ambershelf's reviews
1295 reviews

Salama Kassab is supposed to continue her pharmacy training and enjoy life surrounded by family. Instead, she volunteers at a hospital in Homs, treating those injured in the Syrian War. While she wants to continue her work in the hospital, Salama is secretly finding a way to flee the country with her pregnant sister-in-law. Torn between loyalty to her country and her will to survive, Salama has manifested her fear into a physical form named Khawf, who questions her every decision. Until one fateful day when she meets Kenan and starts doubting her resolve to leave home. Salama must now decide between her country and survival, and learn to use her voice to call for Syria's freedom.

LEMON TREES is a fascinating debut that broke my heart and gave me hope. The writing is hauntingly beautiful, the pacing holds the tension well, and the character development is perfect. Every piece of the story fits together flawlessly, and there's nothing I'd change about this book! I listened to the audiobook narrated by Rasha Zamamiri, and she did an excellent job conveying the emotions of Salama; the audiobook moved me to tears on several occasions.

As someone unfamiliar with the Syrian Revolution, I usually see pictures of rubble after bombing or fleeing refugees. In LEMON TREES, however, Katouh paints a complex picture of those involved, with their sadness and grief, but also hopes and dreams. I deeply appreciate Katouh's decision to give voices to those oppressed, break the stereotypes, and not just reduce casualties to numbers.

Even though LEMON TREES is classified as YA, there are a lot of depictions of PTSD, abuse, torture, death, war crimes, and sexual assault. Readers might find the events depicted in LEMON TREES soul-crushing, so please check the trigger warnings before reading. This book is incredibly well written, I couldn't believe this is a debut! Congratulations to Katouh on AS LONG AS THE LEMON TREES GROW; I can't wait for her future work, and I encourage everyone to read this book.

In CULTISH, Montell analyzes the social science behind cults, from religious groups and popular brands to social media gurus. In each chapter, Montell covers a group by demonstrating their operations and examining the language they use to earn their cult status.

I enjoy the author's analyses of the language these cults use and offer readers some ways to spot "cultish" lingo or structures. For instance, these groups either (1) perpetuate the social construct and oppression that only benefits the top or (2) work to overthrow the current system to grant the founder maximal power.

That said, I wish there were more linguistics analysis and fewer introductions on each "cult." I was expecting to make a lot of notes on how to spot cults and even help people escape them. But I ended up taking away what I already know: Scientology and MLMs are evil, and please don't join them.

In this seminal essay, Hong blends personal experience, history, and cultural criticism to examine Asian American consciousness with beautiful prose and acute precision. She discusses the awkward space Asians inherit — not white or black enough, not having enough presence to be considered real minorities, and being used by white America as a model minority to perpetuate the oppression of black and brown communities.

MINOR FEELINGS explores various themes that center around silence. Through Confucianism, the feeling of indebtedness, or the constant gaslighting, Asian Americans are often asked to ignore racial aggressions, to "be grateful for the opportunities," and even "why don't you go back if you have complaints."

I particularly appreciate Hong's inclusion of lesser-known history and connecting that with current issues immigrants face. Like how a strict immigration policy of only admitting engineers and doctors formed the model minority myth. Or how the Korean War, and the dozens of countries America has torn apart, created millions of refugees who had little choice but to immigrate.

On the topic of pigeonholing authors of color to only write about successful immigrant stories, MINOR FEELINGS reminds me of HOW TO READ NOW (Elaine Castillo). And on the theme of not conforming to a single immigrant story and creating your own narration, MAKING A SCENE (Constance Wu) makes a fantastic companion read.

MINOR FEELINGS is yet another book with enough screenshots that these phenomenal paragraphs now live in a designated album on my phone. My favorite quote from the book is, "I'd rather be indebted than be the kind of white man who thinks the world owes him, because to live an ethical life is to be held accountable to history."

When Adunni grows up, she wants to become a teacher so she can inspire young Nigerian girls to find their "louding voices" and build a future they choose for themselves. But she needs to get an education first. Despite insurmountable obstacles, family drama, poverty, and sexism, Adunni is determined to do what it takes to go to school.

LOUDING VOICE is a moving story with a unique narrative written from Adunni's perspective who uses colloquial and “broken” English. Even though the book contains details such as child abuse, trafficking, and sexual assault, the stories are told through Adunni's innocent voice, and her English dialect adds authenticity to the tale. LOUDING VOICE brings me through all the emotions of anger, sadness, happiness, and inspiration, and I find myself rooting for Adunni and her dream every step of the way. On the themes featuring resilient children, THE ATTIC CHILD (Lola Jaye) comes to mind and will make a great companion read.

Magic runs in Contreras' family. Raised in the 80s when Columbia was plagued by political unrest, Contreras brings the readers through the stories of her maternal grandfather, a renowned curandero blessed with the power to talk to the dead, tell the future, and treat the sick. But troubles befall the Contreras after her grandfather's death and her mother's inheritance of "the secrets," a taboo in a time when women were stripped of their potential.

In this deeply intimate and profoundly moving memoir, Contreras traces her family history by examining what we knowingly and unknowingly inherit, how loss and curses repeat themselves through generations, and the power to reclaim the connection to one's indigenous lineage. Beautifully written, CLOUDS is a multi-layered and multi-generational memoir that blends history, myth, and personal experience in a remarkable narrative.

My favorite quote from CLOUDS is, "When power is used to oppress, it deserves to be mocked."

THE INHERITANCE OF ORQUÍDEA DIVINA (Zoraida Córdova) makes a phenomenal companion fictional read that similarly explores generational trauma and family secrets.

In this raw and intimate memoir, Zamora recounts the harrowing experience of his migration from El Salvador to the US border. At nine, Zamora is finally ready for this trip his family has been preparing for a year. He will leave his grandparents behind and travel with a group of strangers to finally reunite with his parents. However, the trip that is only supposed to last two weeks turns into two months because of unexpected route changes. Javier finds himself embarking on boat trips and desert treks, getting a glimpse of deception, and receiving incredible kindness from the companions traveling with him.

Ooh wee this book is a cry fest, especially listening to the audiobook. It is at times challenging to hear Zamora’s account describing the treacherous journey, where he couldn't use the bathroom or shower, went through an entire day without food, etc. The most grueling part is that he endured all this alone without his family.

Zamora recounts his journey with child-like innocence and hope, which is perhaps what really broke my heart; to imagine going through a physically- and psychologically-challenging experience alone with the singular focus of seeing your parents again. Zamora leverages his masterful writing to craft a memoir with the tension of a novel and the rhythm of poetry. In narrating the audiobook, Zamora expertly preserves the poem-like rhythm to tell a captivating and unforgettable story.

It is one thing to hear about the dangers of migrating through the borders and a completely different experience to see it through the lens of a nine-year-old boy alone on this journey. SOLITO is an incredible book that will stay with me for a long time, and I highly recommend everyone give this a read.

In the epilogue, Zamora writes, "This book is for them, and for every immigrant who has crossed, who has tried to, who is crossing right now, and who will keep trying."

War photographer Maali Almeida woke up dead, dismembered, and not knowing how he died. In a time when Sri Lanka is plagued by suicide bombs, death squads, and militias, the suspect list for Maali’s murder is long, especially when he has a secret stash of images that could upend the political system. Nonetheless, Maali only has seven moons to guide his friends and family to the photos and find his killer.

SEVEN MOONS is an unflinching examination of the political turmoil in Sri Lanka during the 90s. Karunatilaka points out the brutality of different factions tearing a country apart while revealing foreign influences, especially from western countries, and their hypocrisy in “peacekeeping.”

SEVEN MOONS is narrated in the second person, which can feel awkward initially. There are also a lot of details about Sri Lanka’s history and politics, which some have said are unnecessary. Still, I find the background information interesting and crucial for readers unfamiliar with Sri Lanka.

Even though it’s marketed as political satire, SEVEN MOONS is closer to a murder mystery imo, especially when compared to the two other shortlisted novels, GLORY (NoViolet Bulawayo) and THE TREES (Parcival Everett), where both adopt a more sarcastic tone. The pacing of SEVEN MOONS is impeccable, and I was hooked from the beginning. It has a more focused plot than GLORY and a more exciting twist compared to THE TREES.

SEVEN MOONS is not an easy read by any means, but an essential one to understand those haunted by political restlessness from colonizers to warlords. Congratulations again to Karunatilaka for this well-deserved prize!

Thank you to W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for the eARC

Jayne Baek is finally out of Texas and in New York City. She imagined a vivid life in the Big Apple, but instead, Jayne floats through fashion school, has trouble making rent, struggles with an eating disorder, and barely speaks to her family. On the other hand, her older sister June seems to have everything. June, who has a fancy finance job and lives in a gorgeous apartment; June, who never struggles in school or life; June, who is her parents' proud first-born; June, who seems to hate Jayne. Until the arrival of an unexpected phone call that could bring the two estranged sisters back into each others' orbits.

YOLK hits a particular spot in my heart because of the similarities between June and Jayne and my sibling. Jayne's narration of her family dynamic reminds me of my younger sister's experiences growing up. As the oldest kid who fortunately didn't struggle much academically, it is heartwrenching to hear that my doing well in school could invalidate her desire to explore non-traditional paths or even make her feel unseen. Thankfully, our relationship isn't nearly as dramatic as June and Jayne's.

My only gripe with YOLK is the amount of cursing. Maybe because I listened to the audiobook, the f-bombs are a bit much at times, and I find June and Jayne's fights sometimes too theatrical. Nonetheless, the dynamic between the two sisters and their struggles as immigrants are beautifully portrayed. YOLK is very heavy on the descriptions of eating disorders and mental health; I would encourage those interested to check out the trigger warnings first.

In this original and powerful collection, Choi sheds light on the meaning of "the end of the world" from the perspectives of different marginalized communities throughout history. She writes about Korean comfort women during World War II, those who perished after the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, indigenous people who lost their lands to Columbus, Asian women who continue to be fetishized, and so much more.

I appreciate Choi's poems about revisiting historical events and examining how these incidents devastate different communities; a new beginning for Americans often means a gruesome ending for others. I was going to put a list of stand-out poems from the collection, but then realized it's basically every single one from the book. THE WORLD is a phenomenal poetry collection highlighting the importance of interpreting historical tragedies and emphasizing our responsibilities to the larger community.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the eARC.

The rules are clear: witches are meant to be alone. Hide your magic, don't draw attention, and most importantly, don't mingle with other witches so your power doesn't get out of hand. Abiding by this convention, Mika Moon lives alone, moves several times a year, doesn't hold a steady job, and has no close friends. Her only solace? She has an online platform where she posts videos "pretending to be a witch."

When an unexpected email asks Mika to tutor three young witches in Nowhere House, it breaks all the rules, but Mika goes anyway. As Mika forms a connection with those in Nowhere House, she considers the once impossible: is this what it feels like to finally belong?

I absolutely love SECRET SOCIETY. It is a cozy and uplifting story about finding your people with fun magic, the best dog (even though I say this about every dog), a grumpy x sunshine romance trope, and a mystery. I particularly adore the romance portion, where there are no miscommunications or jealousy issues. It's just some good old story of two people having adult conversations working through their traumas, and taking a leap of faith. It's so incredibly mature and healthy, yet not boring at all.

I also didn't see the third-act twist coming, which was surprising because I'm usually pretty good at predicting twists. For those searching for a light-hearted read, look no further!