Angry, seventeen-year-old Iraqi war refugee Mirriam Yohanna hates her new life in Killeen, Texas, where the main attraction is a military base, populated with spoiled army brats like Caleb Miller.
Caleb has much to be angry about too, including Mirriam who turns him down flat in front of everyone. Eager for retribution, Caleb agrees to a dare that will see him take Mirriam to the prom and regain his pride.
But their relationship soon moves beyond high school antics. Mirriam and Caleb are bound together by more than location, and as they are forced to work closely together on a school assignment, they start to uncover an explosive story that has the potential to ruin lives — and both of their futures. One single truth changes everything and strengthens their bond. When Mirriam's family discovers their relationship, they decide it's time to arrange her marriage to a proper Iraqi man. Caleb must convince Mirriam that he is in it for forever — or risk losing her for good. (Goodreads)
A big giant congrats to Beth Fred for the release of this book! It was a treat to read it and I am happy to get to tell you all about it today :)
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was an interesting take on a subject that has changed and taken so many lives, including the repercussions once soldiers return home. I really liked seeing how the war in Iraq affected both sides--American and Iraqi--and Fred does a great job getting into both sides of arguments and debates spawned by the war. There was quite a bit of blatant racism portrayed by the different characters (always as a bad thing, obviously, and as a means of demonstrating the general outlook of some of the groups), which never settled well with me. What I mean is, I have a hard time seeing racism anywhere and being okay with it, even though I know it's an important issue to address and Fred provides a great example of how not okay it is. It definitely left me thinking and pondering even when I wasn't reading. It amazes me how so much hate can exist, and it just makes me sad.
Caleb and Mirriam's relationship is sweet and endearing, and I liked the alternating point of view to see how each of them saw the incredible breadth of situations they had to face. It also provided a nice counterpoint to the other horrors they dealt with, both through memories and in the problems of war that returned home with soldiers in their military community.
Overall, if you find a story that tackles some heavy issues and takes a hard look at what the war in Iraq meant for the US and Iraq, this is the book for you! :)
Have you read anything by Beth Fred? What do you think about this one? :)
Thank you so much. This is such a thoughtful review.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure--it was such a thoughtful read! :)
DeleteIt sounds like this book has the potential to pack a powerful punch. It isn't too heavy for a YA reader? Or is it classified as YA simply because the main characters fall into that age bracket?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review, Meradeth. And good luck, Beth. (Clever title!) I will definitely look into this one on Amazon.
It's pretty heavy for YA, but I didn't think too much so. I've definitely read heavier! Let me know if you pick up a copy :)
DeleteI will, but it's not gonna be available on Amazon until next month.
DeleteOh that's right! Duh. Totally spaced :)
DeleteActually, it's available for pre-order now. And I'm working with my publisher to see if I can get an early release for my pre-order peeps but I don't know yet.
DeleteI have never read anything by this author, but I remember seeing the cover and reading the synopsis and thinking it sounded good. I am glad you enjoyed it. It does sound like tough subject matter. Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely tough subject matter, but totally handled well! Gotta love it when that happens :)
DeleteSounds like an interesting novel! I wouldn't have realized it was YA if you didn't mention it. Love books that deal with tough subjects. :)
ReplyDelete-Lauren
Totally tough subjects. It's pretty squarely YA, but I see what you mean--it easily could be shifted to an adult novel!
DeleteI wanted to write something along these lines for a long time, and it took A WHILE to figure out how to make it YA. (I've been advised to stay away from adult romance because I don't write sex scenes).
DeleteOh yeah! I saw Beth's book (the reveal) a while back. Thanks for the review, Mer. Sounds like quite a heavy and sad subject to write, but These things happen and I totally applaud Beth for telling the Story. :) I haven't read any of her books though. :) Look Forward to.
ReplyDeleteHope you get a chance to sometime! Definitely a good read!
DeleteIt sounds like Beth had the courage to tackle a variety of difficult subject matters in this one.
ReplyDeleteYou seem so emotionally invested in this story, which speaks volumes...
ReplyDeleteIt sounds really interesting given that the subject isn't a thing of the past, but something still going on.
It was definitely an emotional story. And I really loved that it's still such a current topic to address :)
DeleteI really hoped I could get people emotionally vested in this story, because it's very personal to me. My husband is from India and has been mistaken for being Muslim more than once. We met in grad school. (We were both young grads). So I drew off of that in writing this novel and really hoped that I could paint a clear picture of what it's like to be that couple.
DeleteYay for Beth! I got to read part of this in its early stages and I love that she took on this situation and made it work.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome!! :)
DeleteThanks PK
DeleteI haven't read Beth's work! But this was a wonderful highlight, Meradeth. I don't read a lot of YA like this, but I'm definitely intrigued. Thanks for this! :D
ReplyDeleteIt was a great read--definitely something to try if you get a chance! :)
DeleteI definitely think this will appeal to people who may not usually read YA. There is a lot going on with it.
DeleteAn excellent review, Meradeth.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first I've heard of it, I believe...
Thanks!!
DeleteGreat review, Meradeth. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteNas
Thank you :) Glad you liked it!
DeleteFantastic review. I like reading things that make me think, even if it's not easy stuff to read.
ReplyDeleteMe too :) Well, along with other stuff too, but definitely love a good thoughtful book!
DeleteI'm so happy someone said my book made them think. A) I've always wanted to write something like that. B)That is exactly the reason I had to write this book.
DeleteI seriously can't wait to read this book!!
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy it!!
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