Book Review 2 - Refugee by Alan Gratz

     Refugee by Alan Gratz tells three stories in one book. Even though these stories all seem different, they have one thing in common: the necessity to escape. And in the end, all the stories intertwine.

The first story involves Josef. Josef, a Jewish Boy, lives in Nazi Germany. Threatened by the idea of getting sent to a concentration camp, Josef’s family, consisting of Josef, Josef’s mother, and Josef’s sister, rush to board a cargo ship leaving for the other side of the world. When the passengers get to their destination, Cuba, the officer keeps informing the passengers that the country will let them in tomorrow. However, they never get let in, and eventually, the ship veers around and travels back to Nazi Germany.

The second story involves Isabel, an eleven-year-old Cuban girl. Isabel lived in Cuba in nineteen-ninety-four. Plagued by unrest and riots, Isabel, Isabel’s family, and her friend Ivan’s family decide to escape to America. However, the president had made fleeing Cuba illegal a while back. The two families face many obstacles on the way to America, such as storms, boat leaks, and shark attacks. 

The last story involves Mahmoud, a Syrian boy in twenty-fifteen. One day, Mahmoud’s house gets torn apart by a bomb. Realizing that their home can’t stay safe from the war any longer, Mahmoud’s family leaves and begins the long trek across Europe. They figure that if they can get to Greece, they can travel within the European Union and get to Germany, which currently accepts Syrian refugees. They get into a smuggler’s raft so they can move to the island of Lesbos, Greece, but the raft gets smashed by rocks as they cross the Mediterranean Sea.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Overall, Refugee by Alan Gratz tells a beautiful story of three people desperately trying to escape from their violent homeland. This book earns a respectable four out of five stars. The best part of the book consistes of Josef's family making it on to the boat leaving for Cuba. This gives the reader hope for Josef's family. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I didn't like the book because it breaks up each story in such a way that one cannot get too attached to the characters. Other than that, he author weaves the story together fantastically, and the story will keep the reader hooked. Several inspiring quotes come from this book, such as “[y]ou can live life as a ghost, waiting for death to come, or you can dance’” (Gratz 239). Fans of Alan Gratz’s other work and people who just want a good read will enjoy this book.