Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this audiobook! I really enjoyed reading this book. Although it was really tough to read in parts. It is an extremely necessary story that needs to be reached to a wider audience of all ages.

Wild Poppies tells the story of two brothers finding their way back to one another after getting separated during the Syrian civil war. The structure and character development are great - only a few flashbacks felt out of place. Given how heavy the content is, I didn't realize this was a middle-grade book at first. The writing is simple but not immature. An overall insightful, emotional, and informative read.

This book was very good and very sad. Heartfelt.
I liked the vouchers and the authors writing style.
I look forward to reading more books by this author

This was something from my childhood that felt a bit closer to home, 4⭐s.

Wild Poppies is about a family & siblings, Omar and Sufyan who are living in a Syrian refugee camp. Omar as the eldest of this family always has been a gentle one with a bookish taste whereas Sufyan, the middle child is unconventional & stubborn in a way. After their father died Omar felt the burden of the family responsibilities which he is striving to complete as a child himself. Sufyan doesn't approve of his elder brother's peaceful way of living and takes things into his own hands secretly.

With this decision, Sufyan eventually gets in touch with different kinds of people, elders, who benefit from the war and brainwash children strategically to groom them as their child army. He runs away from home to find the means to supply his family better than his brother yet soon realizes the mistake he made. The book talks about finally how the family get reunited through many odds.

The reason I felt this one closer to home is my country is out of the war that destroyed it for decades not more than 2 decades now and reading through this book really made the flashbacks of the news we always hear during the war season. It was so hard to imagine the kind of life we had experienced not long ago which now feels like a dream and I'm grateful to live in such harmony now.

This book touches on the depth of scars that war leaves on its victims on a deeper level. Above all I respect the author for highlighting the impact on children, their emotions, their childhood trauma, having to be grown up before the right age & what they have to go through to survive. All the emotional & physical forcing and manipulations had traumatizing effects yet the bond of family always gave them the courage to survive was so enduring. This is such a niche topic always hard to talk about & the story has been crafted well based on more real-life stories. My only complaint was that the ending where they find each other felt a bit convenient for the story. I had a great moment with this book & it managed to hold my breath so many times, highly recommend it!

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio ARC of Wild Poppies by Haya Saleh, narrated by Amin El Gamal.
A middle-grade historical fiction that takes place in Syria and invites young teens to venture into a world of war and violence. Written from two brother's perspectives, Wild Poppies, brings the reader right into the action creating a need to keep turning pages. Both boys are very different, and Saleh uses this help readers relate to one or the other. Amin El Gamal's voice adds depth to the story.

Beautiful and difficult. This middle grade YA novel deals with displacement due to conflict in the Middle East. It is told through the perspective of two young brothers who take different paths when dealing with political tumult and family tragedy. Please note, I was provided with an advance reader audio copy via NetGalley.

Wild Poppies is a short book, but it really packs a punch. We follow two brothers as their country crumbles around them and they must figure out how to survive. Both make unimaginable choices.

Overall, I liked this book and the look it took at survival in Syria. I thought the strongest bit was how it discussed the radicalization of children. It was easy to understand how these groups manipulate people’s rage, grief, and desperation.

That said; I wish this book had been a bit longer and gone a bit deeper. The topics it touched upon are so complex, so it could’ve gone much farther.

All in all, this is a short read about an important topic and is definitely worth the read. This would be a good read to Yelp a middle school or teenager understand a bit more about the crisis in Syria.

This was a short listen but boy did it affect me so deeply. this story was so powerful and uses beautiful storytelling to tell the story of two young brothers living thru the syrian war. It was heartbreakingly beautiful and definitely worth exploring both prints and audiobook form of this story.

The narrator did an amazing job to showcase the terrifying situation the boys live in and also the sweetness of familial love.

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC

An interesting dual narrator book about life in a war torn country. The story of this family trying to survive in a war torn country with extremists nearby is definitely eye opening. A true one of a kind book with a look into the life of teens in these situations that many people will never see or experience.

WoW! and breath..........Wild Poppies by Haya Saleh
Narrated by Amin El Gamal and Marcia Lynx Qualey the Translator
This audiobook may of only been 2 Hours, 45 Minutes long but it just took my breath away and gave me goose bumps on my arms!

Wild Poppies is about two brothers Omar and Sufya who are in the middle of the Syrian War. With the death of their beloved father who was their male role model to them they had no where to turn. They were forced to flee their home because of the bombings around them. Omar is very patient and is never radical or aggressive, However, Sufyan thinks his older brother is a coward. Omar longs for the books he left behind. Sufyan gets involved with a group that offers him a job that pays well. This job is dangerous and will get him into trouble!

WoW this audiobook was so powerful, that shows courage between two young brothers living in the middle of the Syrian War.
This will be a book that will stay with me for a very long time.

This a book that should be told and shared in senior schools, for them to know what is going on around the world and to discuss as a group.

A massive thank you to Netgalley and RB Media, Recorded Books for my audiobook ARC in exchange for a review.

Two brothers are separated in the turmoil of the Syrian war. They had a comfortable, loving life until the conflict came. Their mother is struggling to keep them all together while dealing with food shortages and health issues that there are no medications available for. The boys are on mission to reunite before something dire happens.

This is a middle grade book that is captivating for all audiences. The story is fantastic but heartbreaking. It’s easy to forget the civilian casualties in war. It’s children who lose the most.

Also, the narration is great!

Thanks to @netgalley for a copy of this audiobook. It’s out now.

Representation: Islam, Syrian
Content/Trigger Warning: abuse, bombing, displacement, extremist, kidnapping, starvation, Syrian Civil War

Heartbreaking. Not sure what else to say.

The writing is simple and apt for the target audience. I loved the manner in which the characters find closure and their story arc is well developed. It’s impossible to not root for the brothers and their friends.
Since the story is narrated from a dual perspective, it helps us see the brother’s world through their eyes. Both of them are in the same situation, and yet, their approach to it is different and is guided by their respective beliefs and thought processes.

Saleh has not sugar-coated the grim truth and presents the situation in a realistic manner. This book is a wonderful resource to have engaging discussions on the aftermath of war, the lives of refugees, religious extremists, and the perseverance to go on despite all challenges.

Amin El Gamal’s narration is fabulous, no doubt. The audiobook would have been even more pleasurable if there had been two different narrators.

Though I had a fabulous time reading this book, I feel a word of caution is required too. Since the book deals with serious themes, some middle graders might find the book a little dark. It is better if the parents/teachers vet it first.

Wild Poppies is an honest and heart-breaking story of survival amidst despair. I can’t recommend it enough!
Wordsopedia Rating 4.75/5
Trigger warnings - Abuse, killings, bombing, starvation, kidnapping, displacement.

Wild Poppies takes you into the lives of two brothers growing up in Syria amidst the horrors of the war. Omar, the older brother is mild, responsible and wants to continue with his studies. Sufyan, the younger brother is rebellious and hot headed. When their mother gets ill, both brothers do everything they can to get her the medication she needs and food to eat. But their approaches are different and Sufyan finds himself involved with a militant group that he can't escape from. The story is about the journey these two brothers take in the hopes to reunite with each other as danger looms for their families.

Wow! What a powerful book, especially as it is targeted for middle grades readers. The story is simple and the characters are relatable but there are difficult themes and topics addressed in this novel about life in Syria and the realities of life in a war zone. This novel is an eye-opening read for readers of any age. As an adult, I appreciated the content of this novel and the innocence and determination of being young. The narration on the audiobook was fantastic as well.

Thank you to RB Media and Recorded Books for this gifted audiobook. The novel is available in all formats as of 5/23/2023. This review is posted on Goodreads under the print edition.

Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Amin El Gamal
Content: 4 stars ~ Narration: 4.5 stars

Wild Poppies is a story of two brothers, Omar and Sufyan, in the middle of the Syrian War. They are forced to flee their home because of the bombings. After their father's death, the two boys are left without a male role model. Because Omar is patient and is never radical or aggressive, Sufyan thinks his older brother is a coward. Omar longs for the books he left behind, while Sufyan gets involved with a group that offers him a job that pays well.

Wild Poppies is a middle-grade novel with a powerful story and message. Recommended for kids over 10 interested in reading about kids in some other part of the world and can handle heavier themes (like war and death of a parent). Because of these heavier themes, it might be more suitable for young adults. But also some adult readers will like this novel.

The narration was very good, and the pronunciation made it sound authentic.

Thanks to Recorded Books for the ALC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

This book was fantastic. It was heartbreaking, honest, and captivated my attention. The alternating perspectives between the two brothers really illustrated how different individuals experience the same situation very differently. They both take very different paths when faced with the same situation. The book gives insight into the Syrian war and the impact on children, citizens and the impossible decisions people are forced to make in the middle of war and violence. This middle grade novel would be great for high school or adults as well to better understand the situation while reading a captivating book.

This book is wonderful and I feel like it should be everywhere. It’s such an insightful glimpse into the lives of so many young people in the world right now.

The story follows Omar and Sufyan - brothers growing up in the middle of the Syrian War. The boys are so relatable - it’s so easy to envision them living a normal life with their family before the war. But the things they see and experience are horrific as the war rages and makes refugees of them.

While so much of this story is heavy and heartbreaking, the tone of the writing has a sense of youth and perseverance that makes it compulsively readable. It never feels like total darkness. Rather, I thought that this was ultimately a story of hope.

I also felt like the events were very realistic. Wild Poppies captures growing up in the midst of a war in ways that are difficult to grapple with but important to acknowledge: What it feels like to not know where family members are and not know if you’ll see them again. Information and communication black outs. The weaponizing of children. This book is so important because it offers insight and compassion into those experiences. I can’t recommend it enough.

The story is of a displaced Syrian family during the war. The mom is a strong woman and doesn’t want to show her children her angst and hides her health issues. The two brothers are very different, and each wants to help the family in their own way. The hardships are insurmountable, having lost their father soon after the war began. The younger brother gets conned into doing small chores and getting paid and unknowingly gets caught up with a religious cult group. The older brother goes looking for him and after many hardships they finally find each other. The story ends on a positive note. I enjoyed the story and the bravery and resilience of the family.

Wild Poppies is a story told through the alternating perspectives of Syrian brothers, Omar and Sufyan, who couldn't be more different. We meet the boys while they are living in a refugee camp with their mother and younger sister. The family is struggling to attain the most basic necessities such as food and medication. The brothers differ in their views of how to best provide for their family. Before long, Sufyan becomes involved with a radical organization and things quickly spin out of control for him.

This book gives a heartbreaking glimpse of what life is like for the survivors of the Syrian War and is well worth reading. The narrator was excellent but I wish they would've used two different narrators to voice each brother as the narrator started off sounding different for the second brother but then slipped into the voice used for the first brother. It didn't change the story but it was a bit distracting for me.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for allowing me access to the ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a beautiful middle grade book that doesn't shy away from some of the horrific details of war. Oscar and Sufyan are young boys in Syria trying to do the best for their family and getting lost along the way. It showcases the power of family, friends and community while showing us young main characters who persevere during dark times.

Wild Poppies is a fast but impactful read, and I recommend it for children and adults alike.