Reviews

Querido Mundo: a história de guerra de uma menina síria e sua busca pela paz by Bana Alabed

hopeebruce's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

ali_baba_reads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

4.0

kautaru's review against another edition

4.0

I picked up this book on a whim when I was walking around the library, and I don't regret it. I don't know why I didn't know about this book earlier. It's very well-written and very descriptive—I hope the author goes on to write many many more books. If you do want to read this book, prepare tissues, some parts are utterly heartbreaking. It helped me learn a lot about the war in Syria and the affect its had on people. The fact that it was written by someone so young definitely helped drive the message home. I also loved the chapters written by the author's mother; it gave a different perspective to the book.

geisttull's review against another edition

3.0

I listened to this one. Considering the writer was 8 years old when she wrote it, it's well done. It's a harrowing story about growing up in Aleppo. Maybe Independent presidential candidate Gary Johnson should read it and then he'd know what Aleppo is and why it's so important to know it.

nsusdorf's review against another edition

5.0

I picked this book up a couple of months ago, and with recent world news, remembered it and read it. I highly recommend it for anyone wanting first hand accounts of the war in Syria from someone who is living through it. This young girl is such an inspiration!

erebus53's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

3.5

I picked up this book as part of the StoryGraph Reads the World 2023 Challenge.

It's awful that a book like this has to exist, and that we have to have the voices of children to get us to throw off our compassion fatigue and consider what is happening to civilian casualties of war.

This book is thoughtfully constructed to speak to children and adults alike. Complex or unfamiliar terms are explained simply so that it can be easily understood.

Don't go into this book unless you are ready for a rollercoaster of happy times and tragedy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, War, Death of parent, Child death, Death, and Gore

moumita's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

I have no words 😢

misspalah's review against another edition

5.0

Her narration is simple. She told the stories based on her own observation. Her uncles never comes back, her best friend died, her school's buildings collapsed due to bombing, her father got taken away once and how the war robbed her own childhood. She was forced to grow up, to overcome the trauma and toughen up. There's a few sections in the book whereby Bana's mother would write something to tell the side of her story. How she wishes that Bana didnt have to go through any of this - witnessing the ugly side of humanity. A short book but has many tragic stories in it.

naomi_nem's review against another edition

5.0

i absolutely adored this book when we read it aloud in class three years ago. it’s so relevant, heartfelt, and beautiful, i devoured it.

vintage_b's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

4.0

This was an emotional but inspiring read. Banna, at the age of seven years old was able to not only express herself, but rally people around a cause. The story of the Syrian war told through her eyes was more powerful than anything I could ever imagine. I loved how she was able to weave her everyday childhood hopes, dreams, and wishes into such a terrifying ordeal. I also loved that her mother inputted pages of her journal through certain sections giving the adult perspective on certain serious moments. This memoir made really want to learn more about this country and all they have been through. I highly recommend, it's a quick read filled with home photos. Be prepared to cry!