Lost Boys
3.5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
Based on historical events, this unforgettable and inspiring tale for middle-grade readers is about a young boy torn from the only life he’s ever known and held captive as a prisoner of war.
In 1982, twelve-year-old Reza has no interest in joining Iran’s war effort against Iraq. But in the wake of a tragedy and at his mother’s urging, he decides to enlist, assured by the authorities that he will achieve paradise should he die in service to his country.
War does not bring the glory the boys of Iran have been promised, and Reza soon finds himself held in a prisoner-of-war camp in Iraq, where the guards not only threaten violence—they act upon it. Will Reza make it out alive? And if he does, will he even have a home to return to?
Friendship, heartbreak, and Reza’s very survival are at stake as he finds solace through music and forges his own path—wherever that might take him.
Darcey Rosenblatt
Darcey Rosenblatt is the author of Lost Boys. She's a cofounder of the Better Books Workshop for middle grade and young adult writers, and she loves dancing and painting. She lives in San Francisco.
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Reviews for Lost Boys
6 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was my first book on reading the subject of the Iran - Iraq war. Some parts were eye opening, and shocking even considering the ages of these boys going to war. They're all hyped up to go to glorious war, being fed the propaganda. Naturally it's not what it seems. There were good portions of the book featuring some tense moments with Reza. They're well written and add emotion. The plot itself is straight forward and you wish all the best with Reza after all that he goes through. Not a very common subject in the YA shelves, and it should be looked into more often. Greatly recommended.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5There are some parts of this that are compelling (not least the cover that got me to pick this up), but I don't think I'd recommend it unless it was for a very specific request. The author's note talks about the research she conducted and her passion for the history that inspired her to write the story, and I believe that it's accurate for the most part. However, the overall impression the book leaves is of a war with "good" and "bad" Muslims, and I feel like that sort of simplifies and flattens all the complexities of the political and cultural time/situation the story is depicting. Particularly when the bad guys play into so many very specific stereotypes about Muslims. There's also an aid worker whose role really seemed to fall into white savior tropes. Which isn't to say that aid workers (who were probably often white) didn't play crucial roles in situations like Reza's, but I just don't know that this is the best or most authentic depiction of such a complex historical event. These reservations aren't enough for me to label this DO NOT RECOMMEND EVER or anything, but it's not one I'm interested in bringing on school visits.