Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga | Book Review

Hello! I come back with another middle grade book review which becomes my favorite on 2022. I read this book on April for one of Orilium Readathon quests and I ended up liking this book. I listened to the audiobook version of this book through Storytel App and I really like the narrator’s way to narrate the story. So I think about sharing my thoughts about this wonderful book here too!

Length                                  : 352 pages | 3H 50M

Narrator                                : Vaneh Assadourian

Date released                        : May 7, 2019

Date read                              : April 9-10, 2022

Goodreads rating                  : 4.46

My rating                             : 5.00

Keywords                            : Middle grade, contemporary, realistic fiction, family, Syria, friendship

Trigger warnings                 : war, islamophobia, racism, menstruation

Where to read                      : Storytel

BLURB

“Jude never thought she’d be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives.

At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven’t quite prepared her for starting school in the US—and her new label of “Middle Eastern,” an identity she’s never known before. But this life also brings unexpected surprises—there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical that Jude might just try out for. Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is.” (Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS

This book is simple but it brings many heartwarming messages to its reader. Other Words For Home is a sweet and heartwarming read which follows a 7^th grade student who had to be separated from her dad and brother to move to USA, named Jude. We can see how someone should be separated from her family members to live in foreign country and then she found something she is interested into, friends and love from people around her.

Jude as the main character here is a sweet and thoughtful girl. She is smart, confident and brave for speaking what she believes in a good way. She decided and chose, then she spoke her mind clearly. And she didn’t regret her decision. I want more Jude in this world.

It made me cry when she recalled the memory of her childhood singing with her brother, somehow. Their relationship as a family is what touched my heart. I listened to the audiobook version, and I really love the way the narrator read the story and I learned how to read some Syrian and Lebanese food names here.

Another sweet thing about this book is the friendship and how she got into fun conversation in her English class with her friends from different countries. Besides, she made friends with some other students in the school and I love how lovely it is to help each other. Despite the warning words from the adults who got afraid by the recent even in US, these kids just wanted to be friends with each other. And that made me cry (again). We can see the respect and fun time they show in midst of diversity, and it warms my heart to see this done by younger people.

It’s a middle grade book which I think not only suitable for the target readers but also for the older readers like me, who wants to see some kindness and simple act of happiness in the difficult time.