Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi

20 reviews

emordnilap's review

challenging dark emotional medium-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? Yes

4.75

difficult but important read
should have content warnings in the front(it is what prevents the story from having 5 stars)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, Grief, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Car accident and Islamophobia

elleisntabell's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

3.75

I liked it, but I don't have a lot to say.

As someone who is not Muslim, the comment about burqas felt in poor taste. It seemed rather unnecessary.

It was very short and ended awkwardly. I don't usually love epilogues, but I feel like this book could have actually benefitted from one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia

Moderate: Self harm and Suicidal thoughts

rey_therese07's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Car accident, Drug abuse, Medical content, Physical abuse, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Police brutality, Racism, Religious bigotry, and War

jessicaaaacr's review

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

courtneyfalling's review

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was so beautifully written but so sad and introspective and left me hollow inside. It reminds me a lot in tone and lyrical style of Nina LaCour's We Are Okay, in terms of how I felt while reading. The inconclusive ending is heartbreaking. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Child death, Grief, Islamophobia, Medical content, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

mezzano's review

challenging dark emotional sad 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

4.0

After I had my heart ripped out when I read A Very Large Expanse of Sea, I needed to give Tahreh Mafi's advertised heartbreaker a try. My takeaway? An Emotion of Great Delight benefits greatly from dropping the reader directly into Shadi's life at its worst. The events of 9/11 are clear in everyone's mind and deeply affect the Muslim communities that Shadi interacts with, setting an already anxious and disheartened tone for the story. The feeling of stress builds as we learn more about Shadi's personal experiences. Shadi is grieving the loss of her brother and ailing parents but she must still grow from failing relationships and difficult subjects at school. The feelings that Shadi goes through are rightfully dramatic, and with everything that she has on her plate, her urge to avoid further drama and conflict is relatable. After all, who would want to orchestrate an earthquake on brittle soil? I was amazed by Mafi's ability to write a full story with a satisfying ending when the story itself only covers a couple days.

Despite the clear trauma that the outside world has placed upon Shadi, I appreciated that the historical notes did not detract from the nuances of Shadi's struggle as a teenager. Shadi's Muslim identity was effortlessly woven in the narrative and yet was not used as a mechanism for pity. Shadi instead grappled with her faith after repeated trauma, and questioned her ability to trust others as a result of the discrimination she faced over the past year. Shadi's personal issues and the crux of the story wasn't about 9/11. It was about whether or not Shadi should give a friend the opportunity for a romantic relationship, or force herself to remain at her current social status quo. While external factors such as her family posed challenges for Shadi, at the end of the day, this novel is about Shadi's own growth. Shadi shines in this story, even when she feels she's about to break. She's allowed to solve her own issues, even as the world and others have their own to figure out. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Racism

Minor: Xenophobia and Police brutality

beabookish's review

fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, Self harm, Bullying, and Islamophobia

carrotcake's review against another edition

sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Its hard to rate this book but if you're looking for a sad contemporary then read this

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

stevielynne's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Death, Grief, Islamophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Blood

betweentheshelves's review

emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of this to review! I loved Tahereh Mafi's last foray into contemporary, and I was super excited for this one. As expected, it was a very emotional journey with a lot to unpack.

Every time I read a book by Mafi, I'm always in awe of her prose. It feels so poetic, and that shines in this book. Her prose lends itself to the emotions in this book, bringing them to life. Shadi is hurting, and you can feel it through the pages of this book. She misses her brother, she misses her friends, and she's angry with her father. An Emotion of Great Delight is such a fitting title for this book, and definitely the strength of the story.

This book is also a great study in character. We learn a lot about Shadi throughout the book, as it flips between before and after her brother's death. The landscape for Muslim people right after 9/11 is so realistic in this book. Mafi's books definitely stand out in this regard, as I don't think I can think of any other books that deal specifically with that time period. You feel Shadi's desire to hide, to blend in. This is definitely an emotional, character driven book.

The only complaint I really have is the ending. Overall, the book is on the shorter side for YA, and the ending comes kind of abruptly. At least, it felt abrupt for me. There's a little resolution in Shadi's situation, but I never really felt like Shadi herself had a resolution. While I normally don't mind open endings, I just wanted a little more from the ending in this book that was so incredibly emotional.

All in all, if you're looking for an emotion driven book with poetic prose, this is the book for you! Plus, that cover is just gorgeous. 

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Wow, this ends so abruptly. Mafi's prose is so poetic and emotional, I'm just confused by the ending of this book. More to come in a review next week!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Islamophobia, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Medical content