You Don’t know wha War is a cracking read. Seeing war through the eyes of a 12 year old girl who is living through the goor, loss, uncertainty and pain. She skilfully portrays the heart wrenching experiences. The diary of this young girl from Ukraine is a tear jerker. I loved this book. As Yeva and her granny journey through Europe towards Dublin, I am gripped. Interweaving the narrative with maps, photographs, texts and media headings this harrowing story lives again. I could not put this book down, it is a winner. A read for older children and adults, this is a read that leads to a frame of mind to rethink the disastrous impact of war. War sees no winners. Laced with powerful insights, Yeva tells a powerful story that is gracefully and masterfully written.

Very sad this book. And intense
I couldn't stop read
I hope the war in Ukraine finish soon possible

Reading any situation from the eyes of a child can be eye-opening, and harrowing, and the view of war, is one of the toughest to read.
Yeva's recount of those first few days of the Russia/Ukraine war was touching and heartbreaking. This is exactly like a modern-day Anne Frank story, filled with pictures and diary entries, as well as transcripts of WhatsApp group messages between Yeva and her classmates.
Something the youth of today should maybe read, too, so they realise what war in the now is really about.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book cannot help but touch your heart. Written by a 12 year old Ukrainian girl about the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. A day by day account of her long journey out of Kharkov to the safety of Europe with her Grandmother.
Of the kind people who helped along the way.

This is the diary a young Ukrainian girl, kept as her country was invaded by Russia and she has to flee.
It starts a few days earlier, when life was normal and Yeva was celebrating her birthday. This really helped illustrate how quickly life changed for everyone. From bowling parties to hiding in basements from missiles, the contrast is stark. This was a life we can all understand and have experience of that changed to something that is hard to comprehend.
Yeva’s life changes rapidly as she and her grandma try to get to safety, moving from one place and then on to another. It was interesting to see how amidst all the uncertainty and fear, she could still appreciate the beauty of a place or enjoy a moment. The diary also includes newspaper headlines and chats from her group of friends. Despite all starting from the same place they all end up on different journeys.
This is not the same as Anna Frank’s diary. This is a diary that is simpler, but it gives us some insight into events that are sadly still ongoing .

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

An important non-fiction book for children today to understand war and how quickly life can change. You Don’t Know What War Is an interesting, short book and the images add to the experience, especially those of Yeva’s flat.

Utterly Compelling

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for a free ARC of this book.

You Don’t Know What War Is is the dairy of a 12-year-old Ukrainian girl, Yeva Skalietska, and it covers her experiences of war from her birthday—a few days before Russia invaded—through the early days of the invasion and heavy shelling of Kharkiv, and onward to after she and her grandmother have become two of the many refugees fleeing their home country.

From the foreword by Michael Morpurgo: ‘Yeva’s utterly compelling story stays with us: one young writer’s descent from everyday life into hell, and ultimately into salvation.’

Yeva’s experience and diary records certainly do stay with the reader. Her first entry shows us her youth and innocence… ‘I wake up early on the morning of 14 February. Today is my birthday. I’m twelve—almost a teenager!’ … Her excitement is palpable. Then, mere days later, Yeva writes: ‘All of a sudden, a massive rocket flew by and exploded with such force that I felt my heart go cold in my chest.’

The diary feels authentic with many of the words and phrases presented as you would expect from a twelve-year-old, and it seems the editors have, largely, left Yeva’s words untouched and true to her experience and expression. The only time I felt any intrusion into this was the point at which the reader is told: ‘I’ve been keeping a secret from this diary ever since we met the reporters.’ … This revelation was huge and would have changed how Yeva and her grandmother experienced and felt about all the events that had led up to that secret and beyond. For me, this undermined the authenticity of the read massively. I would have much preferred that the revelation had been given its proper place and significance in the telling of events. Being given this news when Yeva heard it, and getting her actual reaction, would have been real and brilliant. As it is, it feels jarring and deceptive. Was this an editorial decision? … I don’t know. But, for me, it would enhance rather than mar my experience of this read if the significant event was told in sequence.

As well as Yeva’s entries, we also see text messages between her and her friends. And this gives the reader more insight into how individual experiences of war can differ depending on viewpoint and location. Photographs, hand drawn maps, international news headlines, and detailed notes also help to add to the understanding of Yeva’s journey through Ukraine, Hungary, and eventually to Ireland.

Here are some lines which show this young writer’s skill …

‘Everything that seemed hard or bad in the past, becomes trivial.’

And …

‘Evenings are full of the unknown and swallow me whole with fear.’

And …

‘Do you enjoy fighting in cities, destroying everything in your wake, instead of fighting in the battlefields?’ … A great question, I feel!

The diary closes with short entries from some of Yeva’s friends, which I think is a wonderful thing to do. You Don’t Know What War Is gets five stars from me.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

A really heart wrenching read of the effects of war on children. Told from a young girls perspective it casts light on the impact on civilians and their families.

An incredible account of young Yeva's journey from peace to rescue and resettlement against the backdrop of war. As you read you get the impression that the editor has chosen to leave much of Yeva's diary untouched as it reads exactly as a 12-year-old would write - especially in something as personal as a diary. This adds an authenticity that is much needed in a time of media misinformation and hostility towards refugees in many countries. The overwhelming message that Yeva shares are that all she, her family and her friends (who heartbreakingly tell their own stories at the end of the book) want to do is go home.

A moving insight into the life of a 12 year old when her world is turned upsode down and other than her diary and her Grandmother she is removed from all she has ever known and held dear. The story is told through her own words and is enhanced but the stories of her school firens who are living the same nightmare but all have a unique experience.

The photos and maps add context and there is a useful glossary.

A moving book about things noone she ever need to experience, let alone a child of 12.

Yeva's diary and the contributions from her friends bring home the reality of 'war' and its impact on civilians, people who have done nothing to cause or add to these events but who suffer the consequences of decisions made far away by other people.
Her diary entries are moving and powerful descriptions of what it was like to wake up to another person's war. I liked that the experiences of her friends were included throughout, and that Yeva shows that war is not the same for everybody even in the same city.
I would thoroughly recommend this to everyone.

Everyone knows the word 'war'. But very few understand what it truly means. When you find you have to face it, you feel totally lost, walled in by fright and despair. Until you've been there, you don't know what war is.

This is the gripping, urgent and moving diary of young Ukrainian refugee Yeva Skalietska. It follows twelve days in Ukraine that changed 12-year-old Yeva's life forever. She was woken in the early hours to the terrifying sounds of shelling. Russia had invaded Ukraine, and her beloved Kharkiv home was no longer the safe haven it should have been. It was while she and her granny were forced to seek shelter in a damp, cramped basement that Yeva decided to write down her story. And it is a story that the world needs to hear.

Yeva captured the nation's heart when she was featured on Channel 4 News with her granny as they fled Ukraine for Dublin. In You Don't Know What War Is, Yeva records what is happening hour-by-hour as she seeks safety and travels from Kharkiv to Dublin. Each eye-opening diary entry is supplemented by personal photographs, excerpts of messages between Yeva and her friends and daily headlines from around the world, while three beautifully detailed maps (by Kharkiv-native Olga Shtonda) help the reader track Yeva and her granny's journey through Europe. You Don't Know What War Is is a powerful insight into what conflict is like through the eyes of a child and an essential read for adults and older children alike.

Really powerful book told by a 12 year old girl totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Uk & ANZ
I just reviewed You Don't Know What War Is by Yeva Skalietska. #YouDontKnowWhatWarIs #NetGalley