Lars Horneman

Representation: Syrian main character
Trigger warnings: Death of a child in the ocean, military violence and war themes, refugee experiences
Score: Five points out of ten.
This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.

A few years back, I saw this book on the shelf at one of the two libraries I go to, and it looked like an intriguing read to me until I opened it. The book was short but left an impact that was ultimately depressing. I like that it raises awareness of refugees, but I won't reread this. Where do I begin? It starts with a girl on a boat with other asylum seekers, and the boat tosses her into the sea. That's where it gets unique since there is a flashback to an earlier time when it is revealed the girl is called Amina, and there was a scene where she played hide and seek with her mother. Amina lived her life until the civil war came, then bombs destroyed the neighbourhood, and Amina was forced to escape. Amina's mother reminded her to remember Zenobia, the ancient queen. I don't get it. The book cuts to the present day, where Amina sunk further into the sea, but then it cuts to when her uncle sends her out onto the boat seen at the start. Maybe it was to close the gap between the current time and the past, I don't know. I have one last statement: The author is a white European, and he must've researched this issue before making this, but perhaps it would've been better if a refugee wrote an account of their experiences. I think it's just me. Toward the end of the book, Amina sees the sunken ship, Zenobia, hence the title, which juxtaposes the last time I saw that name. Now, it is in a darker light to set a hopeless mood. The final few pages are the saddest as I hear Amina's final thoughts after she died. (If she could swim, maybe she could survive.) Wow. That's a low note. Read When Stars are Scattered; it's just better.… (más)

Ayoung Syrian refugee tries to flee the horrors of war in this Danish import.

In this nearly wordless graphic novel, Amina is a young Syrian girl living in the midst of violent conflict. Instructed by her parents to wait as they venture out for help, she remains home for days when they don’t come back, as the tanks and fighter planes thunder around her small home. An uncle arrives to inform her that her parents will not be returning and she must leave immediately. With only enough money for a single passage, Amina finds herself alone on an overcrowded boat. In one heart-stopping moment, the congested vessel capsizes, throwing her overboard. While descending into the waves, she recalls happy memories of her parents, playing hide-and-seek and making sarmas with her mother. She also remembers their stories of Zenobia, an ancient Syrian queen who defeated the Romans, and the strength that she signifies. Amina’s journey is tragic and will leave readers with much to reflect upon and discuss. Horneman’s large, compelling, and evocative panels brilliantly portray Amina’s struggles, infusing recollections of joy into moments of terror. Panels alternate between past and present, with the past rendered in a two-color earth-toned scheme and the present depicted in vivid full color. Deceptively spare, this timely and important offering is a must-read, helping bring greater understanding and empathy to a situation that for many feels far away.

Graphic storytelling at its most powerful. (Graphic fiction. 8-14)

-Kirkus Review… (más)

diverse children's middlegrade/teen graphic novel - a young Syrian refugee (she's maybe 8? 10 years old?) falls off the evacuation raft (overcrowded with other refugees) and has her life flash before her eyes--from her memories of playing hide and seek with her mother, to her parents' disappearance after venturing out into the dangerous city, to her uncle's using the last of his money for her safe passage away from Syria on a raft (he only had enough money for one person to leave, he says).
I spent the whole time thinking, this is a "kids' book," she's gonna get rescued at the end, right? But she doesn't. It's really sad, but also very real. The artwork is gorgeous, too.… (más)