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kelly_e's review against another edition
5.0
Author: Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed
Genre: Graphic Memoir
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: April 14, 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Intimate • Heartbreaking • Compelling
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I was looking for moving graphic novel with depth and after doing a little research I managed to compile a short list of options. List in hand I made a trip to my local library and surprisingly they had a copy of When Stars Are Scattered on the shelf, which made my choice easy.
This graphic novel is based on Omar Mohamed and his brother's time spent in a refugee camp in Kenya. It details the day-to-day life of a child refugee through direct dialogue and thought and stunning artwork. Intended for younger readers, this is an important read for readers of all ages. While this is one single story out of millions of stories, it is brought to light in a sensitive manner without shying away from the difficult truths.
Overall, When Stars Are Scattered opened my eyes to everyday life in refugee camps. Omar story is one of resiliency and hope, while I know this isn't always the case. It is also a reminder life isn't all bad even in the most harsh of circumstances. For instance, Omar found hope through friendship, education, and responsibility.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers of all ages
• social studies teachers
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Be like a star. Shine your light. Shine your story. For stories will lead us home."
Graphic: Ableism and Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Drug use, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
readandfindout's review against another edition
4.5
Themes: 4.5 stars
Perspective: 4.5 stars
Art: 4 stars
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Bullying, Abandonment, and War
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Suicide
suspiciouspinecone's review against another edition
3.0
Also, really good disability rep.
Graphic: Death of parent and Abandonment
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, and War
Minor: Child death
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Classism
pedantichumbug's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Confinement, and War
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Suicide
stories's review against another edition
3.5
Certainly worth watching for a copy for the classroom, because it does a lovely job of telling the bare bones while leaving darker tragedies between the lines.
Make sure you read the after notes.
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Addiction and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
Minor forced arranged marriagekrys_kilz's review against another edition
4.5
In my opinion, it veered a little towards inspiration porn, which is common with stories about disabled folks as well as with refugee experiences written for a western audience. I don't want to judge too harshly though because from the author's note at the end it seems like it was a collaborative writing process and that Omar was satisfied with how his story was told.
Graphic: Ableism and War
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Drug use, and Suicide
animaepanda's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Sexism, Medical content, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Child death, Suicide, and Death of parent
morganperks's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Bullying, Gun violence, Violence, and War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Suicide
sarahreads2222's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Gun violence, Sexism, Violence, and War