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anna_wa's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
- 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
2.75
2.9 stars
Based on the summary, this book is supposedly about a character named Jemorah figuring out who she is. Well, I gotta tell you, after reading 374 pages about her and her family, I know just as much about who she is as when I started: nothing.
I could tell you who her sister Melvina is, I could tell you who her father Matussem is, I could tell you who her aunt Fatima is, and I could tell you about who all of her acquaintances are - but not who she is.
The first 1/2 of the book had me in a constant state of confusion. I couldn't tell what was going on at all other than the fact that Jemorah's aunt wants to set her up with men and Melvina is trying to help patients. If this were a book I had been reading on my own, and not because it was assigned to me in class, I would have stopped there, but since it was assigned reading, I kept going.
Finally, in the second half, things start actually making some sense and being interesting. However, Jemorah is not one of the interesting things. She barely talks and we also barely see any of her thoughts for that matter. Melvina, Matussem, and Fatima are all more of a main character than she is; they are constantly talking for her, and she doesn't seem to object to them doing so during the majority of the book.
And this book is supposedly about Jemorah trying to figure out who she is, whether she is Arabian or American, and what she wants in life, but we don't see that until 2/3 of the book has already happened. And that last 2/3 was so interesting - but it's so late in the book that it's hard to hold onto. Not only that but the author keeps bringing up things that never get addressed later on, as well as saying one thing and then doing the other.
The ending was so unsatisfying, as well. We have no clue what Jemorah is going to do next - it's implied that she's going to go to school, but she doesn't actually say it. I have read books that have successfully ended with a conclusion that didn't give us all the answers but made us feel like it was still a wholesome ending; this is not one of them at all.
The heart of this story is great, and the characters - other than Jemorah - are so interesting and fun to listen to. I just feel like this author needed more time to make this book into what it could be. This does not feel at all like the final draft of the book. In my opinion, the author should have cut out the majority of the first half and fleshed out the second half more to make the second half shine. She also has multiple parts of the story that should have either been removed all together OR fleshed out and resolved like the part where Jemorah catches Melvina having sex with Larry and then it's just never mentioned again???.
I like a lot of things about this book but it needed more time and editing before it could be its best.
Based on the summary, this book is supposedly about a character named Jemorah figuring out who she is. Well, I gotta tell you, after reading 374 pages about her and her family, I know just as much about who she is as when I started: nothing.
I could tell you who her sister Melvina is, I could tell you who her father Matussem is, I could tell you who her aunt Fatima is, and I could tell you about who all of her acquaintances are - but not who she is.
The first 1/2 of the book had me in a constant state of confusion. I couldn't tell what was going on at all other than the fact that Jemorah's aunt wants to set her up with men and Melvina is trying to help patients. If this were a book I had been reading on my own, and not because it was assigned to me in class, I would have stopped there, but since it was assigned reading, I kept going.
Finally, in the second half, things start actually making some sense and being interesting. However, Jemorah is not one of the interesting things. She barely talks and we also barely see any of her thoughts for that matter. Melvina, Matussem, and Fatima are all more of a main character than she is; they are constantly talking for her, and she doesn't seem to object to them doing so during the majority of the book.
And this book is supposedly about Jemorah trying to figure out who she is, whether she is Arabian or American, and what she wants in life, but we don't see that until 2/3 of the book has already happened. And that last 2/3 was so interesting - but it's so late in the book that it's hard to hold onto. Not only that but the author keeps bringing up things that never get addressed later on, as well as saying one thing and then doing the other.
The ending was so unsatisfying, as well. We have no clue what Jemorah is going to do next - it's implied that she's going to go to school, but she doesn't actually say it. I have read books that have successfully ended with a conclusion that didn't give us all the answers but made us feel like it was still a wholesome ending; this is not one of them at all.
The heart of this story is great, and the characters - other than Jemorah - are so interesting and fun to listen to. I just feel like this author needed more time to make this book into what it could be. This does not feel at all like the final draft of the book. In my opinion, the author should have cut out the majority of the first half and fleshed out the second half more to make the second half shine. She also has multiple parts of the story that should have either been removed all together OR fleshed out and resolved like the part where Jemorah catches Melvina having sex with Larry and then it's just never mentioned again???.
I like a lot of things about this book but it needed more time and editing before it could be its best.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Death, Death of parent, and Racism
Moderate: Abortion, Genocide, Xenophobia, and Child death
Minor: Ableism
Use of the R word (ableist slur)srsneve's review against another edition
2.0
I guess I kept reading because I liked the characters, but other than that I found the book disappointing. It seemed like the author was trying to tell too many different stories, so while some were very good, it felt like they didn't get enough attention to do them justice. There was also a plot twist or two (if you can call them plot twists when the story lacks a clear plot) that was so random and out-of-nowhere that it felt forced and unnecessary, instead of feeling surprising and driving the story forward.
_zora_'s review
4.0
Beautifully written, and hilarious. The redneck neighbors are perhaps a little over the top, but that is hugely offset by the vividness of many of the main characters. There's a certain "Confederacy of Dunces" air to some of the comic scenes--but fortunately this book engages with meaty issues much more than CoD did.
theresidentbookworm's review
3.0
A Short Review from a Tired English Major
I actually finished it for class, and I didn't hate it so I guess it's good. I don't know. All the books I read this semester blend together in a haze in my head.
I actually finished it for class, and I didn't hate it so I guess it's good. I don't know. All the books I read this semester blend together in a haze in my head.
gracer's review against another edition
3.0
Very nice. I like the way Abu-Jaber writes. The book left me hanging a little bit, and it was very long for a book that didn't have a more definitive conclusion, I thought. But I liked the characters. At first everything seemed a little unlikely, but by the end of the book I felt every character was genuine and possible.
ectoplasmjames's review
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kbc's review
3.0
An fun look at how the children of two cultures cope. It could go a bit over the top at times though.
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