Book Review

Basic Details:

Book Title: Ways of War

Subtitle:

Author: Jhon S. Souza

Genre: Dystopian

Part of a series? No

Order in series:

Best read after earlier books in series?

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59627011-ways-of-war

Overall score:

I scored this book 3.5/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

War-torn Syria. Two boys are taken from their home with the blessing of their father to join Islamic State against their will. Their little sister is threatened if they will not go.

Soon after they leave, Hana is raped and ends up in hospital. The boys are trained to become fighters in a war they don’t want. Can they survive and find a better life?

What I liked about the book:

The story was good.

What I didn’t like about the book:

The writing style could be improved. Perhaps this is because English isn’t the author’s first language.

My favourite bits in the book:

I enjoyed all the suspense and action within the book.

My least favourite bits in the book:

The book was enjoyable in its entirety.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

I’m not aware of any other books by this author.

What books could this be compared to and why?

Although the book has some similarities to Entangled Lives, the writing style is different.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book for the following readers:

Children No

Young Adult Perhaps not

Adult Yes

If you like action, and suspense, this book may be the book for you.

Book Description by Author:

Ways of War tells the story of some young people who, since they were just children, have witnessed up close the terrible evils of war. Four main characters who at all times seek a way around all the adversities that appear along the way in a dramatic scenario that the Middle East lives.

The trajectory of Kaled, Aziz and Zayn begins in a camp after being forced to be part of a jihadist group called Islamic State, where they are indoctrinated and molded to extremism; although they have been taught to kill mercilessly for the sake of religion, they all have the same goal, to find peace within themselves and escape from that place, which will be a huge challenge for them. In another scenario, Hana, sister of Kaled and Aziz, orphan of the war, goes through all sorts of difficulties, since she was taken from her family, life has taught her to become a woman even as a child, and now she seeks a way to reunite with her brothers who were kidnapped at a very young age, facing barriers to empower herself in a sexist world.

Terrorism, murder, revenge, torture, love, betrayal, suffering and happiness are some of the stages they will have to go through, and on their way, life will bring them unforgettable moments that will help them to improve as people and to deal with the frustrating reality.

About the Author: