I love this book. This is the exact sort of book that demonstrates diversity that I was looking to add to my school library.

I was not sure that I would like this book, but I found it totally riveting and ended up reading it in one day. It is based on the real-life experiences of a young boy in the lead up to the first Gulf War and really brings home the effect of politicians on the ordinary people of a country. This still resonates with us today, when we think about the horrors taking place in countries such as Yemen, Syria and beyond. A truly thought provoking book that should be promoted widely.

I thought this would be interesting in the beginning but I quickly lost passion in this book and felt that it would be better for a different reader.

This is a wonderful book based on a true story about the Gulf War. Ali Fhalid talks about his experience of Operation Desert Storm from his 14 year old perspective and the impact it had on him and his family.

I have to confess to being fairly ignorant about the Gulf War and not knowing a great deal about it but this book explains it in simple terms suitable for both children and adults.

Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Oneworld Publications and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Based on the childhood of Ali Fadhil, who went on to become an interpreter during the trial of dictator Saddam Hussein, this book shows what life was like for the people of Basra, Iraq during the beginning of the war in 1991.

While this is definitely a book geared towards children, who - of course - were not even born when these events took place (in fact, they weren't even born when Hussein was executed), it is an interesting read for anyone who remembers the events of the 1990s and early 2000s.

A side note: I had no idea what "Atari" was, and had to look it up. I feel like it's something I should have known!