Reviews

The Bird Tattoo by Dunya Mikhail

archytas's review

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.5

Mikhail pulls no punches in this novel, based on her interviews with Yazidi women enslaved by ISIS. She opens with deliberately shocking scenes of a slave auction, before jumping back to show us protagonist Helen's love story. In both the romance-heavy and the later suspensful sections, the tone is almost that of melodrama, but of course, there is nothing exaggerated here. Another comparison would be holocaust fiction, which is apt as it suits in many ways what happened to Yazidi communities and people living in ISIS-controlled areas.
I found the book more successful as documentary storytelling than as fiction, but I suspect those with more of a liking for romantic plots might feel differently. I did very much appreciate the skill with which Mikhail evokes the world of the villages around Mosul, and the tight knit family dynamics of the Yazidi characters.

kristintravers's review

3.0

3.5 ⭐️ I deeply appreciated hearing the experiences of this time in our world from a point of view I’ve not heard before. Knowing that the story was derived from actual people’s experiences was powerful, emotional, and moving. I struggled a bit with keeping all of the characters and storylines straight as there were many of them. While it was slow moving in parts, the story came together beautifully in the end.

magnoliapigeonbookblurbs's review

4.0

The Bird Tattoo is equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking. Dunya Mikhail paints a picturesque view of what life was like for the Yazidi people of Iraq before their homes and families were torn apart while also showing us the gut wrenching reality of what happened to so many. This novel was not an easy read, but but it was a very important one. A story of love, loss, family, war, the dangers of extremism but most of all it is a story of survival and strength.
*Please check trigger warnings before reading.*

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

dolphinlvr0920's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

A difficult book to read but I'm so glad I chose it.

akilatalkutub's review

challenging emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

euphoricallydreaming's review

challenging emotional 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Slavery, Sexual assault, Racism, War, Trafficking, Torture, Hate crime, Violence, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Murder, and Kidnapping

giselleb's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad 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? No

3.5

callieann08's review

dark emotional inspiring sad 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? No

4.25

zarrazine's review

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Rape, War, and Murder

hlenahc's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0