Sisters of War

 

Sisters of the War: Two Remarkable True Stories of Survival and Hope in Syria by Rania Abouzeid
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this. It's an intimate account of two families living through the war in Syria. They live in different communities, with different loyalties and beliefs so it highlights just how devestasting war can be to all involved. There are some harrowing experiences and when you think they are happening to young children, they are devastating. My main critique is that this is as dry as the desert. There are pages explaining all the factions and background, which I found useful, but plodding. But as this is written for middle schoolers, I would doubt any of them would get past that to the stories that help them sympathize with kids their age in Syria. And the documentary style even those stories are presented in make it more clinical than emotional. It is an important story with a good idea, but executed poorly for the audience it's intended for.

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