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Senzai, N. H.
4 Reviews
(4)
4-6
In war-ravaged 2013 Aleppo, tween Nadia is separated from her family and must try to find them across the Turkish border. Over four harrowing days, she travels with two other young people and an old bookbinder with friends in all factions. The complex narrative with occasional flashbacks isn't always fully realistic, but it weaves in extensive information about the Arab Spring and Syria's political history. Author's note.
Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt
(3)
4-6
Maya and older sister Zara travel to Pakistan then to India and learn about their once-secret Indian heritage, and about Partition--the upheaval which caused their grandmother's migration. The narrative builds suspense as brave Maya goes on a solo quest for a relic for their aging grandmother. The gripping adventure blends self-discovery, true-to-life sibling dynamics, geopolitical history, and intergenerational love. Glos.
Reviewer: Lauren Causey
(3)
4-6
Afghan American Ariana, her recent-refugee cousin Laila, and her best friend Mariam (from Shooting Kabul) investigate acts of sabotage and vandalism on both Ariana's family's grocery store and on a new competing store opened by a rival family. The characters' deep love for their culture, described in rich, respectful detail by Senzai, is a distinguishing feature of the engaging California-set mystery. Reading list, websites. Glos.
Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen
(4)
4-6
Fadi's family flees from Kabul, Afghanistan, to Fremont, California, in 2001. His six-year-old sister, Mariam, is left behind during their escape, for which Fadi wrongly feels responsible. He enters a photography contest to win a plane ticket to Peshawar so he can try to track down Mariam. The story is timely, but coincidences in the plot lessen its believability. Reading list, websites. Glos.
Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt
4 reviews
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