I don't know how to rate this book, which is probably a first for me.
Synopsis:
"Anissa is traumatized by the most brutal conflict of the 21st Century: the Syrian Civil War. In 2012, Islamists in Homs terrorize a Syrian-Christian community and destroy everything that a young woman holds dear. Narrowly escaping death, Anissa restarts her devastated life as a college student in NY. She is bewildered and lost -- a virgin in every sense.
But despite her inexperience with men and life in the United States, Anissa is quickly drawn to two powerful individuals: Michael Kassab, the Syrian-American leader working to found the first Mideast Christian state, and Julien Morales, her Columbia University professor who runs a $20 billion hedge fund.
Complicating matters, Michael is still attached to his ex-girlfriend and Julien is the most sought after bachelor in Manhattan (and has hidden demons even his therapist can't extract). Anissa's heart and her communal ties pull her in different directions, as she seeks hope and renewal in a dark world.
LIFE shattered her. LOVE empowered her."
I absolutely loved the history portion of this book and the sort of current events aspects on the going ons in Syria. I was obsessed with that part of the novel and would hands down give that a 5 star. But I was not a fan of the romance portion of the book whatsoever. I found both men, Julien and Michael, to be creepy and they made me uncomfortable. I just felt that neither had redeeming qualities, and the fact that they were pursuing a 17 year old girl made me feel that much more uncomfortable.
What I loved:
-I loved Anissa's growth as a person. I felt that that was amazing, empowering, and uplifting not only because she is a young woman coming into her own, but also because she was a young woman being ripped from her country during dangerous war torn times. Her home was essentially a battle field and the event that happened to her family was beyond traumatic, so every time she succeeded in a class or when she got the top score in Julien's class I was so excited and happy for her!
-The facts and history of Syria. I thought that this was my favorite part of the novel. It is all so sad but beautifully written, you feel for these people and, you feel disgusted that their story is one that goes untold for so long. This novel definitely brings some light on this country and the horrors it has gone through and is going through, and it has definitely educated me in ways I did not expect when I first started reading.
-The fact that most if not all of the characters are POC. I love the representation that we POC get in this book. It is so rare to see any color but white in novels let alone novels about wealthy and successful businessmen/women, and educated people.
What I didn't like:
-The whole romance portion of the book. I felt like it was very unnecessary and felt slightly out of place. The book was focused on Anissa coming from Syria to America in order to have religious freedom and to have a better future and education. This weird semi- love triangle felt very off and to me took away from the beauty of the story. I sometimes found myself skimming over the parts that had to do with her "confusing" relationship with both men.
-Julien and Michael. They were both sort of creepy and made me uncomfortable. I don't know, but I just did not like them and they both rubbed me the wrong way. It also felt very odd that men of 28 and 40 something were pursuing a young girl of 17 who was very vulnerable in a new country, and was sort of naive in some relationship aspects. They both felt like they were out for more than what was being offered, and I don't even know how to explain it but it all felt very unsafe. Also, Julien would constantly bring up her young age and how her "innocent youthful beauty" shined through whenever she was dressed up for his parties. It just felt really fetishizing, and instead of her age just being a part of her, it almost felt like it was a need for his attraction. And Michael felt very arrogant and slightly cult leader-ish, his wants for a better place and equality was beautiful and admirable. But a lot of the things he said gave me pause and made me think that peace is not the only reason he is leading these people in protests and during club meetings.
-The title. While reading I kept trying to figure out how the title fit into the story besides the fact that she is in fact a virgin who is Syrian. It felt like the title was setting the book up to be something that it's really not. Plus it's sort of off-putting when browsing for future books to read, I know if I saw this on the shelf at a store I probably would skip right over it. The title makes it sound like the novel is all about sex when in reality is so about so much more, and it sucks that people will see it as a sex book instead of the intense journey that it is.
Final thoughts
For the most part I enjoyed this story. It was really unlike anything that I have ever read before and I definitely recommend it. I could have done without the romance and the love triangle-ish aspect, but I feel like the good in this book out weigh the bad.
No comments:
Post a Comment