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awen_mair's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Learnt a lot and some of the writing was good. One of the themes is family but I don’t feel like I got to see enough of the inner dynamics - lots of undeveloped potential. The narrative was quite disjointed/abrupt at times, to the point where I often had to rewind to make sure I hadn’t accidentally skipped a chapter.
beralo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
lauraroseapostrophe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.5
fernbomb's review against another edition
2.0
This book was rough, with small pockets of decent writing here and there. The pacing and the dialog was so difficult to follow, but the story itself is fascinating and important.
richardwiggins's review against another edition
3.0
The best thing this book gave me was an appreciation and knowledge of the formation of Bangladesh and the civil uprising that led to it. I loved that aspect.
The plot was great. The characters were great. The pacing was off though, in my opinion. A large chunk of the book is dedicated to descriptions of smells, landscapes, environments, which is fine at first but eventually slows things down considerably.
The plot was great. The characters were great. The pacing was off though, in my opinion. A large chunk of the book is dedicated to descriptions of smells, landscapes, environments, which is fine at first but eventually slows things down considerably.
lastpaige111's review against another edition
5.0
Marvelous. I learned so much about Bangladesh while falling completely in love with Rahema and her children. Beautiful prose, so many delicately interwoven plot lines, like silk in a sari.
herielma's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
thahiasreadinglog's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
OH MY GOD.
This book was everything I wanted when picking it up. It was my first time reading a YA book surrounding the Bangladesh Liberation War and the struggles faced by my country pre-1971
I was skeptical at first to read it, afraid that it would not do the subject justice or could send the wrong message - i was pleasantly proven wrong. The writing style was excellent, exactly the way I like it. I felt like I was watching them through a screen. The characters were so lovable and complex. The slight hints of romance were the perfect addition, the romance was not the centre of the plot which I appreciated.
The references to Bangla culture were everything to me!!!! From food to clothes to little tid-bits of daily life here and there. ARGH. I’ve never read a book which had me feeling so connected to the characters. The hints of mentions of religion were perfect too.
The subject surrounding the book are so so important and every child from the diaspora should be encouraged to pick up a book like this to learn more about the struggles faced by those before us to liberate our nation. I will definitely be recommending this read to others and also picking up more of Tahmima Anam’s books.
A few moments in the books did have me feeling kind of “huh?” and wondering what on earth was the need for these scenes. One example being when Rehana led the prayer in front of the men — completely unnecessary and also would never happen in real life. Another example was when Rehana was encouraged to drink whisky by her friends….. and she did. Girl stand up. These facts I feel like could’ve been skipped completely and the plot would’ve stayed the exact same. But idk.
Rehana was an interesting character in the sense that she wasn’t very headstrong and couldn’t put her foot down when necessary. This seems intentional and I appreciate it. However, it was difficult to root for her when she was just LETTING her children dive into war repeatedly without even trying to stop them even a tiny bit.
This book was everything I wanted when picking it up. It was my first time reading a YA book surrounding the Bangladesh Liberation War and the struggles faced by my country pre-1971
I was skeptical at first to read it, afraid that it would not do the subject justice or could send the wrong message - i was pleasantly proven wrong. The writing style was excellent, exactly the way I like it. I felt like I was watching them through a screen. The characters were so lovable and complex. The slight hints of romance were the perfect addition, the romance was not the centre of the plot which I appreciated.
The references to Bangla culture were everything to me!!!! From food to clothes to little tid-bits of daily life here and there. ARGH. I’ve never read a book which had me feeling so connected to the characters. The hints of mentions of religion were perfect too.
The subject surrounding the book are so so important and every child from the diaspora should be encouraged to pick up a book like this to learn more about the struggles faced by those before us to liberate our nation. I will definitely be recommending this read to others and also picking up more of Tahmima Anam’s books.
A few moments in the books did have me feeling kind of “huh?” and wondering what on earth was the need for these scenes. One example being when Rehana led the prayer in front of the men — completely unnecessary and also would never happen in real life. Another example was when Rehana was encouraged to drink whisky by her friends….. and she did. Girl stand up. These facts I feel like could’ve been skipped completely and the plot would’ve stayed the exact same. But idk.
Rehana was an interesting character in the sense that she wasn’t very headstrong and couldn’t put her foot down when necessary. This seems intentional and I appreciate it. However, it was difficult to root for her when she was just LETTING her children dive into war repeatedly without even trying to stop them even a tiny bit.