peytonforbes's review
4.0
4.5/5. this book is very deep and triggering. multiple serious topics are addressed in this book. same sex rape, sexual assault, starvation, mass killings, abuse. i was on the verge of tears in the first 50 pages. the beginning of the book hits you hard. i don’t know how vahan had gotten through everything he went through. so happy i finally read this book.
nathansnook's review
4.0
Forgotten Fire by Adam Bagdasarian was a heartbreaking read. It is Vahan’s, a young boy, story of survival, love, and pain through the Armenian Genocide in the early 1900’s. In deadpan delivery that makes it quite unbearable to cope with, There are beautiful moments in prose and story that makes it a really moving read. Recommended.
sanewberg's review
5.0
I read this book back in high school, but I remember being completely moved by it. I highly recommend it.
fallen_ire's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
westywest220's review
5.0
man was this a masterfully told heartbreaker or what. To me, this ranks right up there with Salt to the Sea
sdbennettmd's review
5.0
Fictional account of a teen boy surviving the Armenian genocide. The epigraph is a quote by Hitler. I read the entire thing in two hours.
mmz's review
4.0
Bagdasarian fictionalizes this account of his great-uncle's survival of the Armenian genocide to good effect. Fictionalization allows for more reflection that a 12-year-old probably had at the time. But Bagdasarian does not take it too far, and physical details of people and surroundings are sparse. The experience is clearly the most important thing.
And the experience is brought to life all too well. The story begins in 1915 and Vahan, the fictional name Bagdasarian gives his great-uncle, is 12. He is the youngest son of a wealthy and successful Armenian lawyer in Turkey. But his father's position and influence do not save the family, and the horrors begin all too soon. Bagdasarian does not pull his punches.
If I would change anything about this book, I would only ask for more historical background. If, as Bagdasarian says, part of his reason for writing this book was to bring the atrocities committed against the Armenians to light, he succeeds. But a bit more historical information would have helped. Why were the Germans at the consulate willing to tolerate an Armenian presence? Why was Constantinople safe for Armenians when the rest of Turkey was so dangerous? Some more explanation on these questions and a few others would have been nice, but not having the answers did not detract from the power of this book.
And the experience is brought to life all too well. The story begins in 1915 and Vahan, the fictional name Bagdasarian gives his great-uncle, is 12. He is the youngest son of a wealthy and successful Armenian lawyer in Turkey. But his father's position and influence do not save the family, and the horrors begin all too soon. Bagdasarian does not pull his punches.
If I would change anything about this book, I would only ask for more historical background. If, as Bagdasarian says, part of his reason for writing this book was to bring the atrocities committed against the Armenians to light, he succeeds. But a bit more historical information would have helped. Why were the Germans at the consulate willing to tolerate an Armenian presence? Why was Constantinople safe for Armenians when the rest of Turkey was so dangerous? Some more explanation on these questions and a few others would have been nice, but not having the answers did not detract from the power of this book.
rayamdb's review
4.0
I chose to read this book because I was interested in reading a book about the Aremenian Genocide. This book is about Vahan Kenderian, the son of a rich Armenian living in Bitlis in the beginning of the 20th century. After the Ottoman Empire begins the massacre of Armenians, his family is torn apart and Vahan loses the all; he is alone on the streets trying to survive. This book had many, many powerful quotes but my favorite was, “The problem with loneliness is that, unlike other forms of human suffering, it teaches us nothing, leads us nowhere, and generally devalues us in our own eyes and the eyes of others.” because it just perfectly captures how difficult it must have been for Vahan. He was only twelve years old, at the peak of his youth only to have all of it taken away from him. I liked reading Bagdasarian's writing and it was exhilirating to have the action start right at the beginning of the book. I would reccomend this to anyone who wants to further their knowledge about the Armenian Genocide and learn what really happened.