Scan barcode
scottish_kat's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.75
booksbybindu's review
5.0
‘The Shot’ is a deftly crafted tale that makes you question your humanity, your view of the world but does so in a beautifully written and complex novel. This is such a powerful account of the depravity that humanity can inflict on others that it simply takes the breath away. For the majority of the book when the action shifted to the war fronts I found myself crying as it was real, visceral, authentic and truly unbelievable but unfortunately wholly correct.
As someone who wishes that they had the health to be able to work in overseas aid, as I wished from childhood, this book floored me. It makes me want to scream at the world as I cannot understand how humans can treat each other like this. I studied modern European politics and history at University with an emphasis on Russia and the USSR as a stepping stone to move into this world. As a child, I was exposed to a liberal viewpoint and got to experience many cultures at an early age. When I was 9 I travelled with my mum to Afghanistan, India and Nepal and seeing these beautiful and multi-faceted countries truly framed my viewpoint today as being a committed pacifist. Basically, this is a long-winded way to say I have so much respect for people like Sarah who work to document what most people don't even contemplate. It's only when journalists manage to grab our attention with pictures like that of of Alan Kurdi, the young boy who drowned off the coast of Bodrum or the unnamed mother who died after the maternity hospital was hit in Mariupol that the majority notice. But then they turn off their television and carry on with their lives. How I wish this wasn't the case, how I wish that more people would get angry and become more active in wanting to find out more etc. If I had the room in my house I would be currently housing a Ukrainian refugee, I talk to people both in Russia and Ukraine on Reddit etc to see how people can help and just to even let them know that one person is thinking of them. Let’s not forget about the people in Russia who are now in jail for protesting against the war. Conflict has a rippling effect - it's how it effects those who document it, those who help support the journalists etc. You only need to read this book but also Sarah’s acknowledgment section to see this.
Sarah has managed to weave this narrative flawlessly into a book that captivates and thrills the reader and when this tale pivots in Sudan I truly was not expecting it at all! Then this book becomes a whole different beast… one that I am not going to spoil for anyone! This is not an easy book to read, it's very raw from the first page to the last sentence and it packs a punch indeed. But it's powerful with its truth. If one person becomes interested in helping out, or it changes one person's mindset then it has done its job. I can honestly say this is one of the best books that I have read this year, it may even join the top spot with Douglas Stuart’s ‘Young Mungo’. If a book manages to provoke and affect a reader in the way it has me then it deserves every success. Kudos to Karen at Orenda for publishing but thank you Sarah for your work and your writing. I respect the hell out of you!
As someone who wishes that they had the health to be able to work in overseas aid, as I wished from childhood, this book floored me. It makes me want to scream at the world as I cannot understand how humans can treat each other like this. I studied modern European politics and history at University with an emphasis on Russia and the USSR as a stepping stone to move into this world. As a child, I was exposed to a liberal viewpoint and got to experience many cultures at an early age. When I was 9 I travelled with my mum to Afghanistan, India and Nepal and seeing these beautiful and multi-faceted countries truly framed my viewpoint today as being a committed pacifist. Basically, this is a long-winded way to say I have so much respect for people like Sarah who work to document what most people don't even contemplate. It's only when journalists manage to grab our attention with pictures like that of of Alan Kurdi, the young boy who drowned off the coast of Bodrum or the unnamed mother who died after the maternity hospital was hit in Mariupol that the majority notice. But then they turn off their television and carry on with their lives. How I wish this wasn't the case, how I wish that more people would get angry and become more active in wanting to find out more etc. If I had the room in my house I would be currently housing a Ukrainian refugee, I talk to people both in Russia and Ukraine on Reddit etc to see how people can help and just to even let them know that one person is thinking of them. Let’s not forget about the people in Russia who are now in jail for protesting against the war. Conflict has a rippling effect - it's how it effects those who document it, those who help support the journalists etc. You only need to read this book but also Sarah’s acknowledgment section to see this.
Sarah has managed to weave this narrative flawlessly into a book that captivates and thrills the reader and when this tale pivots in Sudan I truly was not expecting it at all! Then this book becomes a whole different beast… one that I am not going to spoil for anyone! This is not an easy book to read, it's very raw from the first page to the last sentence and it packs a punch indeed. But it's powerful with its truth. If one person becomes interested in helping out, or it changes one person's mindset then it has done its job. I can honestly say this is one of the best books that I have read this year, it may even join the top spot with Douglas Stuart’s ‘Young Mungo’. If a book manages to provoke and affect a reader in the way it has me then it deserves every success. Kudos to Karen at Orenda for publishing but thank you Sarah for your work and your writing. I respect the hell out of you!
kellyvandamme's review
4.0
I’m not sure where to begin with this one, it doesn’t happen very often but I’m speechless. I’m not the most avid reader of war stories, they always hit me hard, and coming from an author like Sarah Sultoon, well, it’s going to take some time to come back from this one.
The Shot is told from two perspectives: Samira’s in the first person and Kris’s in the third person. Sami is the enthusiastic, overachieving newbie who is trying to work her way up the food chain, while Kris is the network’s established, somewhat elusive star cameraman / photographer. I immediately took to Sami, burning the candle at both ends, a goal in mind and willing to do whatever it may take to reach it. And Kris, well, I’m not sure I really liked him very much as a person at first, but I did admire his gumption and passion for his job.
As with her debut, The Source, Sarah Sultoon offers a terrifyingly realistic and authentic story. She’s been there, she’s done that, she knows so many other people who have been there and done that, and it shows. The enthusiasm, the professional pride, the vigor with which a story is brought to the world, but also the much darker side of things. The Shot shows its reader a harrowing side of journalism that I personally have never really considered. The price to pay to show the world the truth can be steep and I will never look at international reporters in the same way again.
I had just started reading The Shot when Russia invaded Ukraine. The Shot may be set in a completely different war zone, but at the end of the day, war is war and we’re all people who deserve better. The current affairs made this book (even) hard(er) to read, and I think I read about half of it on the brink of tears.
Acting as a counterweight to its harrowing nature is The Shot’s beautiful prose. I could fill a whole page with sentences I read twice or thrice because they were just perfect. I enjoyed Sarah Sultoon’s writing immensely.
The Shot is part stunning drama, part riveting thriller. It is thought-provoking and insightful and I loved it. Recommended.
Massive thanks to Orenda Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
The Shot is told from two perspectives: Samira’s in the first person and Kris’s in the third person. Sami is the enthusiastic, overachieving newbie who is trying to work her way up the food chain, while Kris is the network’s established, somewhat elusive star cameraman / photographer. I immediately took to Sami, burning the candle at both ends, a goal in mind and willing to do whatever it may take to reach it. And Kris, well, I’m not sure I really liked him very much as a person at first, but I did admire his gumption and passion for his job.
As with her debut, The Source, Sarah Sultoon offers a terrifyingly realistic and authentic story. She’s been there, she’s done that, she knows so many other people who have been there and done that, and it shows. The enthusiasm, the professional pride, the vigor with which a story is brought to the world, but also the much darker side of things. The Shot shows its reader a harrowing side of journalism that I personally have never really considered. The price to pay to show the world the truth can be steep and I will never look at international reporters in the same way again.
I had just started reading The Shot when Russia invaded Ukraine. The Shot may be set in a completely different war zone, but at the end of the day, war is war and we’re all people who deserve better. The current affairs made this book (even) hard(er) to read, and I think I read about half of it on the brink of tears.
Acting as a counterweight to its harrowing nature is The Shot’s beautiful prose. I could fill a whole page with sentences I read twice or thrice because they were just perfect. I enjoyed Sarah Sultoon’s writing immensely.
The Shot is part stunning drama, part riveting thriller. It is thought-provoking and insightful and I loved it. Recommended.
Massive thanks to Orenda Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
mpr2000's review
4.0
What we see and perceive in every war is thank to the work of journalists that risk their lives everyday to show us what is happening around the world. A high risk job where sometimes they pay with their life, so, the main question is, is it worth it? You’ll have to read and decide by yourself the answer to this question.
This is not an easy read; it’s eye opening and bitter. To make you question your values and the society we live in. It’s not a book to read and leave behind but a one to talk and share. How many human lives have to be lost to stop human greed, racism, and violence?
This book is told by two characters Kris and Samira; two journalists that will travel to the centre of the Afghanistan war. What they describe is frightening and horrendous. But again and again, they are told that the news they are sharing is not shocking enough to make the society act. Really, some of the situations the survivors explain to them are so hard to read that I can’t imagine living them in person. What has happened to us that we don’t act at all when we see someone being hurt? We are so cold and egocentric that nothing else matters except us?
It reminds me a little the lyrics of the song “Zombie” by The Cranberries;
“Another mother’s breaking
Heart is taking over
When the violence causes silence
We must be mistaken”
Read this book, think about it and talk about it, it’s time to act!
Ready for “The Shot”?
This is not an easy read; it’s eye opening and bitter. To make you question your values and the society we live in. It’s not a book to read and leave behind but a one to talk and share. How many human lives have to be lost to stop human greed, racism, and violence?
This book is told by two characters Kris and Samira; two journalists that will travel to the centre of the Afghanistan war. What they describe is frightening and horrendous. But again and again, they are told that the news they are sharing is not shocking enough to make the society act. Really, some of the situations the survivors explain to them are so hard to read that I can’t imagine living them in person. What has happened to us that we don’t act at all when we see someone being hurt? We are so cold and egocentric that nothing else matters except us?
It reminds me a little the lyrics of the song “Zombie” by The Cranberries;
“Another mother’s breaking
Heart is taking over
When the violence causes silence
We must be mistaken”
Read this book, think about it and talk about it, it’s time to act!
Ready for “The Shot”?
frombethanysbookshelf's review
4.0
When Samira is finally given her big break in the cut-throat world of TV journalism, she leaps at the chance to get out there, make a name for herself, make a difference somewhere.
Sam and recently injured star photographer Kris set off to report on the war ravaging the Middle East, but despite everything they see together, she starts to realise that no matter how hard they work nothing seems to make people wake up and pay attention to the disaster all around them.
Until that one photograph.
One single image - a young Mother, brutally injured in a devastating raid. And now, everyone is listening, and all eyes are on Sami and Kris. But as they dig deeper and try to uncover the dark truths for all to hear, they realise there's plenty that could be hidden when nobody was looking. Only now, they're shining a spotlight through the darkness of a genocidal war that might just be the end of them if they look for too long.
"Here, there is nothing left to live for. Only nightmares to dread."
If you were to look in the dictionary for 'hard-hitter', you'd find this book listed alongside with it. While fictional, this raw depiction of war journalism is not easy to read, but I just couldn't put it down. Not only trying to capture the sheer brutality of war, this story delves into the dangers of journalists, translators and aid workers who travel through ravaged warzones to search for the truth and help where they can.
The characterisation was masterful - Samira was a young girl with ambition who wanted to make a difference, and never anticipated how dark the world could really be. As for Kris, he was an intriguing presence - he had layers of brashness and bravado, but he is a man who's seen horror and pain, who cares deeply and has suffered for it all.
Sultoons' writing style is mesmerising - jumping right into pulse-racing, horrific action and it never stops. She has a strange way of highlighting little details, whether it's how comfy an armchair is or the dust in the air that pulls the reader completely into a scene with vivid clarity without being overly descriptive.
Sam and recently injured star photographer Kris set off to report on the war ravaging the Middle East, but despite everything they see together, she starts to realise that no matter how hard they work nothing seems to make people wake up and pay attention to the disaster all around them.
Until that one photograph.
One single image - a young Mother, brutally injured in a devastating raid. And now, everyone is listening, and all eyes are on Sami and Kris. But as they dig deeper and try to uncover the dark truths for all to hear, they realise there's plenty that could be hidden when nobody was looking. Only now, they're shining a spotlight through the darkness of a genocidal war that might just be the end of them if they look for too long.
"Here, there is nothing left to live for. Only nightmares to dread."
If you were to look in the dictionary for 'hard-hitter', you'd find this book listed alongside with it. While fictional, this raw depiction of war journalism is not easy to read, but I just couldn't put it down. Not only trying to capture the sheer brutality of war, this story delves into the dangers of journalists, translators and aid workers who travel through ravaged warzones to search for the truth and help where they can.
The characterisation was masterful - Samira was a young girl with ambition who wanted to make a difference, and never anticipated how dark the world could really be. As for Kris, he was an intriguing presence - he had layers of brashness and bravado, but he is a man who's seen horror and pain, who cares deeply and has suffered for it all.
Sultoons' writing style is mesmerising - jumping right into pulse-racing, horrific action and it never stops. She has a strange way of highlighting little details, whether it's how comfy an armchair is or the dust in the air that pulls the reader completely into a scene with vivid clarity without being overly descriptive.
thebooktrail88's review
4.0
Discover the locations in the novel The Shot
This is a novel about war, abuse but also of humanity seen through the lens of international journalism. With a background in journalism in this very field, from CNN no less, Sarah is better placed than most to write this heartbreaking book.
If I had to describe it in one word, I would say ‘raw’. This book will raise so many issues and moral dilemnas that you wil be thinking about it for ages. Great choice for a bookgroup I would say! Given what is happening in today’s world, this is particularly poignant and moving.
The story kicks off in a huge international newsroom located in London. There we meet Sami who works as a producer. She speaks Arabic and so is keen to work in the field and head out to countries where she could best use her talents. Kris works as a cameraman and thrives on being at the heart of war. Even when he’s away from the action, he dreams of being there and aches to get back to the danger.
I knew nothing of war time reporting and what the journalists must go through.We see them on the TV day after day, bombs going off behind them, but do we really think of what they actually see and feel? What about the locals caught in the middle?
What about the heros who aren’t on camera? The interpreters, the ones who help people to escape and find their missing family members for example. Sarah gives them a voice. A loud one.
Luckily, I have never been in a warzone but I honestly feel I have had a harsh and utterly heartbreaking experience of it from this vivid and compelling read. I felt exhausted after reading it. Felt very affected and cold. That is how good this book is.
Sarah and Kris get their chance to head out to get a story and be part of the story themselves. We are thrown into Baghdad, Afghanistan and then refugee camps in Sudan. What a journey. Painful and raw, insightful and compelling.
I’ve never read a novel quite like it.
More...