Escape From Aleppo

⭐️⭐️⭐️One of my favorite books of ALL time!

Genre: MG chapter book

Ages: 10 and up

Available: Amazon

link: https://amzn.to/33b2xiG

Islamic notes: clean. There is mention of violence/war but nothing too gory. Contains many Islamic references and values.

Story:

It is 2013 and Nadia is a 12 year old who is watching her beloved Aleppo, Syria turn from a thriving metropolis into dust and debris. Her cousin wakes her up to flee and on their way out of their building, a bomb falls on them and she is separated from her family. Chapters flit back and forth into memories of 2010 and how the start of the Arab spring propelled the events in her home and back into 2013, where she is struggling to follow her family and escape out of Aleppo into Turkey.

Along her journey out of Syria, Nadia meets an old man named Ammo Mazen, who helps and takes care of her, but also has a secret agenda. Nadia is suspicious of him and watches what he does, whether it is smuggling packages or using different names, all the while wondering who he really is.

Honestly, the surprise revelation about Ammo Mazen at the end made the book so much more powerful and that’s why I will not spoil it. But by the end of the last page, I found myself sobbing and holding my heart with how real it all felt.

Nadia changes throughout the book, and watching her interact with different Syrians of all backgrounds as she tries to flee gives insight from her mind on the War while not being too political.

@nhasnatsenzaidoes a masterful job writing this story, capturing the essence and beauty of Syria, while also showing how heartbreaking the war really is.

I also really liked how the book showed the humanity of different groups in Syria and it explained the politics of the situation, but did so in such an unbiased way. I put down the book feeling like it did justice to explaining the war, and I see it being used as a learning tool for middle grade readers.

Honestly, I recommend this book, and not just for anyone who wants to know more about Syria, but also as an adventure story about a spunky girl who has the guts, the creativity, and the bravery to survive and make her way through such a horrible situation.

A must have book!

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