A fairly depressing coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the Beslan terror attack and its aftermath.

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher for review. ( )

An interesting look at the Beslan massacre and identity in modern Russia. It's a little hard to know how accurate the book is to actual Russia experience, but it certainly makes an effort. ( )

A truly devastating novel about loss, identity and grief. I wasn't too familiar with the crisis in Beslan, but I appreciate that the novel was thoroughly researched. And that the author was respectful with such a sensitive topic. ( )

A truly devastating novel about loss, identity and grief. I wasn't too familiar with the crisis in Beslan, but I appreciate that the novel was thoroughly researched. And that the author was respectful with such a sensitive topic. ( )

I don't read as much YA as I used to simply because I find the genre to be a bit repetitive, but Mother Tongue surprised me. This coming-of-age story is a reflection on sisterhood, grief, belonging and class and the challenges a young woman faces following a terrorist attack similar to the one which took place in Beslan, Russia. While there were a few moments that felt like the author was forcing the book to feel "Russian," the novel's overall honesty and lack of artifice was memorable. The author does a really good job of putting into words the small things that make grief unbearable as well as the every difficulties of learning to be an adult. ( )