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mayzinminthu's review against another edition
4.0
For class. Absolute chills. I most definitely cried.
smiles11's review
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Read this with my 11 year old son. Very interesting, tells the story of 3 different kids and their families in 3 time periods each fleeing a bad situation in hope of better futures. The author masterfully ties the stories together across time periods. At the end of the book he gives information on all three back stories. Great read.
thelilbookwitch's review against another edition
5.0
full review [here]
Refugee collects the stories of three tweens seeking refuge from their respective oppressive governments. Josef is a Jewish boy escaping Nazi Germany in the 1940’s, Isabel is a Cuban girl escaping hunger and Castro’s oppressive regime in the 1990’s, and Mahmoud is a Syrian boy escaping his home of Aleppo as his president bombs his own people in the near present day of 2015.
I usually shy away from the phrase “mandatory reading” but I can’t with this book: it is mandatory reading. It is a hard read, and it will probably make you cry, but it is important.
Gratz does an excellent job with keeping the plot moving-almost too quickly, but nothing it feels cliche. Especially since everything that’s mentioned in the book has historical support for actually happening. The characters, while not completely fleshed out, induce empathy easily. Gratz doesn’t victimize or create martyrs out of them which is a fine line to walk.
Take the time to read this book, you will be glad you did.
Refugee collects the stories of three tweens seeking refuge from their respective oppressive governments. Josef is a Jewish boy escaping Nazi Germany in the 1940’s, Isabel is a Cuban girl escaping hunger and Castro’s oppressive regime in the 1990’s, and Mahmoud is a Syrian boy escaping his home of Aleppo as his president bombs his own people in the near present day of 2015.
I usually shy away from the phrase “mandatory reading” but I can’t with this book: it is mandatory reading. It is a hard read, and it will probably make you cry, but it is important.
Gratz does an excellent job with keeping the plot moving-almost too quickly, but nothing it feels cliche. Especially since everything that’s mentioned in the book has historical support for actually happening. The characters, while not completely fleshed out, induce empathy easily. Gratz doesn’t victimize or create martyrs out of them which is a fine line to walk.
Take the time to read this book, you will be glad you did.
dmdeacon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
haylee_t's review against another edition
4.0
I read it for school, it was good. One of the best books I had to read for school honestly.
d3clan7's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
bsmith27's review against another edition
4.0
Novel about 3 refugees throughout history: a German Jew in 1939, a Cuban in 1994, and a Syrian family in 2015. Glosses over some of the real dangers faced by the syrians but still compelling novel.
allison_sirovy's review against another edition
5.0
See my blog: https://readingthemiddle.blogspot.com/2017/09/no-human-being-is-illegal.html