Oh, this lovely book is going to tear down your faith in humanity, then rebuild it little by little. You will fall in love with Melati and your heart will break for what she is going through. I am going to keep this review purposefully short so that you can experience this for yourself, because you need to. But a few reasons why you need this in your life:
- •I mean, this event happened, and that makes the book extra important, even though it's of course a fictional account. I didn't know much about Malaysian history going into this book, and I feel like I have learned so, so much. Plus, this very obviously contains lessons that we can all use in the present day, in whatever country we happen to live in.
- •Mental health rep. Melati has OCD, and it challenges her at every turn. While I don't have Melati's exact condition, I have had so many obsessive and intrusive thoughts and compulsions related to anxiety that I felt like Melati was in my head sometimes. And as is often the case, this catastrophic event intensified Melati's feelings. I am so glad to see a book addressing this, because I think it's incredibly important.
- •Family and friendships and love above hate are all such important themes. Melati is desperate to find her mother. She is being helped by the kindness of strangers. In turn, she too displays such kindnesses. Strangers blossom into friends under the most dire of circumstances. And while there are a ton of examples of the hate and violence the characters endured, it's the love that shines through on the pages.
Bottom Line: Do. Not. Sleep. On. This. Book. You will not regret reading this lovely book full of the worst of mankind, but also, the best of it.