In this middle-grade novel we follow two young brothers who loose touch of each other, both in a literal and metaphorical sense during the war in Syria. Even if they thought they were safe in their village, one day war eventually reaches them, and as they loose their father, Omar and Sufyan loose their childhood.

As Omar is the eldest brother, he feels the pressure to become the man of the family, while Sufyan does not trust his ability to do so, which pushes him to look for alternative ways to earn money for the family, their sick mother and little sister. In doing so, he unknowingly joins an extremist group that abducts him and other boys to join in fightings. This will force Omar to go out of his comfort zone to try and find him again with the help of his friend Salma, but will the family ever be reunited ? 

I enjoyed the book which is short and effective in showing how children are not allowed to be children anymore in conflict zones, however, I found that the novel was too short, and the story felt rushed, to the point in some parts it almost seemed I was reading a summary of the book rather than the book itself.

It was still an enjoyable and touching reading, and I hope I will be able to read more complex works by Haya Saleh. I would suggest this for teenagers, but do check the trigger warnings before of course.