Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (child brides mentioned, taking drugs to cope mentioned, beating mentioned); Violence: PG-13 (some deaths undescribed, corpses mentioned, children using guns)
BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
15yo Omar and his 12yo brother Sufyan could not be more different - Omar is the timid, quiet one, while Sufyan is reckless and brash - always causing trouble. Their Syrian family was chase out of their village by war, and then the war came to the new village where they were living with family. Now Mother and 3 children live in a refugee camp. When Sufyan disappears, Omar finally takes to courage to see if he can save him. Walking through the desert with his best friend, 13yo Salma, they brave danger from the elements and humans alike. Meanwhile, Sufyan has been tricked into joining a rebel group that is bent on bringing strict Islamic order to Syria and killing everyone they suspect is working against them - traitors and infidels are the same in their eyes.
While harsh, Saleh is not brutal in her portrayal of life in Syria during the Syrian Civil War. This would pair extremely well with Refugee and/or Ground Zero by Alan Gratz. Selah brings the brain-washing tactics and brutality of the rebels to light in way that I haven’t seen before. The title and cover don’t do a good job of selling the contents - so make sure you introduce this to a few key students and teachers.
Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS
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