As the conflict that will eventually claim more than 500,000 lives erupts in Syria, this account follows two real families on different sides of the political divide who end up in similar circumstances.Eight-year-old Hanin is at first oblivious to the conflict. Her father is certain that the early small protests will be squashed by the Syrian regime. Her family, like that of President Bashar Hafez al-Assad, belongs to the country's Alawite religious minority, whose members support the government and hold military and security power. Nine-year-old Ruha's acute awareness of the struggle for justice in Syria begins with a raid on her home during the peaceful uprising in 2011. Subsequently, her town gets shelled and school is no longer safe. Her community is Sunni Muslim, like the country's majority. Lebanese Australian journalist Abouzeid illustrates the complexity of the Syrian conflict over six years while reporting on and quoting the two families. Both girls' families suffered in unspeakable ways due to the conflict. Their stories, juxtaposed in alternating chapters, focus heavily on their identities, favoring an account of warring religious groups at the expense of delving into systemic government suppression, competing international interests, and the struggle (sometimes armed) for rights. The detailed documentation of the conflict also eerily leaves out Assad's role in enabling Islamist fighters and gains due to their assistance.While presenting powerful true stories of survival, the book could leave a distorted impression of the Syrian conflict. (cast of characters, map, author's note) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Gr 7 Up-Journalist Abouzeid, the daughter of Lebanese immigrants who was born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, chronicles the stories of two sets of sisters growing up under the rule of President Bashar Hafez al-Assad in Syria. Ten-year-old Lojayn, eight-year-old Hanin, and six-year-old Jawa live on the fringes of Damascus. Nine-year-old Ruha, eight-year-old Alaa, and two-year-old Tala live in Saraqeb, which is about four hours away from the city. Both sets of sisters deal with the devastating effects of war and the trauma and devastation it brings to their families. This narrative nonfiction account details the horrors of murder, bombings, kidnapping, and the authoritarian government under which they are forced to survive. Throughout all of it, they retain hope for themselves and their country. Abouzeid's meticulous, firsthand reporting is extraordinary. She also describes the history of Syria and the control the Assad family has held for almost 50 years. An author's note at the conclusion of the text details the lengths Abouzeid undertook to provide the reporting that went into the creation of this book. VERDICT An important, incredibly gripping account of two families and two sets of sisters who were affected by the civil war in Syria.Traci Glass, Mesa, AZ