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No Country
What would you do if your home wasn't safe any more? Bea and her family are trying to live as if everything is normal. She and her sister Hannah look out for one another, at home and in school. But their country is starting to fall apart. A civil war is raging, and it's getting closer. Bea is desperate not to leave home, but how long will it be before they have to run?
205 pages, Paperback
Published March 4, 2021
1 person is currently reading
50 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
June 12, 2021
I feel a little...deflated at the end of this graphic novel.
It starts off so well. Bea, her father and 2 siblings are living in England which has an ineffective and deceitful government and a rebel group are sweeping the country and seizing control. Her mother has sought refuge in another country and is desperately trying to sort papers so the rest of her family can join her.
This is the reality for thousands of families across the world, except it is not England in trouble and usually it is the father, not mother, who goes ahead to seek refuge. This book helps build empathy for refugees and helps high KS2/low KS3 students understand why there is a refugee crisis at the moment by relating it to them.
For 95% of the book I was in LOVE with it, but there is no ending, just a cliffhanger and I feel so utterly disappointed. This is a story that should be contained within the pages of one book and I was unaware this was the first in a series of books.
Also, the cover image is very deceptive. I won't say more or it will ruin the book.
It starts off so well. Bea, her father and 2 siblings are living in England which has an ineffective and deceitful government and a rebel group are sweeping the country and seizing control. Her mother has sought refuge in another country and is desperately trying to sort papers so the rest of her family can join her.
This is the reality for thousands of families across the world, except it is not England in trouble and usually it is the father, not mother, who goes ahead to seek refuge. This book helps build empathy for refugees and helps high KS2/low KS3 students understand why there is a refugee crisis at the moment by relating it to them.
For 95% of the book I was in LOVE with it, but there is no ending, just a cliffhanger and I feel so utterly disappointed. This is a story that should be contained within the pages of one book and I was unaware this was the first in a series of books.
Also, the cover image is very deceptive. I won't say more or it will ruin the book.
March 9, 2021
*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*
This was a wonderfully (and quite unexpectedly) touching story that teaches you just a touch about what it must be like to live in an unstable society that could dissolve into war at any moment. Whilst this was entirely fictional, I liked that there were obvious parallels to be made to real life war-situations.
The art style was strange and the colour palettes were more bold than I'd have gone for but they didn't break the graphic novel. They mostly gave it a unique edge that I came to quite like.
My one qualm would be that the amazing ending was cut short by a "to be continued" announcement. I wasn't aware going into this that this was only the first part so whilst I was happy to see there'd be more to this story, I was kind of sad that it had been left on a cliffhanger that really made me want to find out what happened next. If anything, this just means I'm interested in reading the next addition to this series and seeing where it ends up going...
This was a wonderfully (and quite unexpectedly) touching story that teaches you just a touch about what it must be like to live in an unstable society that could dissolve into war at any moment. Whilst this was entirely fictional, I liked that there were obvious parallels to be made to real life war-situations.
The art style was strange and the colour palettes were more bold than I'd have gone for but they didn't break the graphic novel. They mostly gave it a unique edge that I came to quite like.
My one qualm would be that the amazing ending was cut short by a "to be continued" announcement. I wasn't aware going into this that this was only the first part so whilst I was happy to see there'd be more to this story, I was kind of sad that it had been left on a cliffhanger that really made me want to find out what happened next. If anything, this just means I'm interested in reading the next addition to this series and seeing where it ends up going...
April 9, 2022
4.5⭐️
A highly harrowing story set in a fictional universe where martial law is in force and radicals are terrorising civilians, with conflict and tension arising along with propaganda, food shortages, riots and more.
Even though some things weren't too clear at first, I was no less engaged, The storytelling is super solid; at one point I found myself tensing up and holding my breath! I loved the characters and they had me so emotionally invested. I enjoyed the artwork too, which was not only expressive but also easy to follow.
While this is a dystopian graphic novel, it highlights issues that are very much real such as displacement and the refugee crisis. It's a gripping read for sure and one I would definitely recommend!
Note that this book ends on a cliffhanger and there’s supposed to be a sequel. I can't wait!
A highly harrowing story set in a fictional universe where martial law is in force and radicals are terrorising civilians, with conflict and tension arising along with propaganda, food shortages, riots and more.
Even though some things weren't too clear at first, I was no less engaged, The storytelling is super solid; at one point I found myself tensing up and holding my breath! I loved the characters and they had me so emotionally invested. I enjoyed the artwork too, which was not only expressive but also easy to follow.
While this is a dystopian graphic novel, it highlights issues that are very much real such as displacement and the refugee crisis. It's a gripping read for sure and one I would definitely recommend!
Note that this book ends on a cliffhanger and there’s supposed to be a sequel. I can't wait!
March 5, 2021
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
NOTE: While the book doesn’t specify it this is the FIRST volume. I wasn’t too happy when I found out that this was just the first part. I thought this was a complete story. Would be nice if that was listed somewhere…. but noo… It just ends with a to be continued. sighs
This story is about a country in which things go worse and worse. There is war, the mother has already fled to make a path for her family. The kids try to make the best of the situation… but it isn’t easy when you are hungry and afraid so many times. We see the situation go from bad to worse to OMG…. My heart broke for this family and for the people they knew. The family knew that they had to wait for the mom to get visas, but the question was… could they wait that long? The author did a great job at writing the story. In the beginning we see just bits and pieces, but as the story continues we see that things are just falling apart. There are threats. There is the army and others with guns. Food is scarce. We see that things have been going on for a while as Bea doesn’t know what leftovers are, doesn’t know ice cream cars, doesn’t know many things and was quite surprised at all her dad told her. That definitely shocked me, in my eyes it seemed it had been going on for a bit but it didn’t feel that it was years. I am quite curious to see how things started, maybe a prequel?
I wasn’t a fan of Bea. I found her annoying and frustrating. I know it is war and she is trying to get through things, but she did some stuff that had me shaking my head. Your sister trusted you with the sister code, and you just did that. No. And there are other things. I did love her love for art/drawing and loved seeing her drawings. Her older sister and her younger brother were much better characters. My heart broke for Dommy since he thinks his mom is a tablet. 🙁
While the kids (well, maybe not Hannah) are pretty oblivious to what dad does… I think I got a clue on what his job is in these days. Which had me worried for him quite often. Of course, I am not 100%, but given how he acted, how he kept hiding things, how Bea came to find a meeting going on in her house…
The ending, OH MAN, I need more. I want to know if the girls get to safety, if their dad is still safe. Will they be able to get to their mum?
The art.. not always my cup of tea, sadly.
But all in all, this was a good graphic novel and I am glad I had the chance to read it.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
NOTE: While the book doesn’t specify it this is the FIRST volume. I wasn’t too happy when I found out that this was just the first part. I thought this was a complete story. Would be nice if that was listed somewhere…. but noo… It just ends with a to be continued. sighs
This story is about a country in which things go worse and worse. There is war, the mother has already fled to make a path for her family. The kids try to make the best of the situation… but it isn’t easy when you are hungry and afraid so many times. We see the situation go from bad to worse to OMG…. My heart broke for this family and for the people they knew. The family knew that they had to wait for the mom to get visas, but the question was… could they wait that long? The author did a great job at writing the story. In the beginning we see just bits and pieces, but as the story continues we see that things are just falling apart. There are threats. There is the army and others with guns. Food is scarce. We see that things have been going on for a while as Bea doesn’t know what leftovers are, doesn’t know ice cream cars, doesn’t know many things and was quite surprised at all her dad told her. That definitely shocked me, in my eyes it seemed it had been going on for a bit but it didn’t feel that it was years. I am quite curious to see how things started, maybe a prequel?
I wasn’t a fan of Bea. I found her annoying and frustrating. I know it is war and she is trying to get through things, but she did some stuff that had me shaking my head. Your sister trusted you with the sister code, and you just did that. No. And there are other things. I did love her love for art/drawing and loved seeing her drawings. Her older sister and her younger brother were much better characters. My heart broke for Dommy since he thinks his mom is a tablet. 🙁
While the kids (well, maybe not Hannah) are pretty oblivious to what dad does… I think I got a clue on what his job is in these days. Which had me worried for him quite often. Of course, I am not 100%, but given how he acted, how he kept hiding things, how Bea came to find a meeting going on in her house…
The ending, OH MAN, I need more. I want to know if the girls get to safety, if their dad is still safe. Will they be able to get to their mum?
The art.. not always my cup of tea, sadly.
But all in all, this was a good graphic novel and I am glad I had the chance to read it.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
February 14, 2021
I received an e-arc of this graphic novel on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a short but powerful story captured through a graphic novel. The imagery is beautiful and the story is consise but portrays the fear and unknown future the family are feeling.
Bea's family have been seperated due to the war; their mother has left, trying to secure them visas to escape from the free kingdom soliders taking over. Their father is trying to keep them as safe as possible, working with the other parents to try to get as much information as possible and know when they need to leave. Then one night the fighting is very close to home. The children get caught up in the rioting on the way home and by the time they get to their father, they find their house has been ransacked and it's time to leave. But when their father goes out and doesn't return, Hannah, Bea and Dom need to brave in order to escape the free kingdom soldiers and try to find their father again.
This ends on such a cliffhanger and I just want to know more! I will be keeping an eye out on more surrounding this story in the future and I highly recommend this as a great quick but powerful read to anyone.
This was a short but powerful story captured through a graphic novel. The imagery is beautiful and the story is consise but portrays the fear and unknown future the family are feeling.
Bea's family have been seperated due to the war; their mother has left, trying to secure them visas to escape from the free kingdom soliders taking over. Their father is trying to keep them as safe as possible, working with the other parents to try to get as much information as possible and know when they need to leave. Then one night the fighting is very close to home. The children get caught up in the rioting on the way home and by the time they get to their father, they find their house has been ransacked and it's time to leave. But when their father goes out and doesn't return, Hannah, Bea and Dom need to brave in order to escape the free kingdom soldiers and try to find their father again.
This ends on such a cliffhanger and I just want to know more! I will be keeping an eye out on more surrounding this story in the future and I highly recommend this as a great quick but powerful read to anyone.
February 5, 2025
A very powerful graphic novel that had me in tears. Showing a family in what appears to be the UK with a failing government and a rebel group creating a civil war. The reality of many in other countries, that we never think can happen “here”. Heart in mouth reading. I need the yet unpublished sequel!
November 30, 2022
nooooo that endingggg but still quite a decent read overall
August 16, 2021
Really lovely story, aimed at teens. Channelling Raymond-Briggs, tells the story of a dystopian Britain, in the grip of a civil war, focussing on one families’ plight for safety. Drawings remind me of let’s go on a bear hunt.
September 22, 2021
Started out a bit confusing, I thought, but the ending was really tense! Feel like I need to read the next one to see what happens to the characters
November 3, 2025
This is a placeholder review for Book 2: ‘No Refuge’ as it is not up on Goodreads yet…
'In the world today, violence, war and persecution have forced millions of people from their homes. Imagine if it was your home. Imagine if it was you.'
It is a simple but powerful concept, imagine if you were a refugee - forced to flee the UK from a civil war. Hannah, Bea and their little brother Dom escape from their home as the 'Free Kingdom' rebel soldiers close in. Their dad has made a plan with them to meet at the embassy in the Green Zone, controlled by the government, but this is just as dangerous for them as the Free Kingdom territory and Bea is determined to leave a trail for their dad to follow them. Along the way, they adopt a canine friend and have to rescue their brother before they can find safe passage out of the country.
There is a lovely supportive relationship between the sisters, even though Bea is quite annoying, and there's a particularly poignant moment when Hannah wonders if Dom would be better off if they left him in comfort with his captors, rather that take him back into danger and uncertainty with his family. Thought the book starts really abruptly (and I'm sure Book 1 adds a lot of useful background information about this dystopian world) 'No Refuge' does work as a standalone graphic novel.
A thought-provoking and emotive read - I'd highly recommend this for school libraries and empathy collections.
'In the world today, violence, war and persecution have forced millions of people from their homes. Imagine if it was your home. Imagine if it was you.'
It is a simple but powerful concept, imagine if you were a refugee - forced to flee the UK from a civil war. Hannah, Bea and their little brother Dom escape from their home as the 'Free Kingdom' rebel soldiers close in. Their dad has made a plan with them to meet at the embassy in the Green Zone, controlled by the government, but this is just as dangerous for them as the Free Kingdom territory and Bea is determined to leave a trail for their dad to follow them. Along the way, they adopt a canine friend and have to rescue their brother before they can find safe passage out of the country.
There is a lovely supportive relationship between the sisters, even though Bea is quite annoying, and there's a particularly poignant moment when Hannah wonders if Dom would be better off if they left him in comfort with his captors, rather that take him back into danger and uncertainty with his family. Thought the book starts really abruptly (and I'm sure Book 1 adds a lot of useful background information about this dystopian world) 'No Refuge' does work as a standalone graphic novel.
A thought-provoking and emotive read - I'd highly recommend this for school libraries and empathy collections.
October 10, 2025
Although this was published before Russia's full invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza conflict (which of course, didn't start in 2023) this felt incredibly relevant and even more possible; unfortunately, it ends on a massive cliffhanger with Pip missing, his children (Bea, Hannah and Dom) left to fend for themselves as the army of the Free Kingdom attack the unnamed town where the story takes place...
The story is moving, engaging and human and I very much hope it continues, although goodness knows when...
The story is moving, engaging and human and I very much hope it continues, although goodness knows when...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2023
Graphic novel dealing with an ongoing conflict, government control, a faction of rebels and a family living without their mom who is off trying to secure papers for them to flee. The premise is interesting, but I found it somewhat confusing and it's only the first in a series so there was definitely not an actual ending to it. That being said, I think the concept would be interesting to middle school readers and I was wanting to know the ending myself as a reader.
August 2, 2021
I love a graphic novel and wow, this is POWERFUL. I eagerly await the second instalment because I need to know what happened! A family trying to live in a place divided. This deals with something incredibly real so brilliantly. I hope this family will be okay! I thought this was brilliant.
March 15, 2022
A gripping and down to earth story about a family planning to escape a country on the verge of war, told through the lens of a family full of children still trying to figure out the world, what is normal and what is clearly on hindsight a disaster of epic proportion.
November 16, 2022
Picked this up, since it showed up on several recommendation lists. Interesting analogy, made all the more dystopian by current events in the Ukraine. A bit too saccarine for me though, and the artwork is very plain and soulless. Check out The Fall by Jared Muralt for similar end of world story!
March 14, 2021
Really thoughtful. I need the sequel
March 17, 2021
My my usual kind of read but heard good things and bought it and so so glad I did , loved every second of reading and can’t wait for more
July 31, 2021
Me and Hels love 'No Country' and it's great to have it all in one book. I have a sneaky suspicion they will not write the sequel though 😠 come on Phoenix get your act together!
August 20, 2021
Refreshing to see a refugee story about white British people. I didn't really like the art that much though, and didn't realise it had a TBC at the end. I hate reading stuff that isn't finished!
December 10, 2021
Easily the best graphic I’ll have read this year. Scary stuff, and very much on the nail, a government who lies, rewrites of history etc. Powerful.
April 12, 2022
Powerful stuff - I couldn't stop turning the pages - sadly universal and timeless, so although a work of fiction, it's also painfully all too true
January 2, 2023
Read it in one sitting
Obviously like everyone else
Hanging on for book 2
When is it out
Obviously like everyone else
Hanging on for book 2
When is it out
January 5, 2023
This graphic Novel was so intense and so exciting. Reading about it really helps me appreciate where I live, we live in peace although we can’t take things for granted .
January 20, 2023
No country is a graphic novel set in a civil way. Tearing a family apart. Bea, her sister and brother just about escape their house from the freedom fighters. But they don't know where their dad is
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2023
I want to read the sequel. Great concept, plot and illustration.
March 8, 2023
Comic based on civil war. A year 6 read.
August 30, 2023
Hard-hitting, thought-provoking, very good, looking forward to next instalment.
January 11, 2024
Interesting premise of a civil war in UK but fell a bit flat for me. Left on a cliffhanger tbc
March 29, 2025
should be read by each and everyone of us. Really good!
August 22, 2021
I haven't previously read many graphic novels but want to try them out and this story sounded so powerful I had to request it on NetGalley and I would highly recommend it. This is a short read but the illustrations are beautiful and the author does a great job of portraying the emotion especially fear of the family as their lives are ripped apart and I would highly recommend it. I loved how the different family members all have their own bits to the story and the addition of comedic moments to lighten the read for children while still showing the powerful message.
I will definitely be looking for more information around this after that cliffhanger of an ending!
I will definitely be looking for more information around this after that cliffhanger of an ending!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews