Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi

22 reviews

maggiemercutio's review

reflective sad fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt

Moderate: Islamophobia

jessicaaaacr's review

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

kommatator's review

emotional sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Grief, Car accident, Chronic illness, Death, Toxic friendship, and Self harm

Moderate: Drug use, Islamophobia, Medical content, and Alcohol

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

ceecee9093's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Grief, Islamophobia, Child death, and Death

Moderate: Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, and Self harm

Minor: Car accident, Cursing, and Suicide attempt

maddsleighh's review

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt and Child death

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

gem114's review

challenging dark emotional sad 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

2.0

An Emotion of Great Delight follows Shadi, a Muslim teen in a post-9/11 America, through a particularly challenging period of her life.  Not only does she have to deal with her community's Islamophobia, but her family has been wrecked by grief over her brother's recent death.  Her parents' health is fragile, her relationship with her sister is strained, and her friendships, if you can call them that, are a mess.  While there are some glimmers of hope, be warned that this is a SAD book.

Glows: Mafi's prose is truly poetic.  There were multiple times while reading that I had to pause and just appreciate the beauty of how something was phrased.  I also really liked Shadi as a main character, and I think her story is a compelling one.  

Grows: I thought the alternating timeline was hard to follow.  I also don't think other characters were developed enough.  Overall, the book felt a bit disjointed.  Perhaps this was intentional given the focus on how stress and grief were affecting Shadi's mental and physical health, but, in my opinion, it made for a less immersive reading experience. A bit too abstract for my tastes, but your mileage may vary!

Thank you so much to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Islamophobia, Mental illness, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Car accident, Child death, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Sexual content

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