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izbit's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book mostly because I loved Aaliyah and her voice so much. She's opinionated, funny, pragmatic and just wonderful. The book also provides a very different perspective on the Lebanese wars (both civil and with Israel) than anything I've encountered.
I hadn't heard of half the authors Aaliyah loves (and apparently read the wrong translations of the ones that I have read), but it really didn't matter to my enjoyment of the book. In some ways, it's the flip side for me of Jo Walton's Among Others, which I enjoyed mostly because I *did* know the books she mentioned and shared the experience of having loved discovering them. Even when I don't know the specific book, I know the experience of finding company in literature.
I hadn't heard of half the authors Aaliyah loves (and apparently read the wrong translations of the ones that I have read), but it really didn't matter to my enjoyment of the book. In some ways, it's the flip side for me of Jo Walton's Among Others, which I enjoyed mostly because I *did* know the books she mentioned and shared the experience of having loved discovering them. Even when I don't know the specific book, I know the experience of finding company in literature.
natl's review against another edition
2.0
Enjoyed the writing style, but way too much name dropping for me.
pomegranateicecream's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
4.75
ym3996's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
vegisupreme's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
timothyptle's review against another edition
5.0
It's like listening to a very well-read old lady, something I would love to be able to do in real life but unfortunately, people like her are not easy to find, at least where I am.
And some of her sentiments strike particularly close to home.
And some of her sentiments strike particularly close to home.
trigory's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
isela_b's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- 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
3.5
anjalikrishnakumar's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I found this unnervingly relatable and entirely remarkable. What does it mean to truly be lost in a world of one’s own making and how easy is it, really, to escape it?