Helpful Score: 1
I was eager to read this book after the rave critical reviews, but I just could not get into it. The main reason was that although the plight of the young protagonist should inspire sympathy I did not find him very likable and therefore could not feel sympathetic. The book does offer an interesting glimpse into a culture very different from ours, but I thought that I would be more emotionally moved by this book than I was.
Helpful Score: 1
I thought this book was very well written and I'm very impressed with the author, Hisham Mater. The story was very sad. We were assigned to read it for our Brandeis "Voices of the Middle East" Study Group last month. The book was well received by the group and we felt it depicted what life was like in that country. I do recommend it.
