Danna > Recent Status Updates

the twists, the snarky tone, feeling closer or further from the protagonist depends on whether it's told in first or third person... All fantastic literary tools that make this collection wonderful.

I love the diversity in paces, themes and settings this stories have. I also like to note the tiny connections between stories - a common friend, the same house, set in the same old village, two protagonists from different stories sharing a major scene and looking at it differently.

I loved the opera story! "Even though I am slightly worried by the possibility that hell exists and that my punishment will be to sit in a theatre and listen to opera for the whole of eternity..." LMAO

Since the halfway mark, nearly every story unremarkable and all of these should've been edited out. They added nothing to the collection and if anything they failed miserably compared to the first stories which were each unique, creative and funny.

It is fulfilling only in one aspect - I, a woman who grew up in the middle east, got a glimpse to the life of a woman who grew up in a country far away and found it very similar. That's validation and that's all I'd gained so far from reading this. I enjoy it for the quality glimpse into another young woman's life, from an anthropological perspective.

So far it's just the author talking about her life while repeating that she's a woman and seasoning the narrative with terms from gender, media and urban studies, but absolutely not deep, not analytical and is just a book of essays, the marketing as urban or academic is completely misleading.

Mostly anecdotal, validating our experience as women. But so far it still feels like the City could be Anywhere...

Disguised as urban parenting, urban motherhood, this chapter doesn't elaborate on how the city itself is beneficial or restrictive to parents. She remains purely on the rant side, no analysis, no solutions, and that's why I'm DNFinf - this is not the in depth diagnosis of a city's role in a woman's life I was looking to. It's pure rant, stating the obvious.

Why are we still in the introduction?! Does it go any deeper than *that*?

This isn't really an urban book so far, but social history about mainly race and not gender.

The insight into aging Mehdi's psyche is priceless and super relatable, what do you do when you realize your life's purpose hadn't been what you'd actually accomplished? He sinks into depression where he doesn't leave his doorstep and is dependent on others for everything but nurturing his mind, which I find sacrily relatable.

- provides a full and tender portrait of each.

This the story of an upper middle class family from Rabat, the mother Aicha is half French half Moroccan, a doctor, and the father is Mehdi a well-to-do government official, and their two daughters, Mia and Ines. While the narrative focuses on Mia, each character is vividly complex and feels like a real person. Getting to see into the minds of each of the main characters including both parents and grandparents -

Righteously evil and satisfyingly gory, I love every character and every plotline feels just right I commend the author's ability to build a story around seemingly anyone.

It's fun, strictly political and surrounding the political scene

The ghosts story was great! Witty

Delightful and funny, featuring my favorite themes.