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drsarahgrace's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Rape
miss_jackson's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Rape and War
Moderate: Child death, Sexual violence, and Murder
Minor: Suicide and Xenophobia
misha_ali'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? Yes
4.75
Faraz Ali is the illegitimate son of a rich man (now Minister) and a courtesan in Lahore's Moholla. He was plucked from his home with his mother and sister in the Moholla at a young age by his father and placed in the care of relatives. Thus, he grows up, ashamed of his true identity, a kanjar and illegitimate child his own father will not openly acknowledge. His father arranges a choice posting for his grown son, now a police inspector, to the Moholla to discreetly arrange for a murder to be "taken care of" without making any noise officially. Faraz takes this opportunity to try and find his long lost family, despite having almost nothing to go on except his mother's name and that she was a courtesan here and never came to take him back.
The rotational point of view chapters do a fantastic job of fleshing out the complexities and motivations of various characters. In addition to Faraz, chafing against being ordered around but never claimed by society, we have point-of-view chapters from his sister, now an ageing movie star who has found herself back in the Moholla, his father in his youth in the army, and others. All of these are carefully crafted to fill in the stories about Faraz's life and family and leading to a satisfying conclusion following an extended period of Faraz's bone-deep loneliness and shame.
One of the best things about this book is its illustration of an uncaring world in both Pakistan, the newly born Bangladesh, and elsewhere. The characters are lost and trying to find home while the world averts it eyes from their pain.
“There is no end to what God will take from you, Rozina thought, as the people of the Mohalla waited for Mina to give up, to submit to the vastness of her loss—so that they might return to whatever it was they had been doing before.”
If you're looking for a fantastic book about the pathos-filled lives of the poor and disenfranchised in this part of the world that avoids cliche and has an excellent cast of complex characters, this is it.
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
veka'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
4.75
Moderate: Rape
brianreadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War
laurajeangrace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, and War
Moderate: Xenophobia and Vomit
Minor: Gun violence
patchworkculture's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual violence, and Grief
izarah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Torture, and Murder
uranaishi'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
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Fatphobia, Infertility, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
sara_c23'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? No
3.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, and Rape
Minor: Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, and War