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bloomingbookworm's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Death
Minor: Addiction and Drug use
kelly_e's review against another edition
5.0
Author: Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed
Genre: Graphic Memoir
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: April 14, 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Intimate • Heartbreaking • Compelling
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I was looking for moving graphic novel with depth and after doing a little research I managed to compile a short list of options. List in hand I made a trip to my local library and surprisingly they had a copy of When Stars Are Scattered on the shelf, which made my choice easy.
This graphic novel is based on Omar Mohamed and his brother's time spent in a refugee camp in Kenya. It details the day-to-day life of a child refugee through direct dialogue and thought and stunning artwork. Intended for younger readers, this is an important read for readers of all ages. While this is one single story out of millions of stories, it is brought to light in a sensitive manner without shying away from the difficult truths.
Overall, When Stars Are Scattered opened my eyes to everyday life in refugee camps. Omar story is one of resiliency and hope, while I know this isn't always the case. It is also a reminder life isn't all bad even in the most harsh of circumstances. For instance, Omar found hope through friendship, education, and responsibility.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers of all ages
• social studies teachers
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Be like a star. Shine your light. Shine your story. For stories will lead us home."
Graphic: Ableism and Grief
Moderate: Gun violence, Death of parent, Sexism, Xenophobia, War, Abandonment, Death, Bullying, Violence, Child death, Animal death, Chronic illness, and Suicide
Minor: Drug use, Pregnancy, Addiction, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcohol
kshertz's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Grief, Abandonment, Addiction, Pregnancy, War, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Violence, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Animal death, and Gun violence
waterviolite's review
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness and Grief
Moderate: Drug use, Pregnancy, Animal death, Death of parent, War, Violence, and Sexism
Minor: Suicide
shea_proulx's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Death of parent, War, and Confinement
Minor: Medical trauma, Animal death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Drug use
krys_kilz's review against another edition
4.5
In my opinion, it veered a little towards inspiration porn, which is common with stories about disabled folks as well as with refugee experiences written for a western audience. I don't want to judge too harshly though because from the author's note at the end it seems like it was a collaborative writing process and that Omar was satisfied with how his story was told.
Graphic: War and Ableism
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Suicide, and Animal death
morganperks's review
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Violence, Gun violence, Ableism, Animal death, and War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Abandonment, Death, Sexism, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
Minor: Child abuse, Drug use, Suicide, and Domestic abuse
laurao's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Abandonment and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, and Pregnancy
schaarzy's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: War, Abandonment, and Sexism
Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
faranae's review against another edition
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Animal death, Drug abuse, Ableism, War, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Bullying
Depicts a refugee's life over the course of over a decade, including chronic hunger and deep poverty. Some readers may like to know how the author's life turned out to get through the more difficult material: