Is this really a true story? Is matthew schrier a real person? I don't know. Part of me wants to swear and wow, what a remarkable achievement of will, and the other part of me wants to swear and say there's no way a person like this really exists. Either could be true. I'm giving it three stars because I feel like maybe this is just a really well hidden fiction rather than an autobiography.

This memoir, "The Dawn Prayer (Or How to Survive in a Secret Syrian Terrorist Prison) by Matthew Schrier is one that will keep your attention. It shows how one man, Matthew, was able to work the system, cope, and ultimately escape his captors. In doing so, he shares his experiences and interactions with other captives and the the persons who held him. He is able to humanize his captors. He does all with humor, some self depreciating, and to be honest it is a bit uncomfortable at times. If you can tell a story such as this without some discomfort, I doubt it would be very genuine. His American cellmate does not come off as very likable. In fact, some of his captors come off as more likable than this American.

The story moves at a good pace and there are times I wish for more detail . There are times when I am not sure one feels the reality of what these people and the author really go through. It must have been terrible. It was no doubt a difficult situation, to put it lightly. I come away with a better understanding that while we view these folks as animals at a distance. The reality is there are some that are and some that are not. This is a reality of wars since the dawn of war and mankind. I can recommend this to anyone who wants to read about The Middle East in a different perspective than we have heard before. It is one we all need to know about and learn from. Schrier does this here. Give perspective to a rotten situation that is impacting many inocents stuck in the middle of an ideological war.

Wow - Where to start…

In The Dawn Prayer, author Matthew Schrier tells how he survived and escaped from captivity by Al Qaeda in Syria. His torture and experiences are brutal and harrowing to read. He holds nothing back with his language, nor with his scorn in telling of the betrayal of his fellow American captive.

The story is told from his side through his return to freedom. Equally as disgusting is learning of the actions and behavior of the FBI in all their ineptness, and puppeteering of Matthew’s financial losses, all in the name of exactly what is the question. Another sad indictment of that agency that leaves so many unanswered questions hanging (like what exactly were they doing?).

The one thing that stands out is that Schrier is a survivor. At no time are politics ever introduced that reveals his leanings. He tells of his experience, where he made friends, had memorable moments, and found some small beauty in a situation most of us cannot even comprehend. If you think you can handle the intensity of what happens while being held captive by a brutal regime, give this book its due consideration. And remember when reading that Schrier was not a combatant — he was simply a photographer doing a job; one of our fellow citizens.

The book is well written, and may his speaking of his experience bring him satisfaction in knowing that he is the epitome being loyal to his country.

Thank you to NetGalley and BenBella Books for allowing me to read an Advance Review Copy of The Dawn Prayer. My review is entirely my own opinion and not in any way influenced by receiving this book.

I would have rated it with 4 or 5 starts if only I didn't have a hard time believing the story. as a Muslim in the middle east I know how complicated the situation is in Syria, but like seriously, Matt was laughing with the guards and the POWs. It's hard for me to believe this. Sorry.

Really enjoyed reading this memoir. Obviously what Matthew went though was horrific, but he also focused on the good too, such as the relationships that he built up with other prisoners and even terrorists. I'm glad this was published after everything with Theo was sorted, as I don't think I would have been satisfied having him as a loose, unknown end. Love the fact Matthew has managed to find and keep in contact with some of the other prisoners he was held with and I would be interested to know the whereabouts or the life/death status of the others, but I know this isn't possible. I would be intrigued to read this again but from Theo's point of view.

Incredible story that will make you appreciate little freedoms you have never thought about before.

The Dawn Prayer (Or How to Survive in a Secret Syrian Terrorist Prison) by Matthew Schrier is the story of Schrier’s seven months spent in captivity in a Syrian terrorist prison. He was kidnapped and held captive by the Syrian Al-Qaeda, Jabhat al-Nusra, in 2012 and managed to escape and make it back home to the US. Mainly with no help from anyone on this side of the world, and certainly not from any help inside the prisons. It’s pretty incredible that he made it out alive.

I’m glad that Schrier prefaces the book by kind of apologizing for how he may come across, as it kind of prepares you for what you read. You probably won’t really like him, especially not at first. Only three pages in and I wanted to tell him to shut up and stop being so bloody arrogant. But it’s really worth it to stick with him, I promise.

Schrier’s style is interesting in a detached sort of way, but I suddenly realized about two thirds of the way through that the matter of fact, jokey tone that he uses is actually his way of being able to recount the horrors of his time in Syria. That it was also his way of getting through it all in one piece, and most likely how he manages to function normally now. It was his way of talking about how he made friends with other POWs, and how they would disappear, never to be heard of again that struck a huge chord with me. Of how alliances were made and broken within the cells and how, surprisingly, the strongest alliances he made became friendships, while the one that would have seemed the most obvious ended up being fraught with betrayal and contempt.

It was however terribly hard for me to read about how much he despises his cell mate/other US citizen prisoner Theo, and how disgusted he is by him. The amount of times he hammers home how disgusting/stupid/idiotic/animalistic his cell mate is becomes slightly ridiculous. Everything Theo does is wrong, everything he says is stupid... But once in a while Schrier swoops down, godlike, to protect/save Theo. It’s almost as if he needs to prove how strong and smart he was by putting someone else down. I feel guilty even writing this because Schrier goes through his own fair share of torture and horror, and not only tries continuously to help himself survive but also others. But what struck me the most in his book is his contempt of Theo. Theo may well have been an awful companion/person (and yes he sounds like he had some serious issues, as well as an utter inability to help a fellow prisoner) but after a while I started zoning out every time I began to read what Theo had done wrong again.

But, despite the talk of how much he despises Theo, the real terrors are very present in the book and I can’t even imagine how horrific Schrier’s time in Syria was. His courage and ability to keep on going despite it all is pretty exemplary.

After I finished The Dawn Prayer I found it really helped me to watch videos of Schrier talking about his time in captivity. While his writing style grated on me a bit, he actually comes across as a really interesting, funny, and positive person on screen and in person. I do however want to read Theo’s recount of the time they spent together (although he most likely lies about it anyway, if Schrier’s personality description is accurate).

The Dawn Prayer will be published by BenBella Books on April 3rd, 2018. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy!