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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Last year I read volume 1 of Hakim’s Odyssey, a graphic memoir which traced the journey of one refugee from Syria to Turkey. I’ve now been able to read volumes 2 and 3, which trace his journey across the Mediterranean to Greece and then through numerous European countries to France where his family settled. So many things struck me about his journey - the difficult decisions that had to be made, the stress of making potentially life altering decisions under time pressure and with little information, not knowing who to trust but having to trust someone regardless, the physical, mental and emotional toll of the journey, and the number of times his journey could have had a very different outcome. Xenophobia and being financially ripped off were sadly common experiences but there were small kindnesses from strangers and camaraderie from other refugees which helped sustain him. The differences in the way refugees were treated in Austria compared to Hungary was startling. After such an arduous journey with many setbacks I can only imagine the relief Hakim must have felt when he and his young son finally arrived in France and were reunited with his wife and in-laws. And yet the hardships were not over. Building a life from scratch in a foreign country isn’t easy and Hakim still lives with the reality of being separated from much of his family, many of whom remain in Syria.
We’ve all seen the media images about recent refugee experiences in Europe. The value of books like these is in focussing on one person and showing their journey, which began as a happy, normal life not so far removed from one many of us in the west live. It enables readers to identify with a refugee as an individual, and makes it harder to demonise and “other” them. It leads readers to wonder “what if” and think about what they would do if faced with similar circumstances and impossible decisions. I hope Hakim’s story gets the readership it deserves, that it helps develop understanding and empathy which translates to better treatment of refugees. I’m so grateful that Hakim was willing to share his story with the author, and have him share it with them world.
We’ve all seen the media images about recent refugee experiences in Europe. The value of books like these is in focussing on one person and showing their journey, which began as a happy, normal life not so far removed from one many of us in the west live. It enables readers to identify with a refugee as an individual, and makes it harder to demonise and “other” them. It leads readers to wonder “what if” and think about what they would do if faced with similar circumstances and impossible decisions. I hope Hakim’s story gets the readership it deserves, that it helps develop understanding and empathy which translates to better treatment of refugees. I’m so grateful that Hakim was willing to share his story with the author, and have him share it with them world.
sinelit's review against another edition
5.0
her ne kadar fabien toulmé'nin grafik romanı olsa da, bu kitabı değerlendirirken sanki hakim'in hikayesini değerlendiriyor gibi hissedip utanıyorum. yaşadığı, yaşamak zorunda bırakıldığı zorlukları görünce insan kendi dertlerinden utanıyor. bir yandan da güllük gülistanlık hayatınızın, konforunuzun pamuk ipliğine bağlı olduğunu görüyorsunuz ve canınız müthiş sıkılıyor okurken. toulmé'nin çizimlerine, anlatım tarzına diyecek bir şey yok zaten, kusursuz. bakış açısı da harika, ne üstten bakıyor mültecilere, ne de yaşadıklarını normalleştiriyor. velhasıl iyi ki okumuşum dediğim bir seri oldu, hem bir okur olarak çok sevdim hakim'in yolculuğunu, hem de bir insan olarak farkındalığımı çok arttırdı. hakim ve toulmé'nin kalbimde özel birer yeri var artık.
whitecat5000's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
This was an amazing finale to the series. I loved the happy ending but I also like the realistic explanation at the end that it wasn't the end, but rather a new beginning.
twinsinparadise's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
emilymyhren's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
gigisxm's review
4.0
The final installment in Hakim’s journey from Syria to France with his young son. It’s all too easy to see refugees as statistics. This story brings home, that they would much rather be safe in their home countries, that the danger at home out ways the danger of the crossing, that many don’t make it, that they aren’t seen as human or treated with dignity. When all they are doing is trying to survive.
sassenak's review against another edition
5.0
J’étais contente d’avoir réussi à avoir le troisième et dernier tome de cette odyssée car je voulais savoir comment aller se dérouler la dernière partie du voyage d’Hakim et de son fils. C’est vrai que je me suis attachée à lui car chaque tome est conséquent et on passe donc pas mal de temps à ses côtés. C’était donc avec plaisir que je me suis plongée dans ce pavé. En plus, l’auteur fait ça bien car il y a toujours un petit résumé intégré au début qui permet de se resituer dans le contexte donc on n’est pas perdu malgré le temps entre la lecture de chaque tome. J’ai retrouvé le style graphique de l’auteur : un dessin simple et sobre, avec des personnages bien reconnaissables (depuis le temps qu’on est avec eux en plus !) et des couleurs tendres dans les tons bleus et ocres. C’est un style qui va très bien avec le récit car il sait se faire léger par rapport au propos et à l’épaisseur des albums. L’histoire s’enchaine à la suite du tome précédent, après une petite explication sur le statut de migrant expliqué par l’auteur aux lycéens qu’il rencontre et qui est toujours bien utile à découvrir quel que ce soit l’âge. Cette fois, tout se déroule en Europe et on s’aperçoit que les conditions d’accueil ne sont pas vraiment au top, sans oublier que certains pays ne voient pas d’un bon oeil toutes ces arrivées et forcément, il en est de même pour leurs habitants. Si quelques-uns sont prêts à aider, d’autres sont aussi prêts à compliquer la vie des migrants ou à les dénoncer. Hakim est un père attentionné et son fils est aussi vraiment un gamin mignon et sage et les voilà à présent confrontés au choix des pays à traverser : certains sont plus risqués que d’autres, certains trajets sont plus longs ou plus compliqués et il faut toujours chercher où dormir, de quoi manger et autres choses du quotidien, avec de moins en moins d’argent disponible dans la petite cagnotte d’Hakim (sans oublier les passeurs à payer !). Je suis toujours très admirative de l’entraide existant entre les migrants mais certains passages sont aussi très effrayants, avec par exemple les conditions de vie dans le camp de réfugiés en Hongrie. J’ai beau savoir qu’Hakim et son fils sont finalement bien arrivés en France, j’ai quand même tremblé pour eux et j’ai été émue par leur courage. Après un périple tel que celui-ci, ils méritent une belle vie stable dans un endroit accueillant, surtout qu’on découvre aussi tous les efforts que fait Hakim et sa famille pour s’intégrer en France mais aussi les conséquences qu’aura eu le voyage sur Hadi, qui n’était pourtant alors qu’un petit garçon qui ne comprenait pas tout ce qui se passait. Voilà donc la fin de cette trilogie très réussie et qui devrait être lue par tous pour rappeler que les réfugiés sont essentiellement des êtres humains en quête d’un endroit sûr et pas des envahisseurs !
florettegblm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0