Reviews

If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Noor Naga

benebene's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense

4.75

alina_kolpakova's review against another edition

medium-paced

5.0

kat_the_nat's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective fast-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

4.0

the_modernreader's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse

Moderate: Rape, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse

bessiehead's review

4.0

the ppl who think this book is bad bc the boy from shobrakheit was an abusive misogynist were reading this half asleep, like yes that’s kind of the point, he’s not supposed to be a good person, get out of ur eurocentric lens it talks so much at length about the author’s struggle to reconcile between these two clashing cultures, ur literally the annoying ppl in the writing workshop at the end. Also the split narrative isn’t that hard to follow

tanager's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

lillianglippold's review

challenging emotional reflective tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

honestly this was brilliant just on a formal level. naga just knows exactly how to say everything. i adored this. i’ll read it again, which is very rare for me. part three was smart as hell. 

threewomen's review

3.0

I’m stuck!

I was waiting for this book to go somewhere the whole time I was reading it but it never really did and idk if I liked that about it or hated it. I feel like I understand what Noor Naga was trying to do but I can’t really find the words for it. Also I know they’re Egyptian and this is very on brand for them, but the way she described Sudanese peoples complexion does not sit right with me

cass_lit's review against another edition

4.25

I wasn’t sure how I felt about this book until the very end, and then I didn’t know what I felt about anything. This is one I’d like to go back to one day to read again with all the information. 

kristine2221's review

challenging dark 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

5.0