Reviews

The Coin by Yasmin Zaher

angieoverbooked's review against another edition

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

2.5

I've read (and enjoyed) a good number of weird books- add this to the top of the weird list. 

At some point, the narrator says to the reader something like, "No, this isn't a fever dream..." and I realized- that's exactly what this entire book feels like. A fever dream or someone telling me a story when they are extremely out of it without a care at all about whether they are making sense or causing concern to the listener. 

I finished it in under 24 hours anyway- was *I* in a fever dream? I don't know. Nothing was happening, and the vibes were off, but I didn't want to leave her. Like when you're sober and your friend is drunk, confusing and kind of insufferable, but you stay with her all night because she's still your friend and you want to make sure she's okay. 

sidekicksam's review against another edition

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

2.75

This book is no plot, just vibes. We follow the narrator, a wealthy Palestinian woman living in The States, who is struggling to find her place in the world, chasing cleanliness in a world that has taught her she is filth, obsession to fill the void, aiming for the unattainable. She's already unraveling and getting more unhinged by the page, so it's a trip reading this book. 

People who loved My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Temporary and The Pisces will enjoy this weird little book, with some hints of the cleaning routine and obsession with high fashion of American Psycho. 
 
I'm sad to say it didn't work for me personally - the stream of consciousness-style of writing made it difficult for me to follow the direction the book was going in. Perhaps it'll work better for me a second time around! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

celineks's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

brulereads's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

4.0

Vulgar strangeness and nonchalant obsession. Sharp writing.

nuha_hassan's review against another edition

4.5

Thank you NetGalley and Footnote Press for the ARC! This was one of the most anticipated books I wanted to read this year!

Yasmin Zaher's debut novel, The Coin, might be one of the best books I've read so far. It follows a Palestinian woman living in New York, grappling with the loss of land, home, and family. This woman invites the reader into her innermost secrets about her life and consciousness. It's as if she is directly addressing the reader, as we listen to her slowly make bad choices over and over again. It was an entertaining and a weird book, a good weird book. 

barfbabe's review against another edition

dark informative medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia and Racism

margaretleonard's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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

5.0

rachel_from_avid_bookshop's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

The protagonist in Yasmin Zaher's The Coin is a Palestinian woman living in New York City who, even with financial privilege, is haunted by her lack of country, distance from family, and intense need to feel exactly the right type of belonging and connectedness. This book makes statements about class, morals, and those who are underprivileged in ways that are at times funny and definitely bizarre.

peelijay's review against another edition

dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

moshfegh walked so zaher could fucking sprint

whamydid's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

3.5 

I think it's been a while since l've read a book like The Coin. It was interesting, fresh and odd. I enjoyed the writing style and totally binged it. I found the main character totally unlikeable. It's definitely a strange one but there are a couple of little niggles that did irritate me. 

Overall, definitely an enjoyable engrossing read! 

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the eARC!