Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed

30 reviews

joanna_banana's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

We saw this featured at KRL and I’ve enjoyed graphic novel memoirs and my daughter recognized the style from Roller Girl. I’m glad we picked it up! It is sweet and sad, really focusing on love, family, and faith in the face of the horrible violence and war that create refugees. I’m glad they decided to write it as a middle grade graphic novel, my daughter tore through it. So many important reminders and commentary tucked within the story. Would highly recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Abandonment, Grief, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Sexism and Misogyny

Minor: Pregnancy, Animal death, and Suicide

kelly_e's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative medium-paced

5.0

Title: When Stars Are Scattered
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."

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Content Warnings

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

parasihir's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0

My heart breaks when I read this book. The part about stars really took my breath away and I would never see them the same ever again. When the Stars are Scattered is the best title for this book. Please read it to understand more about refugee's life, hope, education, and dreams. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Sexism, Pregnancy, and Gun violence

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, and Suicide

kshertz's review against another edition

emotional sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Wow. This book just reminds you of life happening worlds away and helps to understand others lives. It puts into perspective refugee camps and stories. The things that people have been through even while being in these large camps. It’s even more amazing to remember this is a true story. There’s so much to take away from this book. I hope everyone reads it.

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Content Warnings

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

emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Grief

Moderate: Drug use, Pregnancy, Animal death, Death of parent, War, Violence, and Sexism

Minor: Suicide

readandfindout's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

4.5

Style/writing: 4.5 stars
Themes: 4.5 stars
Perspective: 4.5 stars
Art: 4 stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Ableism, War, Animal death, and Abandonment

Moderate: Death, Sexism, Violence, Gun violence, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Grief

Minor: Suicide and Adult/minor relationship

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad fast-paced

4.0

A beautiful story of two young men and their hope for a better life, this graphic novel captures the essence of what it means to live in a refugee camp. These two young boys were torn from their parents because of the violence in Somalia and sent to a refugee camp in Kenya. After many years of hardship, they’re able to resettle in the United States. This young adult book gives us insights into how refugees experience life and life and the ways that we might focus our energies to help them have better experiences. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Classism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, Mass/school shootings, Addiction, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Grief, Ableism, Islamophobia, Violence, Bullying, Child death, Racism, and Xenophobia

pedantichumbug's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Animal death, War, and Ableism

Minor: Suicide and Adult/minor relationship

shea_proulx's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, War, and Confinement

Minor: Medical trauma, Animal death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Drug use

stories's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative medium-paced

3.5

Engaging and accessible retelling of co-author Omar Mohamed’s experience growing up in a refugee camp. 

Certainly worth watching for a copy for the classroom, because it does a lovely job of telling the bare bones while leaving darker tragedies between the lines. 

Make sure you read the after notes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Addiction and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Death of parent, War, Grief, Pregnancy, Animal death, Misogyny, Death, and Gun violence

Minor forced arranged marriage