nila's Reviews (526)

The plot is set in 2019 (oh god, when I read it seemed so far away!) when NASA, in need of funding, announces that they will launch a new mission to the moon. In order to get the funding, they have to gain public interest, which they do by allowing three teenagers go along with the astronauts. They are chosen through a contest, and the winners are: Mia from Norway, Antoine from France and Midori from Japan.

The real reason behind the launch, is to find out what actually happened to the bases there, that caused NASA to stop sending people to the moon in the seventies.

The secrets revealed on the moon turn out to be the possible end of humanity

It may not be one of the most well-plotted books out there, but the story grabs and does not let go until it's done with you. And when it releases it's grip, you'll be exhausted because of the pace and the quick twists and surprises. Do not be fooled by the beginning, which I found a bit slow, but hang in there! It's definitely worth it!

A pure, organic, powerful and heart-breaking story about Palestine. We follow a Palestinian family through four generations, from the idyllic life they lead in their homes, to the ill-fated day there were forced to leave everything they knew, and maintain the life of a now broken family.

Plot summary: The Abulheja family is in 1948 forcibly removed from their home into the Jenin refugee camp. The family's eldest fades from the torment of being separated from his family's home, while his son begins the family life, when falling for an Israeli soldier's gun, and his son again faces tragedy that leaves the deepest and most invisible scars in his struggle for freedom and peace and in the midst of all this is his sister, Amal. Through her, we hear stories for three decades; of love and marriage, and the bond that can never be broken, the bond between family

We follow the story of three women; Eugenia ‘Skeeter’ Phelan, a  young white woman who recently came home from college with big dreams of becoming a writer, and two African-American maids, Aibileen and Minny, who have been working for white households their whole life. Though they are scared, they wish for change. Three women, whose lives are woven together by strings controlled by faith and stories from a lost time. Together, they make stand towards the everyday injustice that they face everyday. You do get the feeling that Skeeter only has things to gain from this cooperation, and I think this contributes to feeling this novel has a white-savior complex... I did enjoy reading their interactions and the story itself, but the book forgets to show that Aibileen and Minny are taking far bigger risks than Skeeter is...