Reviews
Sisters of the War: Two Remarkable True Stories of Survival and Hope in Syria by Rania Abouzeid
passionatereader78's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Confinement, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Child death, War, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Mass/school shootings
thatothernigeriangirl's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
tense
medium-paced
4.0
This was such a brilliant book. The author has detailed the lives of four girls from two different family — seemingly on the two sides of the Syrian war. Through these four girls (and their family members), I got context on the war; the Syria before and after; the political and selfish interests that muddled the initial call for Syrian liberation —triggered by the Arab spring of 2011.
The highlight for me was finding out that the author was present in many of the events detailed in this book (like she was physically present!). It gave more authenticity and empathy to this work that she’s done. Thanks to her, I’m eager to read more Syrian narratives, either fictional or nonfictional forms.
I really wish Ruha, Alaa, Jawa and Hanin so much good wherever they are.
The highlight for me was finding out that the author was present in many of the events detailed in this book (like she was physically present!). It gave more authenticity and empathy to this work that she’s done. Thanks to her, I’m eager to read more Syrian narratives, either fictional or nonfictional forms.
I really wish Ruha, Alaa, Jawa and Hanin so much good wherever they are.
krissyronan's review against another edition
3.0
Intense story. I think my brain was too distracted to fully absorb it, which is a me thing.
Thank you Libro.fm and Scholastic Audio for the copy.
Thank you Libro.fm and Scholastic Audio for the copy.
mmouse1977's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
kmishmael's review against another edition
5.0
At a couple of points, it read as a novel, and then I had to remind myself it wasn’t. The audiobook included the author/journalist’s story at the end and wish I would’ve read that before to fully understand how she was with them throughout most of this and lived to tell their story.
literateworld's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting and heart wrenching story of the war in Syria. I did not understand all the events that lead up to the current state which gave the background for the upheaval. Written by a journalist that is very familiar with the region it was very well written and showed the terrible situation that is going on.
kateteaching7and8's review against another edition
4.0
@Kidlitexchange
Thank you to @scholasticinc for sharing an advance copy of Sisters of War: Two Remarkable True Stories of Survival and Hope in Syria by Rania Abouzeid with the #Kidlitexchange Network. This narrative nonfiction book will be released on September 15, 2020. All opinions are my own.
Sisters of War details the civil war in Syria which began in 2011 and has killed over 500,000 Syrians and displaced more than 12 million. Abouzeid was one of the journalists reporting on the conflict. In Sisters of War, she follows two pairs of sisters who are on opposite sides of the conflict. The book gives readers firsthand insight into the complexities of the conflict and the devastation it has caused.
I found the topic of this book to be poignant and interesting. I have recently read a couple middle grade fiction novels on the topic of the Syrian civil war and was intrigued to learn more about the actual conflict itself. This book is chockful of information about the conflict and offers a detailed account of various events and experiences. I do have to admit that it wasn't what I was expecting. While the two pairs of sisters are discussed and the book does revolve around the lives of their families, I feel the story is more that of their father's and their communities' than it is theirs. That being said, it doesn't detract from the impact of the message of the story. While this book is written in a narrative style, there are sections that delve deeper into the politics and history of the area that read a little more like a textbook than a narrative nonfiction piece. Overall, the book is very informative and covers a topic that is important for YA readers to learn more about.
Thank you to @scholasticinc for sharing an advance copy of Sisters of War: Two Remarkable True Stories of Survival and Hope in Syria by Rania Abouzeid with the #Kidlitexchange Network. This narrative nonfiction book will be released on September 15, 2020. All opinions are my own.
Sisters of War details the civil war in Syria which began in 2011 and has killed over 500,000 Syrians and displaced more than 12 million. Abouzeid was one of the journalists reporting on the conflict. In Sisters of War, she follows two pairs of sisters who are on opposite sides of the conflict. The book gives readers firsthand insight into the complexities of the conflict and the devastation it has caused.
I found the topic of this book to be poignant and interesting. I have recently read a couple middle grade fiction novels on the topic of the Syrian civil war and was intrigued to learn more about the actual conflict itself. This book is chockful of information about the conflict and offers a detailed account of various events and experiences. I do have to admit that it wasn't what I was expecting. While the two pairs of sisters are discussed and the book does revolve around the lives of their families, I feel the story is more that of their father's and their communities' than it is theirs. That being said, it doesn't detract from the impact of the message of the story. While this book is written in a narrative style, there are sections that delve deeper into the politics and history of the area that read a little more like a textbook than a narrative nonfiction piece. Overall, the book is very informative and covers a topic that is important for YA readers to learn more about.