jasrnine's review against another edition
3.0
i enjoyed the first part, but the rest of the book felt flat. it’s as if i’m watching Ana from far away and not given the opportunity to understand how she’s feeling as a war survivor. all of her actions and words ended up looking like she’s just a grumpy person with no respect to the people around her who’s been trying to understand her more.
in a way, i get that she has an extremely traumatic past but i just hoped to see more of her emotions and feelings. also felt like some issues weren’t really solved like what will happen to brian and her’s relationship? what’s the closure? how about rachel and her foster parents? feels like there’s still a lot of things to explore but fell short
in a way, i get that she has an extremely traumatic past but i just hoped to see more of her emotions and feelings. also felt like some issues weren’t really solved like what will happen to brian and her’s relationship? what’s the closure? how about rachel and her foster parents? feels like there’s still a lot of things to explore but fell short
sydnihilton's review against another edition
5.0
beautiful, sad
POSSIBLE SMALL SPOILER
i liked that the ending didn't revolve around a guy or specific endpoint. it makes me feel like she will be ok no matter what she chooses going forward. it was more about the healing
POSSIBLE SMALL SPOILER
i liked that the ending didn't revolve around a guy or specific endpoint. it makes me feel like she will be ok no matter what she chooses going forward. it was more about the healing
amfoster12's review against another edition
3.0
Decently written, easy read and grabbed my attention but the ending is very abrupt and makes you feel like the write just ran out of steam. The story slowly builds then just done.
jmatkinson1's review against another edition
4.0
Before the war Ana was a normal girl growing up in Zagreb, a tomboy with good friends and a sick baby sister. Then in 1991 everything changed. Suddenly Ana was a Croat and Zagreb was a target for the Serbs, bombings happened and family friends were conscripted. Ana's sister became sicker and sicker, her only hope was a charity airlift for treatment in America. Getting to Rahela to safety meant crossing the border and on the way back life changed for Ana.
This book is written from two perspectives, Ana aged 10 and living through the war at first hand, and Ana aged 20, rediscovering her past from her unsettled present in New York. The story is multilayered, it is not just about the horrors of war but also about how those horrors are dealt with by the people involved and the people who come into contact with them. At first I wasn't two keen on the story but then it hooked me in and I was entranced.
This book is written from two perspectives, Ana aged 10 and living through the war at first hand, and Ana aged 20, rediscovering her past from her unsettled present in New York. The story is multilayered, it is not just about the horrors of war but also about how those horrors are dealt with by the people involved and the people who come into contact with them. At first I wasn't two keen on the story but then it hooked me in and I was entranced.
laurieisreading's review against another edition
5.0
Tijdens het schrijven van mijn recensie mijn rating aangepast. Vrijdag kun je op mijn blog lezen waarom. https://lauriesbookshelf.com
abeth_parker's review against another edition
3.0
This novel was a quick read, in spite of the heavy subject matter. I'm not sure what to say, though, about the story of one family and the wars and atrocities in Bosnia. It was intense and heartbreaking, but also cathartic. Honestly, this is the first book I've ever read that deals with a war that I remember. As always, though, this novel proves again my theory that war has a way of bringing out the best of humanity in the midst of all the destruction.
rad_onc_reads's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
tillyp's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25