A review by emeliestegbornblixt
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

The audio really didn't work for me unfortunately. I kept thinking "isn't this supposed to be in verse? this doesn't sound like poetry." I don't know. As for the story itself, it was... good. I appreciate the perspectives, the way this explore a refugee experience through middle grade literature. It felt like a realistic portrayal of a young girl navigating the strange experiences of war and migration - and racism. I especially appreciated the balancing of embracing the changes brought to oneself by immigration and holding close the value of your roots - not leaving your culture behind but bringing it with you into a new context which transforms it without turning it into something different altogether. Especially in the comparison of different characters relationship to culture and roots this story desplays a nuanced and complex reality. I hope many children read this gem over and over again, and let it raise ever more questions as they grow older, however indirectly.