WELCOME TO NOWHERE - ELIZABETH LAIRD

    Omar is a 12 year old boy living in a beautiful town in Syria. Bosra was a hive of activity, a labyrinth of lively streets and alleys. Omar lived a great life surrounded by a loving family and his best friends. A life full of pleasures he soon realised he took for granted. With a safe home, loving family and education, his childhood was filled with laughter and joy. He loved selling merchandise to tourists with his uncle Rasoul and he aspired to become a businessman, this dream guiding him through the most difficult, depressing and dismal moments of his life. As Omar clutched onto this dream, catastrophic events struck forcing Omar and his family to flee to the town of Daraa. War came over the horizon like a slow moving tank. Misery was drenched in the bombed houses and sidewalks, the pools of blood on the streets and desolate and destroyed remains of the once lively city. Some wanted the regime to change, others supported the government, but Omar didn’t care about politics at all. Brutal demonstrations and violent marches filled the cities streets and what was the government’s response? The summoning of thousands of soldiers, the bombing of major cities, senseless killing, torturing and arresting innocent civilians. Everyone knew what this meant. War. A three letter word that can obliterate anything. Omar’s family is once again on the run, but it seems like any where they go, a path of torment, brutality and conflict follows them. 
    I love this book as it was different from lots of refugee themed books I’ve previously read. It really made me sympathise with refugees who have no home to return to, they feel like they belong to nobody at all. Omar had this dream of being an entrepreneur and it lead him through his life like a flashlight. It was like an object he would clasp onto, the last bit of hope, of something positive and bright. 
    I think this book is not only about refugees but about dreams. Many view them as wild ambitions that may never come true; others as cherished aspirations that drag you through your life, motivate you to work harder. Some consider them as imagined fantasies that ought to be ignored but this book taught me to not just follow my dreams but to chase them. 
    This book is an exceptional piece of writing. This poignant novel is gripping, fast paced, enlightening and thought provoking. I would recommend this book for children aged 10-14 

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