A portal fantasy centered around a girl who just wants to find out what's wrong with her grandmother, because she knows it's magical. It took me a long time to get into this book, and honestly I only finished it to see how it ended. Didn't hold me at all.

Sitti, Sami's Lebanese grandmother, has been ill for a while, slipping from reality and speaking in a language only Sami can understand. Her family thinks Sitti belongs in a nursing home, but Sami doesn't believe she's sick at all. Desperate to help, Sami casts a spell from her grandmother's mysterious charm book and falls through an ancient mirror into a world unlike any other.

This novel falls comfortably and conventionally within the genre of "Adventures in a Magical World" and "The Chosen One" tropes. While pleasant enough and competently written on a prose level, there's nothing startling or fresh in the treatment (as opposed, for example, to Seanan McGuire's heart-rending school for kids who come back changed and are forever torn between their horrific but intoxicating experiences and real life). The nominally non-European background of the heroine doesn't inform the world-building or characterization to any significant degree.

The major flaw, however, was the endless exposition in the form of dialog, page after page of characters telling one another things, with only a token nod here and there to actually showing the reader how the mirrored world works (or, as is the case, is falling apart). As an adult, I found myself frequently setting the book down and looking for something more engaging to read; I can only imagine the difficulty an adolescent less tolerant of exposition might encounter, particularly a reluctant reader.

A Very Mixed Bag

I enjoyed this as a Lebanese "Wizard of Oz". It is more sophisticated than the cover, (which looks very cartoony), would suggest. Just as we've moved on from King Arthur and Greek and Roman gods and myths in order to embrace Asian, Hispanic, Caribbean, and African cultural touchstones, it's good to see the Middle East, and especially Lebanon, getting a chance at the spotlight for something besides Aladdin.

Our heroine is appealing, and cut from traditional feisty resourceful steadfast cloth. Her companions on the other side of the mirror are equally worthy. World building is fun and imaginative without being overwhelming. The book is very well written and moves along at a good pace. There are some gripping scenes, some peril, suspense and tension, and many lovely descriptive passages. We get a fair amount of monologuing, explaining, and "mind reading", but I think that's fine in a middle grade fantasy if it helps keep the reader on the plot's track. There are loads of cultural references that fit seamlessly into the story, so this never feels like "research" has been cut and pasted into the tale.

For what it's worth, I'd offer one caveat before blithely handing this off to a kid reader.Middle grade books are all over the place when it comes to dementia in elderly relatives. I can see the temptation in books like this, to "cure" or "save" grandma by fixing some fantastical spirit world problem or threat and releasing grandma. But of course that's not how it works in the real world, (except metaphorically), and it doesn't seem fair to make adults who have to decide on institutionalizing grandma always be the bad guys. That sounds like a quibble, but this is a middle grade book, and I think middle graders can really be knocked for a loop by a failing grandparent. The author handles this all with sensitivity, but it's still worth being alert.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

Loved the diversity of this, but overall, it wasn't anything phenomenal. I don't remember a lot of what happened.

I loved it! I haven't read a book like this for a long time. It's lush, it's vivid, it's pure perfection. Characters were amazing, and writing was so good I could imagine every second of this book. I wish there were more, though. I would recommend this book to every child and to those who feel like it.

DNF this book at 20%. Felt this book didn't interest me as much as other middle grade such as Nevermoor, Percy Jackson, Underland Chronicles etc.

As I didn't make it passed the 50% mark I will not be writing a review

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

This was a great middle fantasy grade novel that deals with a main character named Sami and how her grandmother is dealing with a medical condition that makes Sami think she needs to break a hex. She end up in a mirror world and meets many interesting beings. The story wrapped up well.

Teta is telling a story. Teta has tattoos on her arms. The story is of bandits. Sami is intranced by the story told many times. Teta has a double Ashrafieh.

Silverword is a fantasy adventure novel like no other. My son and I enjoyed reading about Sami and the love she has for her "ailing" grandmother. The adventure teaches the change may be hard, but sometimes it's for the better! I highly recommend this book for all children and adults, alike!

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

The tone of this book is not standard of a middle grade novel. Its a bit more contemplative and artful, does not use the shorter, punchier, and more modern language we usually see. This can mean that the characters don't fully read a believable kids. They feel a touch old-fashioned. On the whole, though, that tone shift is a positive. At least, the plot is engaging enough that most kids won't be put off by the tone. This is a mythology and approach to magic that we don't see often enough. That alone makes this an appealing read. The characters and their relationship to magic keeps us reading. A pretty cool story worth the time.

Thank you Net Galley and publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for honest feedback.

What an interesting spin on the middle grade fantasy genre! I loved the fresh take on this genre. I also love that Diana Abu-Jabar included an emphasis on family and culture in this book. Thank you for taking us on Sami's journey to Silverworld! I can't wait to recommend this to my fourth grade fantasy book lovers!

I’m going to admit to somewhat conflicted feeling about Silverworld by Diana Abu-Jaber. On one hand, I am extremely glad it exists and hope to continue seeing more middle grade books inspired by the history and mythology of the Middle East. On the other hand, I see in it a tremendous lost opportunity because much of the fantasy and adventure, necessary to hook readers in the age group, gets lost within Abu-Jaber’s, admittedly beautiful, swirly imagery. Considering how lyrical and creative her writing is in Silverworld, I will definitely look into reading some of her books for adults. In terms of Silverworld, though, I have to admit that my reaction is fairly “on the one hand, on the other hand,” across the board. On the one hand, Sami is strong female role model who reacts with courage and tenacity to the challenges in her life. On the other hand, much of Sami’s inner monologue seems rather stereotypically preteen. On one hand, Sami’s family faces the type of very real challenges families deal with as their loved ones get older and hard decisions about care have to be contemplated. On the other hand, the story too easily falls into the trope of adults just not getting it and children having to save the day. Overall, I did enjoy the book and saw tremendous potential—that may be even be why I found myself disappointed.

I need this book in Audio format. I want to be able to close my eyes and visualize what I am reading. While you submerge into this fantasy world defined by its colors you start to reread the descriptions to make sure you are imagining them just right. Sami's grandmother has stopped communicating which causes her family to believe she needs to move into assisted living. Sami is not ready to give up and knows the answer is in her Teta's spell book. Her journey takes her through her mirror to Silverworld. She must restore the balance to the Shadows and the Flickers to save both worlds. A Wrinkle in Time came to mind because it feels like both authors are writing stories so much bigger themselves. This book reminds us we are made up of so many things which have come before us. Our family combined with culture bind our individual self's together. Children ages 13 and up will never look at a mirror the same again.

I had the privilege of an advanced copy of Diana Abu-Jaber's Silverworld in exchange for an honest review.

I would strongly recommend this book for the diversity, the healthy family struggling through a difficult time, and for the world building. Portal fantasies, especially when the portal was a spell and a mirror, were my go to niche as a child. I adored Sami, her strength and fierce devotion to her grandmother. I loved the world she fell into, and as there wasn't much diversity in my reading list when I was in middle grade, this felt like a fresh take on the portal fantasy genre. Diana Abu-Jaber has a great way with dialogue that kept the story flowing.

I would not recommend this book to a child who might have a sick relative and they're personally struggling with this, or did. Sami's grandmother seems to have dementia to everyone in the family, but Sami is convinced her grandmother is under spell which starts this entire adventure. I think it was a great choice for the story, but for readers who understand that magic does not heal their loved ones in the real world especially with a disease like dementia. Diana makes it clear in the beginning that the family is wrong, and only Sami can see the truth.

I am very happy to have had a chance to add this to my read list. I plan to buy a physical copy for my children's future library.

Silverworld was an immersive fantasy adventure. I loved the themes of friendship and family, especially Sami's relationship with her grandmother and their shared love of stories. The worldbuilding of Silverworld was unique and interesting, and I like that Sami had to think outside of the box to make progress in her journey. The ending was satisfying and heartwarming.

This was cute, but not the kind of MG that I enjoy as much as the child I’m reading to. I didn’t pay enough attention, because I didn’t realize that the grandmother’s illness was thought to be dementia. My own grandma has gotten to the point where speaking is hit or miss, and she clearly has no idea who we are, so the quest for a magic fix gave me bad feelings, personally, and that took some away from my experience. That’s not to say it might not help someone else, especially a child struggling with a similar relationship.

What I did really like: the rep - both racially AND the fact that we see a few types of families in this, both extended (three generations under one roof) and polyamorous (three parents and their kids).

Definitely an interesting book. I enjoyed the premise even though it felt a bit long winded. The second half of the book definitely got a lot more interesting especially when things starting coming together. The characters especially Sami were created well and enjoyable. I wish there was more substance to some of the minor characters including the bat and mermaid and I wish there was more to Sami’s adventure but I overall liked the book, especially the ending.

This is an engaging and exciting portal fantasy with exciting world-building. I appreciated the culturally-informed elements as they deepened the story and brought the characters to life. I think students will certainly my enjoy this book and imagining themselves in the story.