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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
I've been meaning to read this for a while. It was a little fitting because of current events. Really did enjoy it.
I’m still processed this book. It was beautifully written and the story (or, rather, stories - it alternates between present day Nour and her struggles as a refugee and mythical Rawiya and her struggles traveling with famous map maker Al-Idrisi) were captivating and made me want to keep reading. I’m just not sure if some of the imagery was over my head or a bit forced. Either way, a fascinating, entertaining and worthwhile read.
Beautiful writing. I'm glad I read it while teaching maps to middle schoolers - I would likely have missed a bunch otherwise. The young refugee aspect was extra heartbreaking in light of what's happening in Gaza right now.
The story of a Syrian refugee family is quite powerful, and the parallel story was both interesting and entertaining. But I found that too many characters spoke in cliches and platitudes that were meant to be meaningful but ended up being somewhat tiresome. Not a bad book but it didn't really work for me.
Really enjoyed the parallels between Nour's story and Rawiya's as well as the juxtaposition of the two narratives. It was a bit too feel good for me that everyone is reunited at the end - I actually thought Nour's escape from Setiya was going to turn out to be a dream because it was so contrived. However, I thought the light it shed on the Syrian refugee crisis and the beautiful writing overcame some of the flaws with the plot and lack of character development. The audiobook narrator was exceptional!
"No one sees the future. No one knows what's planned. But safety is not about never having bad things happen to you. It's about knowing the bad things can't separate us from each other."
This powerful debut novel is full of beautiful moments, lyrical prose, and moving epiphanies. It’s a beautifully written tale that switches between the perspectives of a girl in modern Syria escaping the refugee crisis and a girl in medieval Syria traveling across the region as a map maker’s apprentice. The way their stories are intertwined is absolutely genius and creates such highs and lows. This book definitely deserves the comparison to The Kite Runner.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This powerful debut novel is full of beautiful moments, lyrical prose, and moving epiphanies. It’s a beautifully written tale that switches between the perspectives of a girl in modern Syria escaping the refugee crisis and a girl in medieval Syria traveling across the region as a map maker’s apprentice. The way their stories are intertwined is absolutely genius and creates such highs and lows. This book definitely deserves the comparison to The Kite Runner.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Another book slump rescue for me! Nothing like a little dose of magical realism. This book was beautiful, tragic, and captivating. *spoilers* I’m thankful that it more or less had a happy ending, as parts of it were so hard for me to get through . *end spoilers* Trigger Warner for violence throughout, as well as sexual assault around pg60 (40%) with references back to that scene through the rest of the book.
Definitely a good jumping off point for learning more about the Syrian crisis, as the author intended. The audiobook narrator did a lovely job. I also downloaded the e-book to supplement. It includes a wonderful club discussion guide, as well as an informative interview with the author. Fun fact: the author is neurodivergent, just like the main character (synesthesia). Anyway, very well done all around.
Definitely a good jumping off point for learning more about the Syrian crisis, as the author intended. The audiobook narrator did a lovely job. I also downloaded the e-book to supplement. It includes a wonderful club discussion guide, as well as an informative interview with the author. Fun fact: the author is neurodivergent, just like the main character (synesthesia). Anyway, very well done all around.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ four stars for this vivid story within a story, A MAP OF SALT AND STARS. In the author’s note, Zeyn Joukhadar says, “I hope that this book serves as a starting point for education and empathy and that readers will seek out additional resources, particularly those written by Syrians in their own words.” Done. I don’t pretend to understand the Syrian refugee crisis or know what to do to help them, but I am actively working on listening and reading and learning about experiences different from my own.
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There are two narratives here, one of contemporary Syrian refugees trying to travel to Ceuta to meet family, and one a historical epic, both featuring brave young women on dangerous journeys. I loved the descriptive language - tastes, colors, textures, feelings and smells all come through. Really good. Intense, horrific, but also beautiful.
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Format: Owned, e-book via Kindle
Read for:
✅ 2020 Reading Women Challenge Prompt 16 - Featuring a woman with a disability (synesthesia)
✅ 2020 PopSugar Reading Challenge Prompt 2 - A book by a trans or nonbinary author
✅ 2019 PopSugar Reading Challenge Prompt 27 - A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature (the roc)(
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There are two narratives here, one of contemporary Syrian refugees trying to travel to Ceuta to meet family, and one a historical epic, both featuring brave young women on dangerous journeys. I loved the descriptive language - tastes, colors, textures, feelings and smells all come through. Really good. Intense, horrific, but also beautiful.
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Format: Owned, e-book via Kindle
Read for:
✅ 2020 Reading Women Challenge Prompt 16 - Featuring a woman with a disability (synesthesia)
✅ 2020 PopSugar Reading Challenge Prompt 2 - A book by a trans or nonbinary author
✅ 2019 PopSugar Reading Challenge Prompt 27 - A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature (the roc)(
Beautifully written. I loved how this book told two stories in parallel - the older magical tale of Rawiya and her map-making apprentice days, and the modern-day story of Nour trying to escape war-torn Syria with her mom and sisters. Rich descriptions (especially with the colors for each sound) and story-telling had the effect of putting me in the characters' shoes, through all the terrible struggles and small moments of triumph she/they experienced. This book made me appreciate the many things I take for granted on a day-by-day basis, and broadened my horizons about the Middle East. Definitely recommend for learning about life as a refugee in the Middle East.
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes