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profejmarie's review
5.0
Moving story that really does a great job of encapsulating the many intricacies of the war going on in Syria. Heartbreaking and yet optimistic in witnessing each character's resilience. If you have someone in your life who might need a nudge for developing empathy for what is going on for Syrian refugees, this book is a great choice.
booknrrd's review
3.0
A young girl gets separated from her family as they try to escape from Aleppo during the Syrian Civil War.
This did a pretty good job trying to explain the Syrian war to readers and all the different groups involved and how the war started. Unfortunately I felt like it took away from the story and the characters.
This did a pretty good job trying to explain the Syrian war to readers and all the different groups involved and how the war started. Unfortunately I felt like it took away from the story and the characters.
krammedshelf's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
lei_reads's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Violence
Minor: Abandonment
bmwpalmer's review
4.0
A bit over earnest, but endearingly so. This book overcomes a common hurdle of Kid Going Through Hardship in Foreign Land stories, in that it successfully shows how such kids are really just like you. You! The kid (or person) reading this book! Really. There is a lot of detail about Aleppo and Syria in this book and while at times it was a little heavy-handed, it really brings the story to life. At first, I worried the story would be too ham-fistedly anti-Assad (I mean, he IS the bad guy, but it's complicated, but it's also a children's book, so how deep do you go, etc.), but in the end there was more nuance represented in the supporting characters. I think a kid could read this book and understand how war is more gray than black and white, especially for families just trying to survive.
There is a pretty cool Ayman Mohyeldin cameo in this book, by the way!
There is a pretty cool Ayman Mohyeldin cameo in this book, by the way!
sarrie's review
4.0
That was a heartbreaking and emotional read. The blurb on the back is pretty self-explanatory so I won't go into details, but I'd highly recommend this for anyone with kids the appropriate age. Even for adults I think this would be a fantastic read.
pussreboots's review
4.0
The narrative and details are inspired by actual events. There are some heart stopping moments but Nadia is resourceful. She finds others who can help and manages to navigate the terrors of civil war that are transforming her city into an unrecognizable landscape.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2019/comments_06/escape_from_aleppo.html
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2019/comments_06/escape_from_aleppo.html
lucyp21's review
4.0
When I saw this book in my library, I picked it up. The cover is very compelling and the summary immediately drew me in. It was a quick book once it got going and I was riveted right up until the last page because while this was fiction, it also wasn't and I wasn't entirely sure how it was going to end.
Escape from Aleppo is about fourteen-year-old Nadia whose family are trying to escape from Aleppo into Turkey. She gets separated from them and then has to journey through the city she once knew in order to find her family and escape with them. During the book, the chapters switch between 2013, the present for them, and 2010 when everything started to happen. I think Senzai did a brilliant job of writing a child character who doesn't understand completely what is going on, she doesn't understand the ramifications for it, but she understands a lot more than people give her credit for. Nadia is a teenager and that shows up in her words and her actions but she has also been exposed to horrific sights, some throughout this book. On the way she meets up with two other children and an old man, all of which are trying to get out of the city.
What I think hit me the most was how Nadia didn't just grieve for the people she had lost or those she had seen killed, but also for her home, for Aleppo itself. She talks frequently about how she has good memories of that place or the other or how she had learnt about this part of history and you can feel her mourning what was being lost. There were buildings that survived thousands of years and are now destroyed. They meet people along the way who are trying to preserve the history and the culture of Aleppo, even risking their lives to do it and throughout the book, Nadia comes to understand why. She comes to realise that while people are the most important, the history of their home is important as well and should be preserved as much as possible.
This book was lovely even as it left me unbearably sad at the same time. Four stars!
Escape from Aleppo is about fourteen-year-old Nadia whose family are trying to escape from Aleppo into Turkey. She gets separated from them and then has to journey through the city she once knew in order to find her family and escape with them. During the book, the chapters switch between 2013, the present for them, and 2010 when everything started to happen. I think Senzai did a brilliant job of writing a child character who doesn't understand completely what is going on, she doesn't understand the ramifications for it, but she understands a lot more than people give her credit for. Nadia is a teenager and that shows up in her words and her actions but she has also been exposed to horrific sights, some throughout this book. On the way she meets up with two other children and an old man, all of which are trying to get out of the city.
What I think hit me the most was how Nadia didn't just grieve for the people she had lost or those she had seen killed, but also for her home, for Aleppo itself. She talks frequently about how she has good memories of that place or the other or how she had learnt about this part of history and you can feel her mourning what was being lost. There were buildings that survived thousands of years and are now destroyed. They meet people along the way who are trying to preserve the history and the culture of Aleppo, even risking their lives to do it and throughout the book, Nadia comes to understand why. She comes to realise that while people are the most important, the history of their home is important as well and should be preserved as much as possible.
This book was lovely even as it left me unbearably sad at the same time. Four stars!
sydneyraereads's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0