Girl at War by Sara Novic

Girl at War

by Sara Novic

When her happy life in 1991 Croatia is shattered by civil war, ten-year-old Ana Juric is embroiled in a world of guerilla warfare and child soldiers before making a daring escape to America, where years later she struggles to hide her past.

Reviewed by lovelybookshelf on

5 of 5 stars

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Once I picked up Girl at War, I could not put it down. Everything I want in a novel is in this book: Vivid settings and situations, characters that feel completely real, a writing style that compels me to devour the story, and perfect pacing.

There were moments so terrible I could barely breathe, but I had to keep reading. Yet despite its heavy premise, Nović somehow manages to write with a light hand, leaving room for the horrors of this story to reach the reader in a full, authentic way. This debut novel is not one to miss.

More of my thoughts on this title can be found on my blog at Lovely Bookshelf.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 23 April, 2015: Finished reading
  • 23 April, 2015: Reviewed