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hollyd19 's review for:
The Map of Salt and Stars
by Zeyn Joukhadar
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This moving, creative novel follows Nour and her family through the trials of seeking refuge in the Middle East and North Africa after their home in Syria is shelled. Flitting between contemporary fiction and fairy tale, Nour’s story is paralleled by the tale her father used to tell her about a girl named Rawiya and her traveling band of adventures as the explore the same lands, 800 years in the past.
I enjoyed this book — it was emotionally engaging and covered a weighty subject without feeling hopeless. The characters are richly developed and deeply human. Following Nour’s journey is absolutely heartbreaking, especially hearing it told through her twelve-year-old yes. My only criticism of the book was that Nour’s maturity level seemed to vacillate pretty significantly; at times she was asking very basic questions I’d expect from someone much younger, while other times she had really deep and complex thoughts that felt incongruous with her age.
I enjoyed this book — it was emotionally engaging and covered a weighty subject without feeling hopeless. The characters are richly developed and deeply human. Following Nour’s journey is absolutely heartbreaking, especially hearing it told through her twelve-year-old yes. My only criticism of the book was that Nour’s maturity level seemed to vacillate pretty significantly; at times she was asking very basic questions I’d expect from someone much younger, while other times she had really deep and complex thoughts that felt incongruous with her age.