Powerful

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The heartbreaking story of Nuri and Afra, two Syrian refugees making their way to the UK. The story is utterly haunting, from the terror of what remains in Syria to what faces those who make it to refugee camps. Particularly poignant is the fate of children in the novel, those killed when playing as children should, to those snatched away.

The depiction of post traumatic stress disorder was especially vivid, made more so by the way in which the novel weaves together different memories of the protagonists. The story grips the reader throughout, despite shining a light on things no one could enjoy reading about.

Despite the horror the reader is shown through the experience of the characters, there is somehow hope. Hope in the form of the bee, a symbol of vulnerability and productivity. Hope also in the form of family and the love between people, especially when the situation could be seen as hopeless.