and emotionally flat. I also felt that Layala was too young at 14 to
Spoiler
believably be so willing to take on the mantle of Death, no matter how overprotective her mother, especially with Layala just starting to learn and experience more of the world outside of her small home and upbringingStill, though, the writing was lovely and the message that it’s pointless to try to prolong or reverse the inevitability of death is clear and powerful. Three-and-a-half stars rounded up.