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wretchedtheo 's review for:

The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak
2.0
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Don't waste your time on this. The characters are poorly constructed, their actions inconsistent - and sensitive topics are handled pretty ham-handedly. There are some very cringe worthy passages and many of the "strong female characters" are just variations of the same paper thin girlboss trope. I saw the plot twists coming a mile away, and as for the dialogue... there were several times when I just had to sigh and say to myself "nobody fucking talks like that".