Play Book Tag discussion

* The Girl in the Tree by Şebnem İşigüzel - 3.5 - My Review

This novel takes place in 2013-2014, during the civil unrest, protests, and political upheavals in Türkiye. The protagonist, at first called only “the girl in the tree,” is a teenager who has been through the traumatic loss of friends in an act of violence. For self-protection and survival, she decides to hide. She climbs the tallest tree in Gülhane Park in Istanbul and lives in an abandoned stork’s nest. The storyline follows her memories of her best friends, aunt, grandmother, mother and father, many of whom are now deceased. She also develops a friendship with Yunus, a teenage boy who works in a hotel next to the park. He brings her food and other necessities.

It is a character-driven book requiring a bit of patience for a slow ramp-up. The girl’s memories are jumbled and asynchronous. I am sure the structure is intentional, portraying the confusion and alienation the girl is feeling. Unfortunately, it does not flow particularly well, and the constant shifts make it difficult to get fully invested in the narrative. I think the author does a good job of conveying how stress and violence influence a person’s mental state. By the end, we do find out the girl’s name. My interpretation is that naming herself shows that she is gradually reintegrating into herself and society. I liked it enough to read another book by this author. I read the English translation from the original Turkish.

3.5

PBT Steeplechase - tagged "historical fiction" x13:
https://www.goodreads.com/work/shelve...

BWF March Extra I - tagged "coming of age" x8:
https://www.goodreads.com/work/shelve...

* Contribution to spelling for team Shadow and Flame

I read this one not too long ago and gave it 3 stars. The slow reveal of her friends' situation was heartbreaking. I found the majority of the book to be quite odd.

I agree - I cannot even imagine losing friends to such violence as a teen.