Instruct: Classify Amazon reviews into positive or negative sentiment
Query: Stay out of the casbah

I bought this book because of its Algerian setting and was predisposed to like it. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with the writing at all. It might have been a weak translation, but somehow the dark, depressive atmosphere established from the novel's get-go was too much to overcome for me. The storyline is not particularly strong and none of the characters were engaging. Perhaps Khadira's other books are better, but I wouldn't be inclined to find out.