Nadia's family need to flee Aleppo when the war gets too close. When a bomb hits as they are leaving, she gets separated from her family and finds herself trying to get to the Syrian border. The timeline goes back and forth between the start of the Arab spring and the period of time in 2013 when she is trying to escape. A harrowing journey that also gives much background about the complicated conflict and shifting allegiances. ( )

ESCAPE FROM ALEPPO by N H Senzai
War is terrifying. When you are 15 and suddenly separated from your family in the middle of a desperate flight with family members slated for imprisonment, civil war becomes a terrifying reality.
Nadia, raised in an upper middle class family with all the modern conveniences Americans enjoy, is left in war torn Aleppo on her own after a bombing raid. Her family is making their way to safety in Turkey. ESCAPE FROM ALEPPO makes war real while presenting the political realities of an international crisis. The book does not sugar coat the situations Nadia encounters in her flight from the city. The situation is realistic. The characters are complex. The politics are presented from a Syrian’s point of view. The writing and plotting is intense. The devastation in once beautiful and vibrant Aleppo is made clear.
The novel is aimed at Middle Schoolers but might be too intense for this younger group. High schoolers will identify with Nadia, a “modern” teen. This would be a good book for discussion, especially of politics and the repercussions of decisions made by foreign leaders.
5 of 5 stars ( )