Scan barcode
niickel's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
lavendermarch's review against another edition
5.0
This was an incredibly sad, eye-opening true story. The Syrian Civil War has been going on since I was around eleven, and I didn't really know much about it, besides the fact that many refugees have been trying to come to other countries around the world, including the U.S.A.
While this book encompassed just one girl's experience, and isn't representative of everyone, it was very educational and has left a deep impact on me. It was awful to read about what Doaa went through, at ages younger than I am now, and this is exacerbated by the fact that millions of other people go through similar things in Syria today, two years after the book was published, and seven or so years after the war started.
I would recommend this book to those who are looking for a personal account of the impact and horrors of the Syrian Civil War. It is incredibly helpful for understanding the humanitarian crisis that these people are facing. It is graphic and sad - people are dying, obviously - and I wouldn't give it to a child, but it is very impactful. Doaa is very brave for telling her story, and Melissa Fleming is an excellent writer. I am glad to have finally gotten the chance to read it. 4.5 stars.
While this book encompassed just one girl's experience, and isn't representative of everyone, it was very educational and has left a deep impact on me. It was awful to read about what Doaa went through, at ages younger than I am now, and this is exacerbated by the fact that millions of other people go through similar things in Syria today, two years after the book was published, and seven or so years after the war started.
I would recommend this book to those who are looking for a personal account of the impact and horrors of the Syrian Civil War. It is incredibly helpful for understanding the humanitarian crisis that these people are facing. It is graphic and sad - people are dying, obviously - and I wouldn't give it to a child, but it is very impactful. Doaa is very brave for telling her story, and Melissa Fleming is an excellent writer. I am glad to have finally gotten the chance to read it. 4.5 stars.
chloe341's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
4.0
kate_in_a_book's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Trafficking, Death, and War
leilatre's review
3.0
Doaa’s story is heartbreaking and unfortunately all too familiar to anyone who has been paying attention to the wars in the Middle East and the resulting refugee crisis. It’s also important to tell these stories in order to humanize the plight of refugees around the world.
Unfortunately the writing in the book is not great. Other reviewers blame the uninspiring storytelling on the multiple translations necessary for the author to conduct interviews with Doaa and her family. I’m not so sure, but it hampered my connection with the tale and that’s too bad. The book is written for a low reading level, but that’s not really my beef with it. I think the people depicted in the retelling are rather flat stereotypes instead of nuanced, complex people.
Unfortunately the writing in the book is not great. Other reviewers blame the uninspiring storytelling on the multiple translations necessary for the author to conduct interviews with Doaa and her family. I’m not so sure, but it hampered my connection with the tale and that’s too bad. The book is written for a low reading level, but that’s not really my beef with it. I think the people depicted in the retelling are rather flat stereotypes instead of nuanced, complex people.
k_lee_reads_it's review
4.0
As a person who works to help provide counseling services for the refugee population in my community, I found this an educational and heart wrenching read. War is a horrible thing.