tuma's reviews
417 reviews

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow wow wow! Speculative historical fiction about Syrian civil war and refugees. Highly recommend!
Asian American Histories of the United States by Catherine Ceniza Choy

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informative slow-paced

3.0

Interesting information but because it was thematic vs chronological, some information or examples were repeated a lot. Some of it was dry. Found it hard to stay engaged while listening to audio
Iveliz Explains It All by Andrea Beatriz Arango

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Powerful and authentic portrayal of mental health struggles in young ppl
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Noor by Nnedi Okorafor

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adventurous inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Okay, I really enjoyed this! My first experience with Africanfuturism/science fiction as I read mostly Afro-fantasy. I enjoyed the futuristic aspect to modern Nigeria. Explores important themes around corporate control and control tech has on our lives. A.O. and D.N.A we're fascinating characters and I was hooked on their journey together. Highly recommend if you enjoy Afro-futurism, fantasy, or scifi. 
Speak: Find Your Voice, Trust Your Gut, and Get From Where You Are to Where You Want To Be by Tunde Oyeneyin

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emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.5

Perfect balance of storytelling and lessons. Incredibly inspiring. 
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

Jennette and I couldn't be any more different (as a Black, Muslim, Woman) and yet I still felt connected to her in this memoir. I felt deeply for her pain and I could relate on some level to pressures of parental expectations. I'm in awe of her strength and vulnerability with this work. 
A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman

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hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia

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hopeful reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This was an enjoyable read. Really unique, Persian-inspired fantasy about blood magic and healing. Nonbinary protagonist with transitioning younger brother. The world building took me a while to get into. Some aspects were a bit confusing. The author's note really clarified it a lot, so I recommend reading the author's note first. This story brings up some really important issues about xenophobia and oppressors vs. the oppressed and what happens when the roles are reversed. 
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

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challenging emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Didn't make me cry. The trauma seemed overdone to shock people. But the writing is topnotch. The build-up and different POVs we're impressive and kept me engaged.
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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dark funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

I expected this to be more comedic than it is. But it was al just too over the top and unbelievable for me personally. But It's a fun read for folks who enjoy higher levels of. ridiculousness