I received an advanced copy via Edelweiss.

This book and these stories are going to stay with me for a long time. I took my time reading this because the subject matter is heavy and I needed to take a break once in a while, which sparks some guilt since that privilege isn't available to people living these stories everyday. I watch and read news stories of the situations in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, but I had no idea just how awful (horrible? these words aren't strong enough) it is for the people Daesh targets. I'm glad Mikhail and Abdalla connected so the book can spread awareness of the nightmare created by Daesh.

The subject matter and stories told are worth 5 stars, but the format confused me so I knocked off a star. It took me a while to understand the phone call format and where the narrator/author was. I like how near the end of the book she visited the area and met some of the people whose stories she had heard. Maybe it will read better when it's published.