Teen Review: Refugee

Refugee by Alan Grantz is a story about the lives of three thirteen-year-olds that takes place over three time periods simultaneously. The joining factor between these kids is that they are all in a conflict-induced society and are forced to find safety with their families. Josed Landau is a Jewish child that lives in Germany during the reign of Nazi Germany. Isabel Fernandez is a Cuban girl who lived during the Special period, which was at the point of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the economic crisis. The third is Mahmoud Bishara, a Syrian child caught in the Syrian Civil War. All these kids have their own stories of escape, but their stories are an unexpected factor within Germany.

This book’s main strength is how it switches between characters’ stories smoothly and keeps the reader attuned with all the events. This helps keep the book interesting to the audience and avoids any boredom. One key weakness of this book is that it can get confusing to readers between the three different characters and their stories when it switches from chapter to chapter. The switching of perspectives can make it hard to remember specific parts of the stories of the other characters.

I had a strong liking for the historical aspect of this book, because it teaches you a lot about the conflicts within each country. It also provides a unique perspective to victims of the conflicts by sharing them through a kid's point of view. However, I was not a fan of the quick pace within each character’s story. I would’ve preferred it if there was more story for each of the kids within the book. 

I would recommend this book to a person who enjoys history and learning about specific wars with a more storytelling approach. As it is quite interesting to learn about the conflicts and their effects on children.