A gripping fictional study of a nation caught in chaos.
This chilling novel, set during the Bosnian War, drives home the horrors of armed conflict.
In this updated version of his 2012 book, Levinson creates a likable titular character in Jusuf Pasalic, a college-aged Muslim man in Bosnia. Jusuf’s life takes a turn for the worse in the spring of 1992 when a Serbian soldier yanks him from his home in Kljuc. The Serbian militia rounds up all the other Muslim men in town, as well, and transports them to a detention camp. Later, Jusuf escapes by hiding in the woods. His goal is to return home to find his mother, Ismeta, but he instead wanders for weeks, finally landing in Bihac. A woman named Azra takes pity on him and brings him home so he can clean up and rest. Jusuf remains with her and her father, Suad, and eventually, Jusuf and Azra fall in love. But Jusuf, who always hated hunting, even though he’s a crack shot, feels the need to join the Muslims fighting the war. His time in combat is mostly tedium until the day that his best friend, Sasha, who’s serving with the Serbs, brings Ismeta to the front so that she and Jusuf could see each other—but this has unintended results. Levinson manages a notable feat with this volume, as readers will feel the incredibly slow passage of time as both sides of the ethnic conflict wait for a United Nations intervention that comes far too late. He’s also to be commended for his research, as his attention to detail gives immediacy to a conflict with which many Americans may be unfamiliar. Levinson grimly highlights the cruelty of wartime, and he effectively uses Jusuf to illustrate it; the kindly youth is simply trying to find his path when war tears his life apart and nearly breaks him. As such, readers who may be seeking an upbeat resolution should look elsewhere.
A gripping fictional study of a nation caught in chaos.Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4759-3900-2
Page Count: 280
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: April 17, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother.
Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. But now they’re co-parenting a daughter, Emerson, who's almost a year old. Lily won’t send Emerson to her father’s house overnight until she’s old enough to talk—“So she can tell me if something happens”—but she doesn’t want to fight for full custody lest it become an expensive legal drama or, worse, a physical fight. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. (For new readers, their history unfolds in heartfelt diary entries that Lily addresses to Finding Nemo star Ellen DeGeneres as she considers how Atlas was a calming presence during her turbulent childhood.) Atlas, who is single and running a restaurant, feels the same way. But even though she’s divorced, Lily isn’t exactly free. Behind Ryle’s veneer of civility are his jealousy and resentment. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. Meanwhile, Atlas’ mother returns with shocking news. In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself.
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-668-00122-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism.
Three woman who join together to rent a large space along the beach in Los Angeles for their stores—a gift shop, a bakery, and a bookstore—become fast friends as they each experience the highs, and lows, of love.
Bree is a friendly but standoffish bookstore owner who keeps everyone she knows at arm’s length, from guys she meets in bars to her friends. Mikki is a settled-in-her-routines divorced mother of two, happily a mom, gift-shop owner, and co-parent with her ex-husband, Perry. And Ashley is a young, very-much-in-love bakery owner specializing in muffins who devotes herself to giving back to the community through a nonprofit that helps community members develop skills and find jobs. When the women meet drooling over a boardwalk storefront that none of them can afford on her own, a plan is hatched to divide the space in three, and a friendship—and business partnership—is born. An impromptu celebration on the beach at sunset with champagne becomes a weekly touchpoint to their lives as they learn more about each other and themselves. Their friendship blossoms as they help each other, offering support, hard truths, and loving backup. Author Mallery has created a delightful story of friendship between three women that also offers a variety of love stories as they fall in love, make mistakes, and figure out how to be the best—albeit still flawed—versions of themselves. The men are similarly flawed and human. While the story comes down clearly on the side of all-encompassing love, Mallery has struck a careful balance: There is just enough sex to be spicy, just enough swearing to be naughty, and just enough heartbreak to avoid being cloying.
A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism.Pub Date: May 31, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-778-38608-7
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2022
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