Refugee Hardcover – July 25, 2017

Oh my goodness. This book. These characters. Refugee by Alan Gratz is middle grade literature at its finest, and once again, my mind is blown by the quality and richness of the stories that are available to our children. Kid lit has come such a long way since I was little, and I love it so much! I’d heard huge accolades about Refugee, and I’m always a bit nervous to read something when my expectations are set so high. But this book didn't let me down. To the contrary, Refugee exceeded my expectations. Simply put: it was absolutely phenomenal.Refugee tells three seemingly separate stories that all merge in beautiful ways at the end. Josef is a young Jewish boy living in Nazi Germany in the 1930s. With the horrific threat of concentration camps on the near horizon, he boards the St. Louis with his family, seeking refuge on the other side of the world. Isabel is a Cuban girl, and her story is set in 1994 as riots and unrest plague her community and her country. She and her family set out on a scrappy raft for Miami, hoping for freedom and safety. Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015. When a bomb strikes his home and his entire world is torn apart by violence, he and his family begin a harrowing journey to Europe. All three kids are driven from their homes due to extreme danger, and all embark on unimaginable voyages towards refuge and freedom.I cannot get over this book. The characterization was stellar. The settings were vivid and authentic, and though the stories shared many similarities, the uniqueness of each journey was made evident through the authors meticulously researched details. The pacing was terrific, the pages begged to be read, and the suspense left me with my heart in my throat. This is a must read -- for learning about world history, for providing windows into the harrowing experiences so many children face on a regular basis, and for recognizing that, despite our differences, we all long for the same things: safety, security, and a welcoming homeland in which to establish our roots. Two trunks up.

Good item

What a gripping book! A must read. 3 stories. Connected across space and time. What gut punch, heart wrenching tale. And real, about real events.

My daughter read this for her high school lit class, and it was informative, interesting, and impactful. I read it with her, and I gained a lot of empathy for refugees and a good insight into their experiences and struggles. Although it was fictional, it was clear the author had done her research and was trying to present a realistic story of what refugees have lived through for many years. My daughter (15) loved the book and found it really interesting.

In the book Refugee, by Alan Gratz, the main characters Joseph, Mahmoud and Isabella are individually sent on journeys to discover their new lives. The book follows them in different timelines. The characters treks were not always a walk in the park. There was death, chaos and destruction all around. On the other hand, there were the quality moments giving them hope.In the beginning of the book, Mahmoud found many ways to survive this is what he said he did, “Head down, hoodie up, eyes on the ground. The trick was to be invisible. Blend in. Disappear.” Mahmoud survive by blending in with his surroundings, he did this so he could be able to be with his family. Mahmoud did this to face the hardships of Syria and he never gave up. Additionally, one instance of turmoil was when the character Mahmoud and his family were forced to surrendered their newborn daughter to a random woman in order to save her. His family wanted to find her again and Ruthie (Joseph's sister) explained to Mahmoud, “And together we’ll find her, yes? I promise. We’ll find her and bring her home.” Ruthie told this to Mahmoud because her brother gave up his life for her to live out her life. Isabella and the ones she left Cuba with, were on the coast of Miami and determined to attain freedom. They said, “When were close enough in, the tide will take us the rest of the way. Or we’ll swim” Isabella and her new family were so close to their end goal they just kept going, even without an engine they faced the hardships and never gave up.Overall, this was an amazing book, perhaps even one of my favorites. I found that I could not put it down. It was well written and it all transitioned smoothly. Alan Gratz has become my favorite author, since this is the third book I have read by him and absolutely loved. I would recommend this book to all my friends, family, and even strangers.

Very interesting story. I love this book it’s also very nice quality

My son loved this book

I'm halfway through Alan Gratz' REFUGEE, and I can say, even before I finish, that if you asked, I would give this book 5 stars. More if they were available. But if you asked me why, I'm not sure I could explain. When I stop to think, I can see the craft elements he wields so beautifully--the tight structure of each short chapters, the clarity with which he switches stories, the bits of power he gives to the young children, the slivers of hope he weaves in so subtly that you don't see them, only feel them. But I can't tell you what he does to make me catch my breath at least once in every chapter. How he makes my heart hurt for every character, but most painfully for the three young heroes. How he keeps me reading even as I worry about and fear who will survive and who won't. Josef's story of fleeing the Nazis is the hardest for me, because it hits closest to home, but both Isabel and Mahmoud have me absolutely trapped with love and pain as well. This is a must-read for all of us, kids or adults. This is a book that absolutely ignites understanding and empathy.