10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World

Written By Omma Ahmed
elif-oa.JPG

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak
Reviewed by Omma
📘📘📘📘

This is the first Elif Shafak book I’ve ever read which I’m embarrassed to admit since she’s a sensational storyteller!⁣
⁣
10 minutes and 38 seconds follows the final moments of consciousness of Leila, a sex worker, as she lies dead in a dumpster, somewhere in Istanbul. Each minute brings back an old memory and through these memories, we find out exactly how Leila ended up where she is as well as each friend she collects along the way. The second half of the book really encapsulates how blood is not always thicker than water as her friends desperately search for their beloved Tequila Leila.⁣
⁣
This book was addictive from the very beginning! I devoured it in a few sittings and have already passed it on to a friend who is just getting into reading! Shafak is incredible at what she does. Her descriptions are so colourful and immersive as she describes Istanbul but I definitely enjoyed the first half more than the second.⁣

Omma Ahmed

I’ve always loved reading as a kid because it was one of the few Asian-mum approved hobbies although she would have preferred ‘less novels and more school books’! I also grew up in the Harry Potter era so that’s when I really remember falling in love with reading. (Big up my Y7 English teacher for reading a few pages of Philosophers stone at the end of every lesson! You were a real one Mr Williams!) I love being part of this book page (even though I slack massively due to lack of energy and concentration!) because sometimes it felt like a lifeline to help keep me sane. We started it during the time I was feeling really shitty about my Crohn’s disease. It’s been a tough 7 years and the last 3 have probably been the hardest especially mentally so when Linda suggested putting this page together, without hesitation I was down and I’m so proud of us! Writing reviews helped me to organise my thoughts and even resulted in me creating a second Instagram page (@AnOstomateForLife) about my Crohn’s journey. Yes that was a shameless plug and I’m not sorry! Along with reviews, I’ve also loved the creative side of things such as having input in our logo, creating our bookmark and taking book pictures even though it’s awkward af in public! So a few of my fave books: The Godfather by Mario Puzo (made me love the film even more! I’m a self-proclaimed movie buff too btw), Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Healy, The Harry Potter series (obviously), Jemima J by Jane Green, Moonlight over Manhattan by Sarah Morgan, Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple and We Should All Be Feminists Chimamanda Adichie.

Previous

Stay With Me

Next

In Five Years