This is another of those kinds of stories where you feel like you are really only getting a snapshot of a person's life, rather than seeing them through from start to finish.

Sufyan and Omar are two boys trying to be men in the aftermath of their father's murder and the loss of their home during the Syrian War. Omar is book-smart, gentle, and even cautious to the point of cowardice sometimes. Sufyan is rash, confident, and a skilled hunter, but his impulsiveness and willingness to trust others leads him to make often foolish decisions. Both boys have strengths and weaknesses. Both of them are forced to grow up when the war separates them from their mother, sister, and each other.

This book is horrific in the sense that so many of the events that happen in the story-- the bombings, the murderers and the martyrs, the different sects of Islam clashing and shedding innocent blood, the children who were brainwashed into becoming soldiers-- all these things are real events that happened. Despite how hard this story is to read, I'm glad it's here, in the States, in English, for us to read too.

wow, i don't even know how to start this review. Even though it's a middle grade book, while reading it it doesn't feel like middle grade because of the very heavy topics, but it was still very easy to get trough since the writing is middle grade.

I absolutely loved this story. I love that after Omar's POV we get to see Sufyan's POV and see what actually happened from his side. I also thought that Sufyan in his POV realizing that Omar and their mother were right about something earlier in Omar's POV was written very clever.

If you have the chance to get your hands on this book i'd say absolutely go for it. Even if you think you'd be thrown off by it because it's middle grade, it might pleasantly surprise you!

fenomenal 10/10

Heavy, important and devastating story that follows two Syrian brothers we embark on a tale that not only is hard to read but also evokes so much emotion! I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this was a middle grade book. Such a treasure for the young ones to read and learn about compassion and putting yourself in others shoes. I think it's totally worth the read but you will also need to be in the right mindset for it.

This was a translated work of fiction and it was Arabic to English. This was very emotional and it really gives the reader a look at what those people went through in the Syrian war although it's fiction, to me it felt very real. This story is about the bombings and families struggles day by day. There are some trigger warnings in this story, Abuse, killings, bombing, starvation, kidnapping also but besides that this was a really intense and emotional read. I give this 5 stars.

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Wild Poppies
Haya Saleh
,
Marcia Lynx Qualey
(Translation)
4.07
15 ratings13 reviews

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Two brothers fight to reunite amidst the turmoil of the Syrian War.

Since the passing of their father, Oscar has tried—and in his little brother Sufyan’s eyes, failed—to be the man of his family of Syrian refugees. As Oscar waits in line for rations, longing for the books he left behind when his family fled their home, Sufyan explores more nontraditional methods to provide for his family. Ignoring his brother’s warnings, Sufyan gets more and more involved with a group that provides him with big rewards for doing seemingly inconsequential tasks.

When the group abruptly gets more intense—taking Sufyan and other boys away from their families, teaching them how to shoot guns—Sufyan realizes his brother is right. But is it too late for Sufyan to get out of this?

It’s left to the bookish Oscar to rescue his brother and reunite his family. He will have to take charge and be brave in ways he has never dared to before.

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Genres
Middle Grade
Fiction
128 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication May 23, 2023

This edition
Format
128 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication
May 23, 2023 by Levine Querido
ISBN
9781646142019 (ISBN10: 1646142012)
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Profile Image for Haya Saleh.
Haya Saleh
3 books

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Ratings & Reviews
My Review
Minnie Emuite
8 reviews · 8 followers
March 3, 2023
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley to allow me to read an ARC of this book

And what a book! The poignant coming-of-age of two Syrian teen brothers trying to "be men" and help their family in the turmoil of war.
It's written in first person, and chapters shift POV between Omar and Sufyan. Which makes the storytelling very vivid. You can feel what the boys actually go through, not just externally but also internally, with their thoughts, memories and dreams.

It is very tough. Although it's fictional, it's depicting a very real war.
I've seen some comments saying it was too tough for middle grade. I think not.
Also, it was originally written in Arabic, for an audience that may be more aware of that war. And I think translating this work to have it reach a larger audience is actually a necessity.

#ownvoices #syria #firstpersonPOV #comingofage

This is one of those books that you wish were pure imagination, that stays with you because it hews so close to reality. Wild Poppies is an account, no less heartbreaking for being in a work of fiction, of soldiers killing and recruiting/brainwashing children. I adored Sufyan, the black sheep of the family, who is brash and stubborn and good with a rifle and goes at everything like a hammer. Omar's struggle to emulate his deceased father, too, is poignant. .

The stakes were high throughout, and one of this book's strengths is the emotion it calls up. For a middle grade reader this would be an excellent snapshot of what wartime is like for children.

The book started off strongly, but interiority seemed to be sacrificed to recounting for a good portion of the second half. Everything happened a tiny bit too quickly. If I compare this to the Parvana series, which I loved at that age, I also missed some of the gentle humour of those books in Wild Poppies. I wanted a little bit more character development for Omar, Salma and even Sufyan.

The translation was superlative.

Reading war-time accounts (fictional or non-fictional) is always heartbreaking, and this is even moreso when the perspective is a child's.

Wild Poppies is the story of two brothers who are separated amid the Syrian War. I personally found the writing to be very simple and at times lackluster, but I realize that this may be a product of the intended audience being middle schoolers. Despite the simplicity — and at times, the clunkiness from translation — there is no doubt that readers will find themselves engrossed with Omar and Sufyan's journeys, appreciating their growth and rooting for a better tomorrow.

Poignant, straightforward storytelling! I felt that I was listening to these boys tell me their parts of the story with truth yet respect for the violence they had seen and experienced, as though they were giving the victims dignity and assuaging their trauma a little by using this simple style to tell as much as they could of the important parts. Even though this is fiction, it is real. It feels real. The author’s voice and plain style really work in this breathtaking, suspenseful novel. I haven’t read anything quite like it. Also, I’m a sensitive person, and the use of dual narrative helped me stay with this novel without becoming too overwhelmed to finish. It was nicely paced. Family bonds and love balance violence and hardship. Will be perfect for sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade readers, and any fans of Alan Gratz and historical fiction — even though this is sadly present day reality. Thank you, NetGalley, for the e-ARC.

Wild Poppies was so good and emotional—it deals with a lot of heavy topics, like life during the Syrian Civil War (2011-present), child soldiers, bombings… While painful, these topics are presented with care and in an understandable way to the middle grade audience. these things are happening to young people in some countries, so young people in “peaceful” countries should learn about them! i think both middle grade and YA audiences would enjoy reading this (but parents should be available to discuss it with younger readers). for adult audiences, it serves as a good reminder of how much Syrian children have had to go through in the last 10+ years.

overall, the writing feels a little simple, but not immature—great for a MG book! Saleh’s writing and Lynx Qualey’s translation are beautiful, and really make you care about Omar and Sufyan. you can immediately tell who these brothers are, and how different their personalities are. the pacing of the later chapters is a bit too fast, but that’s my only complaint! finally, the cover is just beautiful 😭

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC! Wild Poppies will be published on June 6, 2023 :)

Thank you NetGalley/the publisher for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
The book is middle grade fiction genre but the story was very heavy. I loved the storyline. I had to take a moment after reading a few parts. Overall it's really good and I would highly recommend it to everyone.

I used to believe there was one kind of death, where the soul would leave the body. But here I had seen lots of kinds of death, and plenty of bodies without souls, even though the people in those bodies were still alive

A heartbreaking story about having your life upturned as war strikes a country through the innocent lenses of two brothers, Omar - 15 years old and Sufyan - 12 years old. The two Syrian brother take us through their journey of survival, forced to 'become men' and to take responsibilities for their families.

I started this book without reading the synopsis and the fact that it was a middle grade book came as a surprise to me.

I loved every aspect of this book, the portrayal of getting recruited in the name of Allah, the brainwashing, the innocent dreams of little boys to just bring ease in their mother's lives. Every detail about the terrorist organization is not new to me, tales of war-stricken countries have been openly discussed and shared.

I'm always left with deep sadness and empathy for the people who suffer just because #some people want their land and does not want to share' This is not just a Syrian story, this story is sadly a common tale of Palestine, Afghanistan and so many other countries, where people's lives are upturned because of political conflicts and cruel bombings, destroying millions of lives, taking millions of loved ones, leaving millions of people striving for the bare minimum necessities while the rest of the world is advancing. Forcing people to stop dreaming, stop living and just surviving.

Reading this book also reminded of a recent movie 'The Swimmers' which the same story with different context and different people.

Thank you to the author for writing such a simple story with a strong message, for sharing this with the world.

Thank you NetGalley for an e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book follows brothers Omar and Sufyan while they navigate two different sides of the Syrian War while finding their way back to one another. Omar and Sufyan's stories are heartbreaking and you spend the book hoping for a happy ending, or as happy as it can be in a war torn country. This book definitely reads like a middle grade novel, which for me is not a problem. The book has violence, death, abuse and grief all wrapped in and could be difficult for some kids at the middle grade level to handle.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

I'll start with the good.
-The setting is quickly and vividly painted.
-I enjoyed the character growth: seeing Omar take responsibility and Sufyan stop being so stubborn. I also loved that even their flaws were not completely bad and were in some situations strengths.
-I loved when it switched to Sufyan's point of view, his voice is so much more real and childlike.
-While the villains use religion as an excuse for their evils, it's obvious that they don't have true faith. In addition, sympathetic characters rely on God reflexively.
On the other hand, I had a lot of quibbles:
-As a whole the book felt very unpolished.
-There is endless telling instead of showing, making it hard to connect to the protagonists
-Chapters often end abruptly and it doesn't seem like a stylistic choice, especially for a middle grade novel.
-The ending feels very serendipitous for how dark the story is overall.
-I don't mean to dunk on a translated OwnVoices book but I felt it could have been edited to more closely resemble mainstream American-published books?

The heart of the story is good, and the emotional journey is sweet, but I really wish this could use a little bit more editing to make it more palatable to most middle grade readers.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a free review copy through NetGalley!

Even though I already learnt some of the horror of Middle Eastern religious extremism, one can never read enough about a war-torn family and brainwashed children. It's a heartbreaking reminder that these events didn't stop happening just because we don't talk about it. Sometimes it was jarring to read such horrible things in a middle-grade book, but kinds of the target audience do experience this. Both narrator boys are captivating, I really enjoyed following their story and seeing the two sides of the same events.

I found the language way too straightforward for my taste, and I'm not sure whether it was due to it being translated, or because it was middle-grade, or this is the style of the author, or a combination of this. Sometimes I was caught off-guard with tell-dont-show statements, like the 15-year-old stating "I'm avoiding responsibility", which is not something I ever expected to hear from any teenager.

Devastating, dizzying, and deeply necessary tale that can allow young Western readers a window into the human cost of the Syrian Conflict. “Wild Poppies” managed to strike a delicate balance between naming the horrific conditions its protagonists survive while not whittling Omar and Sufyan to their trauma. Even through all of war’s physical and emotional toll, Omar is thoughtful, patient, and doing the best he can to fill the absence his father after his death; Sufyan is brash, bright, and looking for more independence as a young person coming of age.

Thank you to the publishers at Levine Querido for an eARC copy and a chance to read a novel translated from Arabic - which are far and few in between!

My hope is that this book can be used in classrooms and libraries to open up conversations on the Syrian refugee crisis. Equally, I hope that this book doesn’t reinforce orientalist stereotyping around Islam, especially with the extremist groups playing a central antagonist role in the book. In the hands of the right teacher, librarian, or trusted adult, this book has the potential to teach our young people that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

The war in Syria seen through the eyes of two teenage boys, It's not a happy read, but a necessary one. From our safe places we have no idea what war is really like, we can't imagine how that feels. If we could we would be more understanding and less ready to send weapons or military into war zones.

Loved the Book!
Wonderfully crafted the story of two brothers.
This was my last read of 2022 and was totally worth it!

What might have been a compelling work about family and war is marred by cliched language, a mix of verb tenses that introduces confusion into the narrative, and characters about whom we are told, rather than shown. The result is a boring and flaccid book that was a grind to read. It’s a shame, because the story of this family and the brothers who alternately serve as narrators could have been so much better.

When I got this ARC on NetGalley I didn’t realize it was middle grade and at first I was disappointed, I prefer to read YA and adult fiction but since I haven’t had many ARCs I decided to read it anyway.

Oh my goodness. This just put my heart through the wringer. Syrian brothers Omar and Sufyan are refugees living with their mother and sister after their home city is bombed and their father is killed. Omar is bookish and sensitive and Sufyan is bold and aggressive. They are constantly at odds. Trying to provide for their family, Sufyan is tricked into joining the Falcons of Truth and Omar fears he will never see him again. When the refugee camp where Omar is living is bombed he escapes with two other teenagers. The two stories of survival wind back and forth in the boys attempts to find their family again.

I’m having a hard time finding the words to describe my feelings about this book. It is middle grade so the writing is simple but the story is so heavy. At times I found myself questioning how it could be middle grade because although it wasn’t graphic in detail, it was violent. I had to keep reminding myself that this is reality, teenage boys being brought into war that they don’t necessarily understand or agree with because they don’t have other options. This is the first books I’ve read set in Syria and I think my apprehension at the age range for this books comes from living in a place of safety and security.

There were some parts of the book that felt a little rushed, and a few flashbacks that felt a little oddly placed, but that’s really the only thing keeping me from giving it 5 stars. I think it’s a great book and could be an excellent teaching tool.

Let me be frank enough, *taking a deep breath... As some of you know how much I'm obsessed with books that are set in the Middle East, so it is obviously five stars for me😭🧡
Set in Syria, about two brothers, 15 Years-old Omar and 12 Years-old Sufyan, who are struggling in a refugee camp with their family but turn out to be separated from each other in the middle of a war and blockade. The grief feels so real, and the tension is evident, I could feel all the emotions filling the pages. I valued Sufyan as a younger brother of Omar but knows how to be responsible for his family and was quite clever even though he could be stubborn, moody, and childish at some point. Was not alike his old brother, Omar, who tends to be quiet and unattractive. He always feels that all responsibilities are in his hand yet he has no idea how to handle them... However, both brothers care for their family and have their own ways to be responsible.

There's this girl, 13 Years-old Salma, who is crushing on Omar, But look this book does not include any romantic theme but I feel I want to mention this Salma as every time Salma and Omar talk, they just seem so cute!

I would say this book is perfect for fans of The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christina Lefteri, but I agree that Wild Poppies is more emotional. I do love both books, by the way. I'm so glad to have a chance to read this book so thanks to Netgalley for this free copy!!

This book is a translated version and guess what? I will grab the original version which is in Arabic and have it on my shelf😻

“According to legend, whenever his blood was shed, these delicate red flowers sprang up.. It is hope...”