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bloomingbookworm's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction and Drug use
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
kshertz's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Misogyny, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
waterviolite's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness and Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Drug use, Sexism, Violence, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Suicide
shea_proulx's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Drug use, Sexism, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
krys_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
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
laurao's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Abandonment
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Pregnancy
schaarzy's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Sexism, Abandonment, and War
Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Pregnancy
faranae's review against another edition
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pregnancy
Depicts a refugee's life over the course of over a decade, including chronic hunger and deep poverty. Some readers may like to know how the author's life turned out to get through the more difficult material: