So, there are really two versions of this book. This is essentially the version for younger readers - I read the version meant for adults back in May, and gave it four stars when I reviewed it. So why did I rate this one higher?

The plain fact is I liked it better. Though in one way I wonder if that's a failure of intelligence on my part, as this book's shorter and less detailed than the other version I read. It lacks the same level of political context, of history, of background and context and analysis of what, exactly, is going on in the region of Pakistan where Malala comes from. This edition skims over a lot of that. As someone who enjoys non-fiction and information in general I would have expected my preference to go the other way, but as interesting as that adult edition was, there were times when context got in the way of personality. It diluted it, in places drowned it out. This book, geared to younger readers, is stripped back almost entirely to the personal. It's the voice of a child reaching out to other children, and it reminded me inescapably of The Diary of Anne Frank. Not so much in subject, but in the sense of a real and vibrant personality on the page. The story here is less informative, perhaps, but it's also more immediate and more affecting, and ultimately that's what tipped the scale for me.

If you get the chance, grab the version in front of you and read it. If you get the choice, go for this one.