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New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor Book! A gorgeously written, hopeful middle grade novel in verse about a young girl who must leave Syria to move to the United States, perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Aisha Saeed. Jude never thought she’d be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives. At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven’t quite prepared her for starting school in the US—and her new label of “Middle Eastern,” an identity she’s never known before. But this life also brings unexpected surprises—there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical that Jude might just try out for. Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is. This lyrical, life-affirming story is about losing and finding home and, most importantly, finding yourself.
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0 04.5
Cover 4; characters 4; Plot 5; Pace 4; Intrigue 4; Logic 4; worldbuilding 5; Writing 5; Enjoyment 5; cry*
Words cannot express my love for OTHER WORDS FOR HOME, but I'm going to give it a shot.
This was a beautiful story of a girl becoming a young woman in a world far from home. She grew up in Syria and when her mother becomes pregnant, the two of them are sent to America by their father to live with her uncle. They fear that her mother won't be safe with the growing violence in Syria. So they leave behind her father and older brother to go to America. A place where she knows no one and only has a small grasp on the language.
This deals with war, Islamophobia, racism, etc. We get to watch our main character grow and understand the world around her a bit better. She gains new friends and reconnects with old ones. There are some VERY intense moments in this one and the tears definitely fell. I did some serious sobbing during this book. Mostly happy-ish tears. However, it does deal with heavy topics and does make you look at how absolutely shitty some people can be.
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