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popthebutterfly 's review for:
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
by Zoulfa Katouh
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow
Author: Zoulfa Katouh
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Syrian Muslim MC and characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, historical fiction, romance, war, Syria, Middle East
Publication Date: September 13, 2022
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Age Relevance: 16+ (war, starvation, gore, violence, pregnancy, religion, death, depression, torture, infanticide, rape, human trafficking, cursing, PTSD, romance, attempted sexual assault)
Explanation of Above: The book takes place during the war for freedom in Syria, so there is a lot about war in the book. There is also gore, including blood and some surgery, and weapons violence. There is also death mentioned frequently in the book and there are mentions of torture as well. There is starvation mentioned and shown in the book and pregnancy is also shown and discussed, as well as some infanticide committed by opposing forces. Religion (Islam) is discussed a lot in the book. There are depictions and mentions of depression and PTSD. There is some slight cursing in the book and some romance. Rape is mentioned a couple of times in the book, there is a scene with an attempted sexual assault, and human trafficking is mentioned as well.
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 432
Synopsis: Salama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria. She still had her parents and her big brother; she still had her home. She had a normal teenager’s life.
Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily. Secretly, though, she is desperate to find a way out of her beloved country before her sister-in-law, Layla, gives birth. So desperate, that she has manifested a physical embodiment of her fear in the form of her imagined companion, Khawf, who haunts her every move in an effort to keep her safe.
But even with Khawf pressing her to leave, Salama is torn between her loyalty to her country and her conviction to survive. Salama must contend with bullets and bombs, military assaults, and her shifting sense of morality before she might finally breathe free. And when she crosses paths with the boy she was supposed to meet one fateful day, she starts to doubt her resolve in leaving home at all.
Soon, Salama must learn to see the events around her for what they truly are—not a war, but a revolution—and decide how she, too, will cry for Syria’s freedom.
Review: This was an excellent read! I absolutely loved the story and I thought it did well to talk about the struggles of living in Syria during the majority of the fighting. I loved the world building and character development. The pacing was on point and the writing was very well done. The twist in the book was so well done and I could NOT put the book down. I cried, I screamed, I fell in love. And this story will stick with me for a long time. It’s definitely changed me for the better.
The only thing I think could be a bit better is that I wanted a little bit more of the romance and I wanted a bit more resolution with Khawf.
Verdict: It was amazing! Highly recommend!
Book: As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow
Author: Zoulfa Katouh
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Syrian Muslim MC and characters
Recommended For...: young adult readers, historical fiction, romance, war, Syria, Middle East
Publication Date: September 13, 2022
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Age Relevance: 16+ (war, starvation, gore, violence, pregnancy, religion, death, depression, torture, infanticide, rape, human trafficking, cursing, PTSD, romance, attempted sexual assault)
Explanation of Above: The book takes place during the war for freedom in Syria, so there is a lot about war in the book. There is also gore, including blood and some surgery, and weapons violence. There is also death mentioned frequently in the book and there are mentions of torture as well. There is starvation mentioned and shown in the book and pregnancy is also shown and discussed, as well as some infanticide committed by opposing forces. Religion (Islam) is discussed a lot in the book. There are depictions and mentions of depression and PTSD. There is some slight cursing in the book and some romance. Rape is mentioned a couple of times in the book, there is a scene with an attempted sexual assault, and human trafficking is mentioned as well.
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 432
Synopsis: Salama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria. She still had her parents and her big brother; she still had her home. She had a normal teenager’s life.
Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily. Secretly, though, she is desperate to find a way out of her beloved country before her sister-in-law, Layla, gives birth. So desperate, that she has manifested a physical embodiment of her fear in the form of her imagined companion, Khawf, who haunts her every move in an effort to keep her safe.
But even with Khawf pressing her to leave, Salama is torn between her loyalty to her country and her conviction to survive. Salama must contend with bullets and bombs, military assaults, and her shifting sense of morality before she might finally breathe free. And when she crosses paths with the boy she was supposed to meet one fateful day, she starts to doubt her resolve in leaving home at all.
Soon, Salama must learn to see the events around her for what they truly are—not a war, but a revolution—and decide how she, too, will cry for Syria’s freedom.
Review: This was an excellent read! I absolutely loved the story and I thought it did well to talk about the struggles of living in Syria during the majority of the fighting. I loved the world building and character development. The pacing was on point and the writing was very well done. The twist in the book was so well done and I could NOT put the book down. I cried, I screamed, I fell in love. And this story will stick with me for a long time. It’s definitely changed me for the better.
The only thing I think could be a bit better is that I wanted a little bit more of the romance and I wanted a bit more resolution with Khawf.
Verdict: It was amazing! Highly recommend!