Kenan Orhan's "I Am My Country" is honestly one of the MOST UNIQUE books I have ever read. My review for this arc was delayed simply because I sat on it for a while after my first read to allow everything to sink in and I felt the need to do a second re-read because I felt like I would appreciate it more and I DID! I say in the the best way possible, this is a STRANGE read! Strange in that it is unlike anything out there right now. I cannot even tell you what genre this belongs to nor can I give you a comparable author. Kenan Orhan is in a league of their own with this one-of-a-kind book that I can't stop thinking about.

I think the synopsis gives you a really good idea of what you're getting yourself into, but it doesn't do the book justice. This is just so so so so good. Truly, out of the 100+ books I read last year, no other book has been this "out of the box.." It's imaginative, haunting, beautiful, captivating and will make you pause and put the book down at several points because you are just so overwhelmed with the words that were written down.

This really is a stunning book and I cannot believe it does not have more reviews. I would recommend this to ANYONE. This is not only a GREAT book, it is an IMPORTANT book that touches on so many important themes that will stick with you long after you finish the book.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read such a special book. Orhan is truly talented and I look forward to what they have in store next. Totally blown away by this book. 5/5 stars absolutely.

Given the globalization of the world, I shouldn't be surprised at this collection that spans life in contemporary Turkey. Added a splash of magic realism, enough to expand a metaphor but not too much to take over, each story is a revelation. Highly recommend.

Enjoyed this collection! The first and last stories were the strongest in my opinion. I wish the first one was later on, but it does pull you into the rest of the collection. The stories were enjoyable and emotional.

Sadly this just wasn't for me. I'm a huge fan of short story collections, and am always so excited when I hear about a new one that sounds interesting. I was very much interested in this one, too, as it seemed to explore such compelling themes. Unfortunately, though, I found that these stories didn't work for me. The writing was okay, but the stories themselves I found meandering and unfocused. Each story was clearly trying to make a point, but I didn't get on with the way they were written or plotted. As narratives, they didn't flow well and felt a bit jarring to read.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for providing me with an e-ARC of this!