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lattelibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
I read this the day after I finished A Game for Swallows by Abirached, and was pleasantly surprised by the difference in tone. She uses the same black and white style that reminds so many of us of Persepolis, but instead of describing a night of suspense and worry and comfort as she did in her other graphic novel memoir, she describes the humdrum of daily life in Beirut. She offers memories of the bullet-ridden cars, of her brother's shrapnel collection, of the long lines at the market.
When war is your reality, you make the best of it--and that is what the Abirached family did. There are always precautions to take, as well as other safety measures such as hanging black-out curtains on the window. But that didn't stop them from carrying out their lives as best as they could in the ways that they were able.
Overall, this is a great look into a different culture for a more personal view of its history. I'd definitely recommend this for graphic novel lovers--it's truly something special.
Review cross-listed here!
When war is your reality, you make the best of it--and that is what the Abirached family did. There are always precautions to take, as well as other safety measures such as hanging black-out curtains on the window. But that didn't stop them from carrying out their lives as best as they could in the ways that they were able.
Overall, this is a great look into a different culture for a more personal view of its history. I'd definitely recommend this for graphic novel lovers--it's truly something special.
Review cross-listed here!
atuin's review against another edition
fast-paced
A view of war from a child's perspective. It's interesting to see what most sticks out in the memory, and shows that even in war zones, parents still do their best to care for their kids and children still act like children. The artwork was very well done. I don't feel comfortable giving this a grade, as it feels too personal to the Author's personal experience.
jwinchell's review against another edition
4.0
A person could read this without having read A Game for Swallows, but much of both stories would be more comprehensible if you read them as a set and in sequential order. I love her narrative trope here: I remember when... and then diving into each of those memories (writing and drawing), one memory leading into the next, spinning a larger story about her growing up years in war-torn Beirut in the 198os and 90s. But she takes huge leaps to her adult years (1 panel, 2) and then -boom- she is an adult looking back . I guess I could have benefitted from seeing the adult Zeina on the first page (though looking back, she grounds her story firmly in the act of adult reminiscing upon childhood). Love the art, love the courage, love the fact that this graphic memoir is intended for a juvenile audience.
sducharme's review against another edition
4.0
This is a personal account of what the author remembers about her childhood during Lebanon's Civil War in the 1980's-90's. She family lived in East Beirut, cut off from the rest of the city. They lived "normal" lives, getting their car windshield replaced often when bombings occurred, waiting for hours in traffic to get out of the city for a reprieve, and adjusting the logistics of daily life when supplies, electricity, and transportation was interrupted. This is not as chronological as its predecessor, Game of Swallows. It feels more personal and sometimes it's like a private joke since some of the references aren't known to the average reader (even me, who lived in Beirut in the early 2000s.)
Still, it's worth a read because it captures that breezy Lebanese air of "War? What war? We're living our lives!"
Still, it's worth a read because it captures that breezy Lebanese air of "War? What war? We're living our lives!"
mistymeadows's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.5