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szirbel's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting listen which woven a young boy’s memories of Iran with his immigration journey to the US by way of Italy in the early 90’s during Operation Desert Storm with Persian myths woven throughout.
flicker_black's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
A story that I when I finished reading it went “Yep, that is something that should be said and heard”, the author sounded like an interesting and funny person but most importantly also genuine (although I did question the credibility of some events like that student bleeding from his head after being struck by sling shots in the school van but I don’t put it past the mean bullies either). Most people’s complaint about this book was either about the structure (there are no chapters, it’s just one big chapter without much of coherence) or that it didn’t lead to anywhere, I did not mind the structure although it did make the book a bit harder to follow with the tangents the author keeps getting off to, it was creative and so yeah I did not mind it, and with the story leading to no where - isn’t that life usually? You almost never have the tidy endings, you make a friend in the middle school and one day see his seat empty and that’s about it, you never see or hear from him again, but the memories however fuzzy they are remains with you, and so it made sense why it is the way it is although I too would have liked some kind of closure and to hear what happened after, but I do also get why the author wanted to keep it to himself, the characters especially the two kids were likeable and big kudos to the mother who is a warrior, it was a nice read and I give it 2.75 stars.
kvanderbeek21's review against another edition
5.0
This was just such a lovely read. Artful and captivating.
julialou's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
jnesbitt1989's review against another edition
5.0
This book is Daniek Nayeri's true story where he writes as himself as a 12 year old refugee from Iran. He tells stories of when he was in Iran, when he is in Oklahoma, his family's past, and stories from Iran's mythology and weaves it all together beautifully. There are funny parts and heartbreaking parts and everything in between. I think this would be a great book for middle and high schoolers to learn empathy for refugees and people from other countries and cultures.
stbecker's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
hillary_charlotte's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this - a touching, real life story! The author/ narrator tells the story from his perspective as a young adolescent refugee, going back and forth between his life in the US and his young childhood in Iran. He interweaves his story with the Middle Eastern folktale “1001 Nights,”, and I found the actual construction of his own story a fascinating connection to that. I listened to this on audio and I loved hearing the author narrate his own story, but there were also many profound lines I wish I could have lingered on!
deribash's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lisamchuk's review against another edition
5.0
This 12yr old narrator is a masterful storyteller, though his real lived experience as a refugee and immigrant in the US will break your heart. We are not kind to others in our society. Yet, told from the child’s resilient point of view, there is still hope for their future. And the author is proof of that.