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Review

Review of The Unravelling of Ou

It's an strange thing to wonder if a sock puppet is a reliable narrator, but that's just one of the many thoughts raised by The Unraveling of Ou by Hollay Ghadery which is a novel narrated entirely by a sock puppet named Ou. This seemingly silly premise is used to great effect to tackle themes of mental illness, generational trauma, and internalized misogyny. It's an easy four out of five stars for me and easy to recommend to anyone interested in these sadly timeless issues. Or just wants to experience an incredibly beautifully written and insightful introspective tale about the mental prisons that we build for ourselves or are built for us by our circumstances.

Review of In the Country I Love

In The Country I love by Alaa Al-Barkawi is a messy family drama which isn't really my genre but perhaps it should be because this is a wonderful novel, the tl;dr is five stars, go preorder and/or buy if you're reading this after May 2026. Or find it in a library.

Review of KPop Demon Hunters

Kpop Demon Hunters is a fluffy fun superhero story on Netflix. It's got beautiful colourful visuals, snappy writing, catchy songs and great action scenes telling the story of a three person Korean girl group Huntr/x defeating a horde of demons led by an evil Korean boy band The Saja Boys.

And if that's all it was I wouldn't be talking about it.

Review of Oxford Soju Club

Oxford Soju Club by Jinwoo Park is an incredibly satisfying combination of spy intrigue and rumination on the struggle immigrants face with finding identity and meaning while navigating different cultures.

Review of If I Must Die

If you do not wish to read further then the TL;DR is:

Summary: This is a collection of short form poetry and prose by one of the many shining lights of Palestinian literature, Refaat Alareer. It feels like both a journal and journalism as it describes the reality of Palestinian life under Israeli occupation and oppression.

My conclusion: This book proves one thing more than anything else. Israel is built on myths that shatter on contact with Palestinian reality. Refaat Alareer's words, demonstrate that reality with stunning clarity and is necessary reading.

This review has been posted on other platforms with code words to avoid suppression. The version here does not.

Review of War Of Return

If you do not wish to read further then the TL;DR is:

Summary: This book argues the root cause of the conflict in Palestine is not that Palestinians were dispossessed, but that they wish to no longer be dispossessed and go back home.

My conclusion: I read it so you don't have to be subjected to the ugly idea professed here that for there to be peace, Palestinian voices need to be smothered. I suggest reading something else by someone like Rashid Khalidi, or Illan Pape instead.

Or here are two upcoming books that I have far more hope for:

If I Must Die, by Palestinian Poet Refaat AlAreer

Genocide Bad by Jewish Author and Activist Sim Kern

To expand slightly I find this book to be of almost no value, read on if you wish to know what those bits of value may be.

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