War Kids: A Syrian Story

By: HJ Lawson

Narrated by: Michelle Michaels, RJ Walker

Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

When Jada wakes up in a hospital, the last thing she thinks is that her life has completely changed forever. But when the very real civil war forces her to flee from every open space, she must use the firearm skills her father taught her to reunite with him and protect herself.

Armed with a single gun and a key to an unknown locker, Jada crosses Syria on a journey with a group of children called the Fearless Freedom Fighters. With the leader, Zak, they mount a plan to rescue their fathers while they try to cope with the merciless murders of their families.

As Jada and Zak lead the group together, love blossoms, but with soldiers hot on their tail, they need to stay vigilant in the face of war.

©2014 HJLawson (P)2015 HJLawson

War kids

What made the experience of listening to War Kids: A Syrian Story the most enjoyable?

This was an amazing and It was intriguing, captivating, and so compelling.
It brings to life the imaginable facts of war and how people affected are forced to live through it.
It has an astonishing way of giving multiple character views as well as a remarkable ability to draw in such emotions.

Can We Find Hope?

HJ Lawson shows us the world of war through children's eyes in a epic way. Following the stories of the lives and trials of young ones as they try and navigate through something they don't understand is never easy to read. They know they must survive while their known world crashes around them and they witness countless horrors can be hard to take in and even hard to see. HJ Lawson does a fine job creating that image in our minds as we read. Taking a very current event like the Syrian war was a bold move but a needed one as so many want to believe "it's not our war" but what I believe Lawson was trying to convey is that, that doesn't matter, they are human too and all human lives matter.

Michelle Michaels and RJ Walker narrate this novel and do a fine job at that. Michelle carries a lot of energy and emotion throughout all her characters which captures the reader. Her pacing can be slow at times but overall it was truly capturing. Walker has a smooth voice that was easy to listen to and has a true talent for voicing different ages and genders. I was quite impressed with both of them overall.

I would recommend this book to all.

This audiobook was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

WONDERFUL STORY LISTENED IN 1 SITTING!!!

Would you consider the audio edition of War Kids: A Syrian Story to be better than the print version?

I only listened...but it was great..and the performance was spectacular!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

It did...I was very engaged!

What does Michelle Michaels and RJ Walker bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

They were fabulous....such emotion!!!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Oh I did...this book brought me to tears and my heart ached for these children!

Any additional comments?

** I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

Jada and Zach are just children...young teens and are thrown into a war of horrific proportions...there loved ones are dead...and they have to lead a group small kids to safety...fighting to stay alive, not starve and not knowing who they can trust...this is set in Syria..which really touched my heart...I loved this story...I did not want to put it down...the narration was super duper great and I highly recommend it!!!

Child Soldiers

This is a harrowing tale of war from children's perspectives. The tale is told from the accounts of primarily three children although other childhood characters also relate parts of the story. It is a gruesome coming of age story in a country in chaos during a civil war. The children's world turns into a nightmare and it becomes not just a world of horrors it is also a survival of the fittest every one for oneself existence. The story is moving and chilling.

Here are my problems with the book and why I didn't rate the performance and book higher. The performance was very good however the Syrian girl Jada was narrated with a British accent. Gerald the French doctor and ex-Mossad agent was narrated with an American accent. The villainous rebel army officer was narrated with a working class British accent and the Syrian boy Jak was narrated with an American accent. Even though the narrators did a fine job I just think that it would of been even better if the the characters actually had accents that fit them.

My next issue has to do with the very Western and Americanized way the Syrian teens behaved and spoke. For example Zak and Jada were very huggy kissy. I just can't picture middle Eastern teens being that huggy kissy. I'm not certain whether the Americanized/western behavior of the Syrian children were purposeful on the author's behalf so that western readers would be better able to relate with the characters or whether the author wasn't more familiar with middle eastern behavior. To me the accents used and the Americanized behaviors of the characters made the novel less authentic.

Dispute my above criticisms this is a powerful gripping moving novel told in an unique style.

“I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot come”

Eye Opener!

What did you love best about War Kids: A Syrian Story?

I loved how this book brings the kids together showing how they all coped.

What did you like best about this story?

The strength of these children is amazing. How humans strive to go on despite what is going on around them.

Which scene was your favorite?

I love the scene where Zach and Jada have their "first date".

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The will to live!
While the first two chapters where somewhat gruesome the rest of the book is not. So keep reading it is a great listen.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was provided by the author/narrator/publisher free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review.

Not for the light hearted!

Any additional comments?

Another heart rending war story, this one is told from the PoV of few children Jada, Zak and Haytham. These and a few other kids are trying to reach a refugee camp, on their way they suffer and have seen so much that they are already growing up for their age, trying to learn how to kill, be smarter and calm. Not to fall for anyone, hide from the soldiers.
The hospitals and schools are being bombed, this is one of those stories that makes you shiver to just hear the plight kids and what they have to do in order keep themselves safe. The connections in story come totally as a surprise, I didn't see them coming.
Overall, this is a nice story but not for the light hearted, there is death and violence.