Reviews - The Map of Salt and Stars

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1.26k reviews for:

The Map of Salt and Stars

Zeyn Joukhadar

4.03 AVERAGE

johuny's review against another edition

4.0

3.5 rounded up for the lyrical and thoughtfully chromatic use of language. The story lags a bit in the last third and then quickly ends.

swoleyghostie's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

bella_mp_03's review against another edition

3.0

hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

sophiearaujo's review

I wanted to like this book but the pace & style was not for me sad

wonderlandrage's review against another edition

4.0

slow-paced

plant_murderer's review against another edition

5.0

If I could give a book ten stars, this would get them all and I'd still feel that I was selling the book short. This book is beautiful, from the cover, to the poetry in the shape of the countries that our two heroines Rawiya and Nour pass through, to the themes of loss and family and what home means. It's about what it means to be who you are, and to know yourself and to love people and places, the value in belonging and in the people we belong with.... even in it's smallest details in stone collecting, in both Nour and Rawiya having many names and some of the places having several names, and even the stars are called different things by different people and guys if I am gushing it's because someone should gush about this. The writing is just stunningly good, like... Nour has synesthesia, which makes her describe things in ways that are perfect and specific to her but which feel right even if i've never seen a smell or a sound. The narrative takes even it's most momentary characters seriously, and there are things in this book that broke my heart, and things that scared me, and things that I raged at. How many ways can I say that this is brilliant? As a final note I offer the suggestion that you use both the map that came with the book and google maps at least a little, because it's interesting and I had fun orienting myself at points along the way . I don't have to tell you that I recommend this book most highly, it is possibly my favorite book if 2018, and we're only halfway through the year.

mxmarymoon's review

3.75

adventurous challenging 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: Complicated

A solid read even if it doesn't go on my reread list. I enjoyed the stories being similar while from different times/perspectives. I'll admit to spending the last few chapters in tears.