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پسری از گوانتانامو
خالد پانزده ساله مثل دیگر بچه ها، عاشق فوتبال و بازی های کامپیوتری است. او نمی خواهد برای دیدن اقوامش به پاکستان بروداما خواست پدر و مادرش را می پذیرد. و کابوس از همینجا آغاز می شود. خالد در پاکستان دزدیده می شود و سر از جایی درمی آورد که شکنجه و خشونت بخشی از زندگی است، جایی به نام خلیج گوانتانامو.
540 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2010
52 people are currently reading
1104 people want to read
About the author
Anna Perera
12 books12 followersAnna was born in London to a Sri Lankan, Buddhist father and Irish, Catholic mother and grew up twenty miles away. After teaching English in two secondary schools in London, she ran a unit for teenage boys who were excluded from school and later did an MA in Writing For Children at Winchester University. She lives in London and has a grown-up son.
In 2006, she attended a gig for the charity, Reprieve.org at The Globe Theatre where she learnt children had also been abducted and rendered to Guantanamo Bay. This event was the inspiration for the critically acclaimed novel which has been translated into several languages and nominated for many awards, including shortlisting for The Costa Children’s Book Award.
In 2006, she attended a gig for the charity, Reprieve.org at The Globe Theatre where she learnt children had also been abducted and rendered to Guantanamo Bay. This event was the inspiration for the critically acclaimed novel which has been translated into several languages and nominated for many awards, including shortlisting for The Costa Children’s Book Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews
September 14, 2016
از نظر نشان دادن احساسات یک زندانی و سختی زندانی بی گناه بودن خوب عمل کرده بود،اما ایرادش این بود که این زندان اصلا گوانتانامو نبود!چیزی که در این کتاب با محوریت زندان گوانتانامو آمده بود می توانست توصیف یک زندان محلی خیلی بی اهمیت هم باشد.چیزی که ما از گوانتانامو و زندانهای سیاسی جهان شنیدیم یک تصویر واقعا جهنمی پر از خون و شکنجه است ولی در این کتاب دقیقا برعکس است!یعنی توی زندان پاکستان خالد شکنجه می شود ولی وقتی به گوانتانامو برده می شود،دیگر نه شکنجه خاصی در کار است و نه آزار خاصی.رنج خالد از تنها و دربند بودنش است که این در همه ی زندان ها وجود دارد،نه فقط گوانتانامو.
درواقع از گوانتانامو اینجا فقط در اسم داستان استفاده شده.قطعا احساسات خالد را هرزندانی دیگری در یک زندان انفرادی تجربه کرده.
درواقع از گوانتانامو اینجا فقط در اسم داستان استفاده شده.قطعا احساسات خالد را هرزندانی دیگری در یک زندان انفرادی تجربه کرده.
September 3, 2011
Guantanamo Boy is a terrifyingly realistic novel. Khalid Ahmed, 15, was born in England. He only speaks English, rarely goes to mosque, never prays, never reads the Quran and dreams of playing professional soccer. When his parents decide to go to Pakistan to visit relatives, Ahmed is upset that he will not be spending his vacation partying with his friends. Khalid's idea of roughing it is going one day without getting on the computer. He is mortified his father wants to take the family to a third world country. Shortly after the family's arrival in Pakistan, Khalid gets lost in the city while looking for his father. He stumbles upon an anti-America rally and is swept up in the mob. A couple of days later, police storm the house and take Khalid to jail. He is interrogated by police and CIA who want names of people from the rally. Because he can't offer any useful information, and no one believes his explanation, Khalid is put on a plane to Afghanistan. He is interrogated and tortured for weeks, and then put on a plane for Guantanamo where he is interrogated and tortured. There is little action in Guantanamo Boy. Khalid is in a cell barely large enough for a sleeping mat for much of the novel. The story focuses on how Khalid changes as a result of his experiences. The physical changes are heartbreaking. The emotional changes are frightening, but inevitable. Guantanamo Boy will generate some very in-depth and heated discussions.
August 13, 2016
I came into this book fully prepared for loving and was left disappointed. I do not take kindly to be disappointed. So I'm sorry if my bitterness shines through.
We start in the UK, where every effort is made to portray Khalid as an ordinary boy, with ordinary friends, who likes to play not-so-ordinary video games. Very elaborate misunderstandings with certain governments ensue, and already the reader is a little dazed by the backstory Perera throws at them. There are endless prison transfers and endless other prisoners and endless prison guards, portrayed always, always in black and white instead of the shades of gray that always dominate shady politics. Khalid is obsessed with the beautiful girl he left back home; she pulls him through. There is a drawn-out ending that beats the reader with its lofty messages until we feel black and blue.
Roll credits.
I tried to love this one. I really did. Like I said, I came into it with exceptionally high hopes. A teen novel about Guantanamo Bay, one of the most disturbing and riveting human rights incidents in my country's history? What could go wrong?
Unfortunately, what always seems to go wrong when authors set out to tell a Message instead of a Story: constant nobility and morality gets boring. There's no authenticity. And the book drags on.
There are a number of excellent moments, such as when Khalid realizes that your ideas of people rarely match up to your realities, especially when it comes to the people you think you're in love with. But they hardly outweigh the bloated and frustrating wasted potential of the rest of the book.
We start in the UK, where every effort is made to portray Khalid as an ordinary boy, with ordinary friends, who likes to play not-so-ordinary video games. Very elaborate misunderstandings with certain governments ensue, and already the reader is a little dazed by the backstory Perera throws at them. There are endless prison transfers and endless other prisoners and endless prison guards, portrayed always, always in black and white instead of the shades of gray that always dominate shady politics. Khalid is obsessed with the beautiful girl he left back home; she pulls him through. There is a drawn-out ending that beats the reader with its lofty messages until we feel black and blue.
Roll credits.
I tried to love this one. I really did. Like I said, I came into it with exceptionally high hopes. A teen novel about Guantanamo Bay, one of the most disturbing and riveting human rights incidents in my country's history? What could go wrong?
Unfortunately, what always seems to go wrong when authors set out to tell a Message instead of a Story: constant nobility and morality gets boring. There's no authenticity. And the book drags on.
There are a number of excellent moments, such as when Khalid realizes that your ideas of people rarely match up to your realities, especially when it comes to the people you think you're in love with. But they hardly outweigh the bloated and frustrating wasted potential of the rest of the book.
December 6, 2015
خب. این کتاب.
درباره ی یه پسر پاکستانیه که تو انگلیس به دنیا اومده و همونجا بزرگ شده. وبه خاطر یه مشکلی با خانواده ش میرن پاکستان و اونجا دزدیده میشه و...
واقعا این کتاب نشون داد که آدما چقدر واقعا بدن. درواقع یه چیزی از بد اونور تر! با اون شکنجه ها و ..... امیدوارم که الان بهتر شده باشه اوضاع
اون شرایط روحی ای که پسره داشت تو زندان واقعا رو من هم اثر گذاشت. یعنی باید بگم نویسنده خوب توضیح داده و توصیف کرده
در کل کتاب خوبی بود!
درباره ی یه پسر پاکستانیه که تو انگلیس به دنیا اومده و همونجا بزرگ شده. وبه خاطر یه مشکلی با خانواده ش میرن پاکستان و اونجا دزدیده میشه و...
واقعا این کتاب نشون داد که آدما چقدر واقعا بدن. درواقع یه چیزی از بد اونور تر! با اون شکنجه ها و ..... امیدوارم که الان بهتر شده باشه اوضاع
اون شرایط روحی ای که پسره داشت تو زندان واقعا رو من هم اثر گذاشت. یعنی باید بگم نویسنده خوب توضیح داده و توصیف کرده
در کل کتاب خوبی بود!
July 28, 2023
تکتک صفحاتش قلبم رو میفشرد.
March 25, 2011
This is a book I would never normally read. Luckily the bright orange cover sparked my interest enough to pick it up. When reading this author's note, "Although 'Guantanamo boy' is a work of fiction, it is inspired by real events", I bought it.
I found Khalid's story extremely eye opening and thought provoking. There was no holding back in regards to the acts of torture, the injustices and lack of basic human rights. I was horrified by it.
This book will hopefully make those of us who like to bury our heads in the sand pay more attention to what is going on in the world in order to start forming our own opinions and beliefs.
I found Khalid's story extremely eye opening and thought provoking. There was no holding back in regards to the acts of torture, the injustices and lack of basic human rights. I was horrified by it.
This book will hopefully make those of us who like to bury our heads in the sand pay more attention to what is going on in the world in order to start forming our own opinions and beliefs.
August 3, 2011
This book is mediocre at best. While the story idea was good, it was not executed very well. The political message was shoved down your throat, not weaved into the storyline gracefully. The storyline was predictable and also became tedious and repetitive toward the middle.
I was very much distracted by the writing style, which I found to be very lazy and amateurish. I've never seen so many sentence fragments in one book. The author and her editor both need some more writing courses before putting out professional publications.
I was very much distracted by the writing style, which I found to be very lazy and amateurish. I've never seen so many sentence fragments in one book. The author and her editor both need some more writing courses before putting out professional publications.
July 6, 2015
"رفیق، آنقدر آب روی صورتت می ریزیم تا غرق شوی. اشتباه نکن، ما آدمهای خوبی هستیم. بچه هایمان را کتک نمی زنیم اما از کتک زدن شما ناراحت نمی شویم."
نتیجه خوندن کتاب برام بیشتر شدن حس نفرت و تهوع از دموکراسی آمریکایی بود.
شکنجه هایی که شرح می داد وحشتناک بود، ولی فکر میکنم باز هم خیلی چیزها رو ننوشته.
نتیجه خوندن کتاب برام بیشتر شدن حس نفرت و تهوع از دموکراسی آمریکایی بود.
شکنجه هایی که شرح می داد وحشتناک بود، ولی فکر میکنم باز هم خیلی چیزها رو ننوشته.
December 7, 2009
This was a interesting read and really makes you take on a different perspective. I really enjoyed this and have passed it around my family to read! i would suggest this to anyone!
April 23, 2020
با خوندن این کتاب، یک بار دیگه بخاطر زندگی معمولی و چیزهای به ظاهر ساده و معمولی تر، احساس خوشبختی و شکرگزاری میکنم و در نهایت امیدوارم روزی برسه که هیچ زندانی توی دنیا وجود نداشته باشه...
June 16, 2010
Khalid Ahmad is a 15 year old English boy. He watches and plays futbal, works hard at school, has strong family values and an affinity for computer games. He takes a trip to Pakistan with his family, as his father must clean up loose ends after his grandmother dies. Of course, Khalid is in Pakistan in the wake of 9/11 and is picked up for being a terrorist. He is then thrown in jail without a trail, his habeous corpus suspended -- however I don't know if England has habeous corpus. Right-o. Of course, Khalid winds up in Guantanamo, which breaks several geneval laws.
What I notice about Guantanamo Boy is the underlying political statements. It is very critical of the war on terror. It is very critical of Guantanamo Bay. For the most part, I understand that criticism. However, I felt it was just a little too blatant for me. I'm not very comfortable when someone forces their political opinion on me. Yet, I do think what Perera has done in raising awareness about the unfair practices of Guantanamo Bay is fabulous.
One thing which bothered me, it may not bother you, was the graphic descriptions of the torture Khalid underwent. I'm conflicted as I write this because I especially found it disturbing. However, I suppose being edgy is necessary to get the point across about just how bad torture is, and how confessions extracted under duress aren't quite real confessions at all.
Guantanmo Boy was a compelling read, but THE MESSAGE was a little too loud, clear, and blatant for me. I thought this was an average message read.
What I notice about Guantanamo Boy is the underlying political statements. It is very critical of the war on terror. It is very critical of Guantanamo Bay. For the most part, I understand that criticism. However, I felt it was just a little too blatant for me. I'm not very comfortable when someone forces their political opinion on me. Yet, I do think what Perera has done in raising awareness about the unfair practices of Guantanamo Bay is fabulous.
One thing which bothered me, it may not bother you, was the graphic descriptions of the torture Khalid underwent. I'm conflicted as I write this because I especially found it disturbing. However, I suppose being edgy is necessary to get the point across about just how bad torture is, and how confessions extracted under duress aren't quite real confessions at all.
Guantanmo Boy was a compelling read, but THE MESSAGE was a little too loud, clear, and blatant for me. I thought this was an average message read.
October 7, 2011
When I first started this book, I thought I might not like it, because I was getting annoyed with the authors style of writing. The words just didn't seem to flow, and the story was going very slowly, but after he went to Pakistan, I got more into the book and really felt that the story was getting better. There were not too many graphic details about the torture that Khalid went through during his stay at the prison, just enough to give you a glimpse of what he was feeling, but not enough for the book to be disturbing to younger teens. I believe that people should know about the bad things in this world that some of us are sheltered from.
The emotions and trauma displayed by this young man have been portrayed so realistically, I felt like I was experiencing them with him. I don't want to go into detail as it would be more than spoilers, they would ruin the storyline for people who want to read it.
I really commend Anna Perera for writing a book on this subject. This is the first young adult book that I have read that deals with the Guantanamo Bay prison. I think its a very important message read that anyone over thirteen or fourteen should read.
This book was given to me by the Albert Whitman & Company for review, but this has in no way influenced my opinion of the book.
The emotions and trauma displayed by this young man have been portrayed so realistically, I felt like I was experiencing them with him. I don't want to go into detail as it would be more than spoilers, they would ruin the storyline for people who want to read it.
I really commend Anna Perera for writing a book on this subject. This is the first young adult book that I have read that deals with the Guantanamo Bay prison. I think its a very important message read that anyone over thirteen or fourteen should read.
This book was given to me by the Albert Whitman & Company for review, but this has in no way influenced my opinion of the book.
Read
November 28, 2011The 15-year-old sounded like a 50-year-old lecturing 15 year olds about the importance of Culture. Unrealistic voice in conjunction with weak and awkward writing didn't help differentiate among the twenty characters tossed out in the first 50 pages who are all indistinguishable.
I have a hard time with books like this, where the goal is to educate young readers about A Very Important Topic. It comes off false. There's not a story but instead, a string of Lessons to Learn. You can write a story on a huge topic like this and do it well and do it within a voice of a 15-year-old. This one, however, does not achieve that. It feels like the kind of book Adults Think Kids Should Read.
I have a hard time with books like this, where the goal is to educate young readers about A Very Important Topic. It comes off false. There's not a story but instead, a string of Lessons to Learn. You can write a story on a huge topic like this and do it well and do it within a voice of a 15-year-old. This one, however, does not achieve that. It feels like the kind of book Adults Think Kids Should Read.
August 23, 2009
This was simpy a fantastic read. I read it cover to cover in one sitting.
This book is so far out of what I normally read. I don't read a lot of these 'issues' books written for teens. I feel they are usually over-done to say the least. This story is not in the same league as anything like those. This book is about an English-born Pakistani boy who leads the life of most normal English boys. He very rarely has seen the hate that is directed at Muslims or Pakistanis until he visits his own homeland, Pakistan.
Together with his parents he travels to Pakistan, where he is caught up in events which are really beyond his control and before he knows it he has been kidnapped by US forces believing him to be a terrorist and he eventually finds himself in Guantanamo Bay.
This is a harrowing tale, which had me completely engrossed in this young man's life. The emotions and trauma displayed by this young man have been portrayed so realisticly, I felt like I was experiencing them with him. I don't want to go into detail as it would be more than spoilers, they would ruin the storyline for people who want to read it.
I NEVER thought I would read anything like this, but it was so highly recommended by book reviewers here in NZ, I just had to find out what they thought was so wonderful.
This is NOT a tale of American bashing or pro-muslim (which I thought it would be at first). It is a true-to-life story(the authors' note says it is "inspired by real events".) that has certainly got me looking at things in a new way. This story is scary and wonderful, harrowing and moving and a book that I recommend to everyone.
I am a 44 year-old, white christian woman and yet I was moved to tears and to a stronger understanding of those people in this world who, though they might believe differently than me, want and desire the same things I do. A must read for everyone over the age of 14 no matter their race, creed, colour or religion.
This book is so far out of what I normally read. I don't read a lot of these 'issues' books written for teens. I feel they are usually over-done to say the least. This story is not in the same league as anything like those. This book is about an English-born Pakistani boy who leads the life of most normal English boys. He very rarely has seen the hate that is directed at Muslims or Pakistanis until he visits his own homeland, Pakistan.
Together with his parents he travels to Pakistan, where he is caught up in events which are really beyond his control and before he knows it he has been kidnapped by US forces believing him to be a terrorist and he eventually finds himself in Guantanamo Bay.
This is a harrowing tale, which had me completely engrossed in this young man's life. The emotions and trauma displayed by this young man have been portrayed so realisticly, I felt like I was experiencing them with him. I don't want to go into detail as it would be more than spoilers, they would ruin the storyline for people who want to read it.
I NEVER thought I would read anything like this, but it was so highly recommended by book reviewers here in NZ, I just had to find out what they thought was so wonderful.
This is NOT a tale of American bashing or pro-muslim (which I thought it would be at first). It is a true-to-life story(the authors' note says it is "inspired by real events".) that has certainly got me looking at things in a new way. This story is scary and wonderful, harrowing and moving and a book that I recommend to everyone.
I am a 44 year-old, white christian woman and yet I was moved to tears and to a stronger understanding of those people in this world who, though they might believe differently than me, want and desire the same things I do. A must read for everyone over the age of 14 no matter their race, creed, colour or religion.
July 1, 2011
It took five chapters for me to get into it. I'd heard it was a "harrowing" tale and such and such, but all I was reading was a story of young man, a boy really, whose just like any other: Khalid loves his mother, follows his father and is not as aware of the goings-on as I'd have liked him to be. When he and his family go on a vacation things change.
And harrowing things did become.
I can tell you precisely which line had me paying closer attention. When someones says, "You don't have any legal rights here..." there is no option but to pay attention.
It's not perfect though because there was this one specific moment that had me drawing back. Said moment could only be described as preachy. But if anyone were entitled to being such, it's Khalid. And it isn't that I'm knocking his message; I am not because who would knock a call for kindness? I just didn't think it needed to have been delivered the way it was.
It's sad, upsetting, depressing, and terrifying. And a boy changed is all that could have resulted.
3.5/5
**Thanks Netgalley
And harrowing things did become.
I can tell you precisely which line had me paying closer attention. When someones says, "You don't have any legal rights here..." there is no option but to pay attention.
It's not perfect though because there was this one specific moment that had me drawing back. Said moment could only be described as preachy. But if anyone were entitled to being such, it's Khalid. And it isn't that I'm knocking his message; I am not because who would knock a call for kindness? I just didn't think it needed to have been delivered the way it was.
It's sad, upsetting, depressing, and terrifying. And a boy changed is all that could have resulted.
3.5/5
**Thanks Netgalley
March 21, 2018
Guantanamo Boy is a terrifying portrait of state terror acted out on the body of a 15 year old boy. Khalid, born and raised in England, is visiting family in Pakistan when he is kidnapped and detained for suspected terrorism. Passed into the hands of the United States military, Khalid is tortured and imprisoned, with no end in sight. His crime? Playing a video game that his cousin created.
This is the inside story of extraordinary rendition that has been carried out since the start of the War with Afghanistan and Iraq. This is the story of the still open US military detention center known as Guantanamo Bay. This is terrorism, torture, and families fight to find and free their teenage son.
*reading this book paired with The Librarian of Auschwitz offered a deep and disturbing sense of what it might be like to be confined, starved, tortured and scared without an end in site. An awful predicament to say the least and one that people face here and around the world.
S. Rosenkrantz
This is the inside story of extraordinary rendition that has been carried out since the start of the War with Afghanistan and Iraq. This is the story of the still open US military detention center known as Guantanamo Bay. This is terrorism, torture, and families fight to find and free their teenage son.
*reading this book paired with The Librarian of Auschwitz offered a deep and disturbing sense of what it might be like to be confined, starved, tortured and scared without an end in site. An awful predicament to say the least and one that people face here and around the world.
S. Rosenkrantz
October 1, 2023
This book was so ☹️☹️.
I can’t imagine the pain and suffering that Khalid and his family had to go through for those two years. Reading about it broke my heart. Even though the story is fictional, the fact that this kind of stuff did (and still does) happen to people is awful. Truly makes me grateful for everything.
Also, the reunion made me tear up fr. So many emotions.
I can’t imagine the pain and suffering that Khalid and his family had to go through for those two years. Reading about it broke my heart. Even though the story is fictional, the fact that this kind of stuff did (and still does) happen to people is awful. Truly makes me grateful for everything.
Also, the reunion made me tear up fr. So many emotions.
October 26, 2022
This book was fantastic! Really well written and I really felt for the boy! Had me emotional in a few places. I’d definitely recommend this book 🙂
August 13, 2025
سرگذشت پسری از گوانتانامو را در این کتاب بخوانید
معرفی در یوتوب
https://youtu.be/DMA6YHh7k-E?si=YbmfA...
معرفی در یوتوب
https://youtu.be/DMA6YHh7k-E?si=YbmfA...
February 14, 2012
An unexpected subject for a teen read but an important one.
Khalid an unexceptional and naive teen is mad about; football, computer games, girls and hanging out with mates. Born to liberal hardworking Pakistani muslim parents he rarely even experiences conflicts between his lifestyle and religion.
This all changes when he visits Pakistan for a family holiday and finds himself kidnapped, imprisoned without charge and then sent to Guantanamo as a suspected terrorist.
The torture and horrors of Guantanamo are played down - this book is aimed at a teen market but the humilation, desolation and loneliness felt by Khalid cannot fail to shock and outrage the reader.
Once accused can you ever prove your innocence? It reminded me of the witch trials when just having the finger pointed at you was enough to condemn you.
There is a real sense of confusion and injustice throughout the book. Khalid and the reader spend much of the story wondering how it could happen and how without charge or communication with the outside world there can ever be justice.
It is a harrowing story that cannot fail to touch the reader and open their eyes. Khalid is an average adolescent inexplicably caught up in the atmosphere created by war, fear and revenge.
Ultimately it is not all doom and gloom though, there is hope and Khalid is a 'hero' who struggles against madness to survive, understand and inspire.
Khalid an unexceptional and naive teen is mad about; football, computer games, girls and hanging out with mates. Born to liberal hardworking Pakistani muslim parents he rarely even experiences conflicts between his lifestyle and religion.
This all changes when he visits Pakistan for a family holiday and finds himself kidnapped, imprisoned without charge and then sent to Guantanamo as a suspected terrorist.
The torture and horrors of Guantanamo are played down - this book is aimed at a teen market but the humilation, desolation and loneliness felt by Khalid cannot fail to shock and outrage the reader.
Once accused can you ever prove your innocence? It reminded me of the witch trials when just having the finger pointed at you was enough to condemn you.
There is a real sense of confusion and injustice throughout the book. Khalid and the reader spend much of the story wondering how it could happen and how without charge or communication with the outside world there can ever be justice.
It is a harrowing story that cannot fail to touch the reader and open their eyes. Khalid is an average adolescent inexplicably caught up in the atmosphere created by war, fear and revenge.
Ultimately it is not all doom and gloom though, there is hope and Khalid is a 'hero' who struggles against madness to survive, understand and inspire.
August 20, 2011
It's hard for me to say that I love this book because it describes horrors, cruelties, and civil rights violations that are almost impossible to imagine in today's world. But they did happen, especially back in the early months after the attack on the World Trade Center in New York back in 2001. As I read it, I couldn't help wondering what it would take to survive and heal from being kidnapped at the age of 15 and then tortured in order to force out a confession. In the case of Khalid Ahmed, he happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time during a protest in Pakistan while his parents are visiting family there. The British teen also happens to be playing an online computer game involving bombing. The author describes Khalid's confusion over what's happening to him, his certainty that he'll be freed, and then his slow but steady deterioration after months of abuse. It's troubling to consider how many other Khalids there may be out there in Guantanamo or other prison camps. This story raises many important issues and forces readers to ask difficult questions about justice and the rights of the accused, even those accused of terrorist acts. There are lessons for all of us in its pages and no easy resolution or answers. Clearly, the love of his family will help this young man heal, but his journey back to recovery will last a lifetime. This title would be a wonderful book to use in high school studies classrooms. I recommend it highly.
February 22, 2012
I came across this book as part of my pursuit to find young adult novels with characters whose lives stories may slightly coincide with the lives of my students. I was excited to find a book with a teenage character whose family is from Pakistan. I'm happy the book was written and understand why the author felt such passion about the topic. At the same time, I'd be hesitant to give this book to my immigrant students. The author obviously had many messages. Though there were parts about how we shouldn't stereotype Muslims as terrorists and that hatred only fuels more hatred, the message I felt the strongest was, "America was (and perhaps still is?) very bad." There are parts of that message I might agree with but I think it might be dangerous for students trying to fit in here. (The part that particularly made me uncomfortable was when Khalid described a particular soldier as "more brain dead than the others". Do I understand why the character said that? Absolutely. Do I really want to give a book to students who have some anger towards the U.S. that perpetuates that feeling? Probably not.) In conclusion - a decent read, interesting topic, but I'm debating whether to add it to the classroom library.
January 7, 2015
Read this in almost one sitting while on a long plane ride. Riveting telling of the tortures and humiliations suffered by an innocent teenager as "collateral damage" in this short-sighted "war on terror." At one point I was so engaged that if I hadn't been on a plane, I would have been on the phone to my congressman, demanding that something be done.
Unfortunately the ending is a bit too moralistic. It upsets me when authors seem to feel they have to spell out "The Meaning". Is this because it is a book for teens or do adult books do that too? It's not like it is ambiguous. I also didn't care much for Khalid's mooning about over Niamh at the end. He seriously didn't have anything else to worry about?
Please don't let these complaints keep you from reading this book, especially if you want to know the truth about what our government is doing in the name of "national security". Maybe if more of us speak up we cane find a more sane way of combatting terrorism. Because this is not working, and its not worth it.
Unfortunately the ending is a bit too moralistic. It upsets me when authors seem to feel they have to spell out "The Meaning". Is this because it is a book for teens or do adult books do that too? It's not like it is ambiguous. I also didn't care much for Khalid's mooning about over Niamh at the end. He seriously didn't have anything else to worry about?
Please don't let these complaints keep you from reading this book, especially if you want to know the truth about what our government is doing in the name of "national security". Maybe if more of us speak up we cane find a more sane way of combatting terrorism. Because this is not working, and its not worth it.
September 14, 2011
I loved this book. A very normal teenage boy from England finds himself in the most desperate of situations - locked away from the world with no way out by people who don't care whether or not he is innocent, and, even worse, whether or not he even lives or dies. This is about his struggle to survive his terrible experiences while locked away in Guantanamo Prison, the place where they put the toughest terrorists.
October 21, 2014
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/mini-rev...
Story is eye-opening and thought-provoking. It’s not a book I’d normally pick up, but it’s an intriguing read all the same, and inspired by true events. At times, the realism was almost too much. The book was harsh, the torture sickening. The writing and characterization could’ve been a bit better though. It took a while to get into it though.
Story is eye-opening and thought-provoking. It’s not a book I’d normally pick up, but it’s an intriguing read all the same, and inspired by true events. At times, the realism was almost too much. The book was harsh, the torture sickening. The writing and characterization could’ve been a bit better though. It took a while to get into it though.
December 31, 2014
A harrowing tale of a 15-year-old boy who is accused of terrorism and tortured by American soldiers in Guantanamo Bay. Khalid is innocent, yet there is nothing he can say to convince the interrogators of this truth. This book was very enlightening. It made me want to get out and picket for a faster closure of Guantanamo Bay.
January 6, 2015
aaaaaaaaay que me costó leerlo por mi resaca literea :( pero pucha que me hizo sufrir. Un libro crudo, explicito y triste. La autora me hizo ponerme en el lugar del protagonista y era aun peor.
Un libro que todos deberian leer.
¿Porque 3 estrellas? por la sencilla razon que me aburrió al principio, pero despues se pone bastante bueno. Y no podia parar de leerlo.
3/5 estrellas
Un libro que todos deberian leer.
¿Porque 3 estrellas? por la sencilla razon que me aburrió al principio, pero despues se pone bastante bueno. Y no podia parar de leerlo.
3/5 estrellas
September 29, 2011
A powerful and difficult book to get through, but written totally accessibly for kids of the age it's aimed toward. I could see this being taught in schools, except I don't think it would get past a school board. It probably SHOULD be taught in schools though.
Read
December 11, 2021نسخه صوتی با تلخیصش رو شنیدم
March 6, 2021
Honestly, the one word that comes to mind when thinking about this story is utter sadness and pain. God, but the things this kid had to go through. Only two books besides this one left me shaking and as upset as I am feeling now. Really. I can't say enough how much this book saddened and troubled me. I'd heard of Guantanamo Bay several times before but never bothered to research about it. In fact, I am pretty sure if I'd researched about it and only seen summaries of what went on in there I wouldn't have been this affected. But reading this kid's story? Oh god. My heart's literally hurting for this kid. Not just him, but for all the innocent people who were detained there completely against their will, and nobody, absolutely nobody, would listen or care. What did it matter to the guards and other military personnel they may possibly be innocent? They just wanted to capture as many 'prisoners' as possible, and the fact is they saw all the prisoners as nothing but third-world, alien scumbags because of the way they looked, their strange languages and customs, and worst of all, their religion. Fuck. And when I think of the young kids like Khalid, Mohammed, and the other 12-14 year old's who had absolutely no business being there, I either want to bang my head against the wall, hurt myself in other ways or simply cry my eyes out. Because as I stated, THOSE KIDS HAD ABSOLUTELY NO FUCKING BUSINESS BEING THERE, IN THAT HORRID PLACE!!! Seriously, I can't stress that enough.
The two other harrowing scenes I think I'll never forget is the one where they strip all the prisoners naked and how the author portrayed their desperation, how much it was hurting to be bared like that in front of everyone, how vulnerable and absolutely humiliated they felt… The author depicted this most heartbreakingly. I was this close to crying.
The other scene that brings tears to my eyes is the waterboarding scene. I'm sure this review has already stepped a foot into spoilers territory so I'm not gonna go into too much detail, but man was that scene this side of horrifying. The person they were waterboarding could barely draw breath in his struggling lungs and he was gasping for air and throwing up water constantly. BUT THEY DIDN'T FUCKING CARE! They just continued on until they got him to do what they wanted. This was, I think, one of if not the most cruelest thing I've witnessed. Not to mention how dreary and frantic Khalid's feelings became as the story progressed.
Yes, this story did end on a happy note, but all I can picture is Khalid and the other men in Guantanamo Bay and Kandahar and just how horribly they all suffered.
Okay, I think I've said everything I needed to say concerning this story, but as Khalid says in this story, 'words aren't enough'. Can't say writing all this out made me feel better exactly (I'm still hurting inside), but it did help organize my thoughts. I think this review was kind of like a journal entry? It looks like I'm basically treating Goodreads as a journal instead of having an actual journal (for books like this, anyway). Sigh
The two other harrowing scenes I think I'll never forget is the one where they strip all the prisoners naked and how the author portrayed their desperation, how much it was hurting to be bared like that in front of everyone, how vulnerable and absolutely humiliated they felt… The author depicted this most heartbreakingly. I was this close to crying.
The other scene that brings tears to my eyes is the waterboarding scene. I'm sure this review has already stepped a foot into spoilers territory so I'm not gonna go into too much detail, but man was that scene this side of horrifying. The person they were waterboarding could barely draw breath in his struggling lungs and he was gasping for air and throwing up water constantly. BUT THEY DIDN'T FUCKING CARE! They just continued on until they got him to do what they wanted. This was, I think, one of if not the most cruelest thing I've witnessed. Not to mention how dreary and frantic Khalid's feelings became as the story progressed.
Yes, this story did end on a happy note, but all I can picture is Khalid and the other men in Guantanamo Bay and Kandahar and just how horribly they all suffered.
Okay, I think I've said everything I needed to say concerning this story, but as Khalid says in this story, 'words aren't enough'. Can't say writing all this out made me feel better exactly (I'm still hurting inside), but it did help organize my thoughts. I think this review was kind of like a journal entry? It looks like I'm basically treating Goodreads as a journal instead of having an actual journal (for books like this, anyway). Sigh
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