A review by jacss
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

To say I enjoyed this book, may be a wrongful description. But I did appreciate it. It is a necessary book; both to make experiences of a war accessible, as well as humanizing people, and possibly especially teens and kids, in wartime. 

Considering accessible entry into a wartime book, I think that the author did a good job. It seems difficult to find middle ground between informing the masses about horrific events in a war, and at the same time creating characters that are lovable. It must be difficult to stay as true as possible to crimes of war, and not scaring off readers. In my opinion, this format works. Most people (maybe again, especially teens) will not likely pick up a history book on these wars. By making it into a wartime fiction, it becomes accessible, without it losing its power as a general source of information. For me, reading it while watching genocidal atrocities unfolding in Palestine, made it especially real. Although different places, and different wars, there are similarities in terms of desparation, and conveyed feeling of being alone. I also have to say that the description of the war crimes in the novel, were expected. It wouldn't feel true without to be honest. They aren't added for shock value; they fit expectations of war. 

The book was written from pov from traumatized child. About other teens and children in a war, having lost everyone. 

Also, I thought that the plot twist was great. I am hardly ever surprised by plot twists, but this one got me.
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