A review by nataliaalbin
Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This book feels a bit like the way the war feels for its main character. It starts slowly and simply but before you realise it, you're deeply entranced by it all. Part of its strength lies in the fact that the Bosnian War is not a topic that is particularly well covered by media, so it is different from the start. But it's also a take on war that isn't necessarily written about a lot. As we follow Zora, we realise she is not "special" or "chosen" in the ways that a lot of war stories treat their characters. In fact, she is normally unaware of what is happening - the war is a surprise, and she seems to be the last to find out about a lot of things:

the rescue vehicles, the fire, the water or electricity being turned off, etc.

She is surviving, she is not involved in the politics of war. It's how she survives that makes her interesting to read: through art. 

At its core, Black Butterflies is about the art's ability to help us survive during times of upheaval. In the darkest moments, art disappears. It's when we find the hope to create that we know we are alive. That is survival. Priscilla Morris was clear on this being the intent of the book from the first pages, which means that message isn't muddled within unnecessary trauma or suffering. It's a harrowing book about the terrors of war, but the thread of hope is always beneath.