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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
Although there are definitely young adult themes, phrases and particular scenes, this book was a fantastic fit to my current HBO's Homeland and ABC's Scandal obsession. I loved the twists and turns the book took in its short story that captures so much of what is going on in America and the world today. Highly recommended for the above mentioned TV show fans, teen boys, and anyone interested in politics of terrorism.
It's a great book. If it weren't for the fact that some things just don't add up I would give it 5 stars.
WHOA! THAT WAS INTENSE!!
Loved this book! It touched on some pretty heavy topics, which was heartbreaking, since any one of these scenes could've been reality.
Kamran and Darius's relationship was amazing, it felt authentic and wholesome. I am just sad it didn't get much "screen time."
The side characters were bad-ass and I would worship all of them (except a select few).
Overall, very action-packed book, super quick and easy read, and a MUST READ :)
Loved this book! It touched on some pretty heavy topics, which was heartbreaking, since any one of these scenes could've been reality.
Kamran and Darius's relationship was amazing, it felt authentic and wholesome. I am just sad it didn't get much "screen time."
The side characters were bad-ass and I would worship all of them (except a select few).
Overall, very action-packed book, super quick and easy read, and a MUST READ :)
Very interesting and suspenseful! The storyline was very different, and shocking to me as it was nothing like anything I've ever read, which therefore made it very interesting! What a great storyline and book!
My 10 and 11 year olds listened to this with me. We all loved it. We were hooked and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. Love the message on skin color and culture and the judging/racism that occurs. Lots of adventure, suspense and excitement.
A 2017-2018 MO Truman Readers Award nominee. This was a great fast read about a half-Iranian high school student whose life is upended after his brother becomes a terrorist.
I listened to the audio version of this book and it was very well done! The story is compelling and realistic. Kamran is a senior in high school and plans to go to West Point and then into the army like his older brother Darius did. After Darius is accused of being a terrorist and is seen on film with terrorists, Kamran and his parents are kidnapped by the US government and taken to a secret facility and interrogated - for months. Kamran is sure that Darius is not a terrorist and is being held captive against his will. He sees clues in the films that Darius shares that no one but Kamran would understand. Can he convince the government that his brother is not a terrorist and can he help stop the terrorist plot before it is too late? This book won the Texas Lone Star Book award and it is totally excellent!
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Here’s my thing with this book, I really loved the brotherly relationship, but I felt like the main character’s actions were not likely for a boy his age. How can you go through an ENTIRE government building without being spotted? I was, however, impressed by the amount of action that was incorporated into this book, and do recommend it if you like a book with action. I loved the storyline, and felt like it was a great idea, but I wasn’t all over it. I think this is a good book, but it’s not great.
I found Code of Honor to be an intriguing and thoughtful book which provides an excellent introduction to younger readers into some fairly complex topics concerning our present-day political environment. Specifically this novel addresses: trust, loss, Muslims, Americans of Iranian descent, the media, immigration, the military, terrorism, and the U.S. Government.
Positive aspects of this book include a very real and relatable depiction of how it might feel to face prejudice because of race and religious beliefs. Our protagonist Kamran also dealt with the impact of having friends, neighbors, the media, and even the United States government decide that his family (or at the very least his brother, Darius) was guilty of participating or having knowledge of terrorist activities. In general Gratz does a very good job of creating an interesting story with an exciting adventure-and-mystery which leads to an eventual happy ending.
Some potentially less positive aspects of this book could be attributed to how it seemed (from the adult perspective) that some serious topics, although touched upon by the author, are slightly watered-down. These include the realities of war, death, and the notion of heroism. Potential readers should also be aware that several murders are depicted. Although these are quickly presented and without a terribly large amount of description such details could potentially upset some readers.
This novel, which is set in present-day Arizona, describes how the life of 17-year-old Kamran Smith was destroyed in an instant when his older brother and US Army Ranger Darius is accused of terrorist activities. Instantly, Kamrans’ life as a high school student whose only concerns are football, his friends, his girlfriend Julia, and his West Point entrance application dissolves; leaving him with nothing. His family is eventually and unofficially arrested and held by the U.S. government for several months. While Kamran deals with endless questions concerning what he knows about Darius, he faces his own conflicting feelings about whether his brother is innocent and as the novel progresses he becomes desperate to prove it, both to himself and the rest of the world. Specifically, his conviction is drawn from the endless media videos that feature his brother in traditional Muslim attire and spouting religious rhetoric, supposedly against the U.S. government. Before capture and after, Kamran had noticed that his brother was saying some unusual phrases. These statements referenced a code of honor that Darius and Kamran developed as children and games where Persian mythological heroes Rostam and Siyavash were mixed with American childhood interests, such as the Joker, Harry Potter, and Optimus Prime. Through these statements, Kamran begins to believe that Darius is trying to reach him, and expose future terrorist activities using their shared childhood games. The second half of the novel deals primarily with his escape with the aid of CIA Agent Micky Hagan, and his small band of associates, to journey back home to find his brother, and foil a real terrorist plot.
Finally, I would most likely rank this novel at four out of five stars. While it is fairly well-written, the novel seems to change in style a little between Kamrans’ emotional journey during his detention by the government and his daring spy-filled escape. This shift in tone may be somewhat understandable, considering how complicated the topics for an adult reader (let alone a teenager) and in realizing how effective they are for holding the readers’ interest. The best aspect of this book is by far the considerate, unbiased description by Gratz which presents Americans of Iranian descent as being as normal as any other American, regardless of religious beliefs or whether they were actually born in the United States.
Positive aspects of this book include a very real and relatable depiction of how it might feel to face prejudice because of race and religious beliefs. Our protagonist Kamran also dealt with the impact of having friends, neighbors, the media, and even the United States government decide that his family (or at the very least his brother, Darius) was guilty of participating or having knowledge of terrorist activities. In general Gratz does a very good job of creating an interesting story with an exciting adventure-and-mystery which leads to an eventual happy ending.
Some potentially less positive aspects of this book could be attributed to how it seemed (from the adult perspective) that some serious topics, although touched upon by the author, are slightly watered-down. These include the realities of war, death, and the notion of heroism. Potential readers should also be aware that several murders are depicted. Although these are quickly presented and without a terribly large amount of description such details could potentially upset some readers.
This novel, which is set in present-day Arizona, describes how the life of 17-year-old Kamran Smith was destroyed in an instant when his older brother and US Army Ranger Darius is accused of terrorist activities. Instantly, Kamrans’ life as a high school student whose only concerns are football, his friends, his girlfriend Julia, and his West Point entrance application dissolves; leaving him with nothing. His family is eventually and unofficially arrested and held by the U.S. government for several months. While Kamran deals with endless questions concerning what he knows about Darius, he faces his own conflicting feelings about whether his brother is innocent and as the novel progresses he becomes desperate to prove it, both to himself and the rest of the world. Specifically, his conviction is drawn from the endless media videos that feature his brother in traditional Muslim attire and spouting religious rhetoric, supposedly against the U.S. government. Before capture and after, Kamran had noticed that his brother was saying some unusual phrases. These statements referenced a code of honor that Darius and Kamran developed as children and games where Persian mythological heroes Rostam and Siyavash were mixed with American childhood interests, such as the Joker, Harry Potter, and Optimus Prime. Through these statements, Kamran begins to believe that Darius is trying to reach him, and expose future terrorist activities using their shared childhood games. The second half of the novel deals primarily with his escape with the aid of CIA Agent Micky Hagan, and his small band of associates, to journey back home to find his brother, and foil a real terrorist plot.
Finally, I would most likely rank this novel at four out of five stars. While it is fairly well-written, the novel seems to change in style a little between Kamrans’ emotional journey during his detention by the government and his daring spy-filled escape. This shift in tone may be somewhat understandable, considering how complicated the topics for an adult reader (let alone a teenager) and in realizing how effective they are for holding the readers’ interest. The best aspect of this book is by far the considerate, unbiased description by Gratz which presents Americans of Iranian descent as being as normal as any other American, regardless of religious beliefs or whether they were actually born in the United States.