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A Brighter Fear
An impossible love story set against the backdrop of the Iraq war, A Brighter Fear will appeal to everyone who loved a gathering light.
This debut novel is the story of Lina, a teenage girl from Baghdad, and it starts as the bombs fall in 2003. It is a love for a country, and for a person too. There is an object that is lost, but may yet be found again.
We can’t say much more without giving away what happens in this
beautiful, contemporary fairytale. Suffice it to say that it will break your heart... but then will put it back together again.
A beautiful novel from a new literary star.
This debut novel is the story of Lina, a teenage girl from Baghdad, and it starts as the bombs fall in 2003. It is a love for a country, and for a person too. There is an object that is lost, but may yet be found again.
We can’t say much more without giving away what happens in this
beautiful, contemporary fairytale. Suffice it to say that it will break your heart... but then will put it back together again.
A beautiful novel from a new literary star.
284 pages
First published June 7, 2012
2 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Kerry Drewery
8 books134 followersKerry lives in Lincolnshire between the countryside and the sea. She has a first class honours degree in Professional Writing, has worked for BookStart, and been a finalist in a BBC Scriptwriting for children competition. She's a proud member of Author Allsorts and The Prime Writers.
Apart from the sensible stuff, Kerry likes to run, bike and swim, and has previously spent 12 hours running over the Humber Bridge again and again... She also swims in lakes in winter in a bikini.
Cell 7 (Hot Key Books 2016) was longlisted for the Southern Schools Book Award, shortlisted for the CrimFest Best YA Award and was Spellbinding Book of the Year 2017.
The sequel - Day 7 - came out June 2017, and the final in the trilogy - Final 7 - is out Spring 2018.
A Brighter Fear was shortlisted for the Leeds Book Awards
A Dream of Lights was shortlisted for the Hampshire Independent Schools Books Award, awarded Highly Commended at the North East Teen Book Awards and nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal.
She is also the co-coordinator of the UKYA Extravaganza events with author Emma Pass which bring readers, authors and bloggers together to celebrate UKYA talent.
Apart from the sensible stuff, Kerry likes to run, bike and swim, and has previously spent 12 hours running over the Humber Bridge again and again... She also swims in lakes in winter in a bikini.
Cell 7 (Hot Key Books 2016) was longlisted for the Southern Schools Book Award, shortlisted for the CrimFest Best YA Award and was Spellbinding Book of the Year 2017.
The sequel - Day 7 - came out June 2017, and the final in the trilogy - Final 7 - is out Spring 2018.
A Brighter Fear was shortlisted for the Leeds Book Awards
A Dream of Lights was shortlisted for the Hampshire Independent Schools Books Award, awarded Highly Commended at the North East Teen Book Awards and nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal.
She is also the co-coordinator of the UKYA Extravaganza events with author Emma Pass which bring readers, authors and bloggers together to celebrate UKYA talent.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
June 12, 2012
Baghdad 2003. Lina is living with her father, a university professor, and dreaming about becoming an architect. Her mother, a successful lawyer, has disappeared four years earlier, taken on her way home from work, never to be seen or heard from again. Rumors of war are getting louder by the minute, but Lina’s father refuses to leave Baghdad in case her mother returns. When the bombs begin to fall and foreign soldiers become a part of everyday life, one by one Lina’s dreams start crumbling around her, until she has nothing left but desperate hope tied to an impossible boy.
Night after night, far too many nights for me to remember, or want to remember, the bombing continued. And with every bang, every crash, every explosion, I waited, expecting our house to be hit. For my world to end. I couldn’t think about tomorrow, that maybe next it was my turn to die.
The beginning of Lina’s story was strongly reminiscent of Lena’s story in Between Shades of Gray, and not just because of their names. It felt almost like reading Between Shades of Gray: Iraqi edition, and I had fun comparing the two for a while, but I was glad when they diverged after the first few chapters. As much as I loved Between Shades of Gray, I like diversity even more.
Lina’s account was interrupted a few times by very short chapters that focused on her mother’s disappearance in 1999. Interrupting a first person narrative with occasional chapters in third person and from a different point of view is a narrative technique I don’t particularly care for, so I was both dazed and dismayed when Drewery abandoned Lina suddenly and in a very difficult moment to give us three pages about her mother being captured four years earlier. The first time was the hardest because it followed a very emotional scene and I had a hard time adjusting to the sudden change, but it was difficult even later, when I knew to expect it. I can think of a few better ways to tell the same story, and I wish one of them had been chosen instead.
I can’t shake the feeling that it was simply too early for this book. Perhaps I’m wrong, but it was clear that the author strived for impartiality, and with wars, that sort of thing requires a lot of time and emotional distance, if it is ever even possible. I understand the appeal, the need to go where no YA author has gone before, but I also understand that sometimes you just bite off more than you can chew. No matter how sensitive Drewery’s approach, and no matter how brave she might be for deciding to write this story in the first place, the fact remains that in trying to be impartial, she remained superficial.
There are, however, a few things I greatly admire. Drewery’s writing style is clear and concise, but with great emotional depth. The easiness with which I connected with Lina proves that Kerry Drewery is an excellent writer. I’m already excited about her next project.
A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Children’s Books, for review purposes.
Also posted at The Nocturnal Library
Night after night, far too many nights for me to remember, or want to remember, the bombing continued. And with every bang, every crash, every explosion, I waited, expecting our house to be hit. For my world to end. I couldn’t think about tomorrow, that maybe next it was my turn to die.
The beginning of Lina’s story was strongly reminiscent of Lena’s story in Between Shades of Gray, and not just because of their names. It felt almost like reading Between Shades of Gray: Iraqi edition, and I had fun comparing the two for a while, but I was glad when they diverged after the first few chapters. As much as I loved Between Shades of Gray, I like diversity even more.
Lina’s account was interrupted a few times by very short chapters that focused on her mother’s disappearance in 1999. Interrupting a first person narrative with occasional chapters in third person and from a different point of view is a narrative technique I don’t particularly care for, so I was both dazed and dismayed when Drewery abandoned Lina suddenly and in a very difficult moment to give us three pages about her mother being captured four years earlier. The first time was the hardest because it followed a very emotional scene and I had a hard time adjusting to the sudden change, but it was difficult even later, when I knew to expect it. I can think of a few better ways to tell the same story, and I wish one of them had been chosen instead.
I can’t shake the feeling that it was simply too early for this book. Perhaps I’m wrong, but it was clear that the author strived for impartiality, and with wars, that sort of thing requires a lot of time and emotional distance, if it is ever even possible. I understand the appeal, the need to go where no YA author has gone before, but I also understand that sometimes you just bite off more than you can chew. No matter how sensitive Drewery’s approach, and no matter how brave she might be for deciding to write this story in the first place, the fact remains that in trying to be impartial, she remained superficial.
There are, however, a few things I greatly admire. Drewery’s writing style is clear and concise, but with great emotional depth. The easiness with which I connected with Lina proves that Kerry Drewery is an excellent writer. I’m already excited about her next project.
A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Children’s Books, for review purposes.
Also posted at The Nocturnal Library
November 6, 2024
I remember I had to read this book in (middle school) class and I would literally just tear up secretly and try to get rid of my little tears as non chalantly as possible LOL 😀💀 aka go read it
May 19, 2016
This book was simply wonderful. I was surprised how harrowing it was in parts - not in any way a criticism, just an observation - a no holds barred portrayal of Baghdad at the beginning of the Iraq war seen through the eyes of Christian teenager Lina. Her school years are drawing to an end, and she has dreams of university and becoming an architect - dreams that are now threatened by the world around her falling apart.
The way the author draws the reader into Lina's world is quite exceptional. The scenes where she huddles in the cellar during the bombardment of Baghdad are so very real, and the way in which she describes Lina's thoughts and feelings - her numbness when faced with tragedy, the strength of teenage friendship, her reasoning around the major dilemma she has to handle - is excellent. In some ways Lina is a typical teenager - the tragedy is seeing her time of freedom as a teenager taken away.
And the parallel story of Lina's mother is so well handled - short interventions capturing the full horror of her experience. There were other aspects I'd never considered - the perverse effects of the intervention on religious tolerance and the relative freedoms of women. The book's ending is heart-breaking, but with a faint glimmer of hope - at a personal level, sadly not for the future of Iraq.
Anyone who perhaps feels that young adult writing lacks the depth or emotional impact of adult writing should read this book. As should anyone seeking to understand the impact of war on the innocent people caught up in it. This was an exceptional book that I'm so glad I experienced. Do give it a try.
The way the author draws the reader into Lina's world is quite exceptional. The scenes where she huddles in the cellar during the bombardment of Baghdad are so very real, and the way in which she describes Lina's thoughts and feelings - her numbness when faced with tragedy, the strength of teenage friendship, her reasoning around the major dilemma she has to handle - is excellent. In some ways Lina is a typical teenager - the tragedy is seeing her time of freedom as a teenager taken away.
And the parallel story of Lina's mother is so well handled - short interventions capturing the full horror of her experience. There were other aspects I'd never considered - the perverse effects of the intervention on religious tolerance and the relative freedoms of women. The book's ending is heart-breaking, but with a faint glimmer of hope - at a personal level, sadly not for the future of Iraq.
Anyone who perhaps feels that young adult writing lacks the depth or emotional impact of adult writing should read this book. As should anyone seeking to understand the impact of war on the innocent people caught up in it. This was an exceptional book that I'm so glad I experienced. Do give it a try.
December 20, 2016
Lina lives in Baghdad. The city she loves is now being ruined by bombs. Lina is the daughter of a man and a woman who loved each other very much, but never had it easy. Lina's mother is missing. The secret police took her away and Lina doesn't know what happened to her afterwards. Lina has to get used to less freedom. She has to wear different clothes and getting an education like she planned is more complicated. She's smart, but that's not enough anymore. The lives of Lina's loved ones are under constant threat and that's taking its toll.
Lina's mother had a very special necklace, the symbol of love between her and Lina's father. Because of not knowing moving on is hard and Lina and her father stay in a country where it's dangerous for them to be. War won't last forever though, so there's also still hope, will Lina be able to survive this scary time? Will she find out more about the whereabouts and destiny of her mother? She has some very difficult choices to make. What will happen to Lina in these uncertain times of war?
A Brighter Fear is an impressive emotional story. Lina is smart, she's brave and she is kind. It was heartbreaking to read about the devastating effects of war and that often brought tears to my eyes. Lina is daring, she wants to live even if it means doing things that scare her. I loved that about her. The war brings insecurities, new rules and shocking news, but Lina is still a regular young girl and she doesn't let herself be ruled by fear. She has the same wishes she always had. She dreams of university and she wants to fall in love. She's resilient and makes the best of every situation. I admired her courage and think she's an amazing main character.
Kerry Drewery's writing flows easily and I loved the message she has for her readers. Love is the most important thing there is. It's what will never cease to exist, even when there's fighting and when there are bombs, it still remains the most valuable thing in people's lives. This strong basic idea is what makes A Brither Fear so special. It's an amazing story with a beautiful surprising ending. I loved Lina and am glad I had the chance to read about such a memorable main character.
Lina's mother had a very special necklace, the symbol of love between her and Lina's father. Because of not knowing moving on is hard and Lina and her father stay in a country where it's dangerous for them to be. War won't last forever though, so there's also still hope, will Lina be able to survive this scary time? Will she find out more about the whereabouts and destiny of her mother? She has some very difficult choices to make. What will happen to Lina in these uncertain times of war?
A Brighter Fear is an impressive emotional story. Lina is smart, she's brave and she is kind. It was heartbreaking to read about the devastating effects of war and that often brought tears to my eyes. Lina is daring, she wants to live even if it means doing things that scare her. I loved that about her. The war brings insecurities, new rules and shocking news, but Lina is still a regular young girl and she doesn't let herself be ruled by fear. She has the same wishes she always had. She dreams of university and she wants to fall in love. She's resilient and makes the best of every situation. I admired her courage and think she's an amazing main character.
Kerry Drewery's writing flows easily and I loved the message she has for her readers. Love is the most important thing there is. It's what will never cease to exist, even when there's fighting and when there are bombs, it still remains the most valuable thing in people's lives. This strong basic idea is what makes A Brither Fear so special. It's an amazing story with a beautiful surprising ending. I loved Lina and am glad I had the chance to read about such a memorable main character.
July 19, 2014
An insight into the lives of those who lived in Baghdad during the US occupation. Although harrowing and heartbreaking, this story could not be put down. The determination and will of the main character Lina was inspiring and real. The ending isn’t tidy and predictable – it’s made up of life saving choices that have to be made by a teenage girl in terrible circumstances – not a self serving love story.
July 26, 2020
Rauw en eerlijk verhaal over de oorlog in Irak. Doet nadenken en geeft ondank alles hoop.
August 23, 2020
Ik vond het geen mooi boek. Ook niet spannend. Maar rauwe werkelijkheid over het leven in een door oorlog verscheurd Irak. Als je denkt dat leven met beperkte vrijheid ivm corona erg is, dan denk je er wellicht anders over als je dit boek hebt gelezen. En wellicht dat je dan ook anders naar vluchtelingen gaat kijken. Ik heb respect en bewondering voor de hhofdpersoon in dit boek.
Van harte aanbevolen.
Van harte aanbevolen.
March 24, 2015
Like many authors of adult fiction I read only a few Young Adult novels a year. Yet how rewarding they can be: Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox was a tour de force of the imagination and The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness evoked atmospheric elements of John Wyndham’s classic, The Chrysalids.
A Brighter Fear is different again, the powerful tale of seventeen-year old Lina, a sensitive, intelligent teenager who craves a normal life; to go to university, to travel and become an architect. Lina’s misfortune is to live in Baghdad and to have her life horrifically blighted by war. Her lawyer mother is taken away by the secret police and as the Americans and their allies bomb the city, so much of what she knows, both physically and psychologically, disappears.
The novel is written in a deceptively gentle voice, not at all strident, and this credibly evokes a teenage girl’s troubled consciousness. Lina’s sensitivity is most hard-hitting when what she describes is most shocking, for though described as a children’s book, the subject matter is powerful and disturbing. The story of what happened to Lina’s mother cuts into the narrative and is at times hard to read. But does hard to read mean it shouldn’t be read? Certainly not, for I believe this is the only Young Adult novel set in Iraq and that in itself makes it important. If we want young people to understand more than glib headlines, and to feel empathy and goodwill to those suffering the horrors of war, such books are crucial reading.
By expressing the importance of family, humanity, and the smouldering hopes of a young person, this is a remarkably positive book. To quote Kerry Drewery herself, writing in The Guardian:
“In To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus Finch states – “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”. Fiction lets the reader do this, lets them see the pain, the determination, the sorrow, the bombs, the families and the friendships, lets them make up their own minds and form their own opinions.”
This is what Kerry had done with A Brighter Fear – given us a chance to put ourselves in Lina’s skin for a few hours and remember our common humanity with innocent people caught up in the modern nightmare of war. I recommend this book to schools and to readers, both young and old.
A Brighter Fear is different again, the powerful tale of seventeen-year old Lina, a sensitive, intelligent teenager who craves a normal life; to go to university, to travel and become an architect. Lina’s misfortune is to live in Baghdad and to have her life horrifically blighted by war. Her lawyer mother is taken away by the secret police and as the Americans and their allies bomb the city, so much of what she knows, both physically and psychologically, disappears.
The novel is written in a deceptively gentle voice, not at all strident, and this credibly evokes a teenage girl’s troubled consciousness. Lina’s sensitivity is most hard-hitting when what she describes is most shocking, for though described as a children’s book, the subject matter is powerful and disturbing. The story of what happened to Lina’s mother cuts into the narrative and is at times hard to read. But does hard to read mean it shouldn’t be read? Certainly not, for I believe this is the only Young Adult novel set in Iraq and that in itself makes it important. If we want young people to understand more than glib headlines, and to feel empathy and goodwill to those suffering the horrors of war, such books are crucial reading.
By expressing the importance of family, humanity, and the smouldering hopes of a young person, this is a remarkably positive book. To quote Kerry Drewery herself, writing in The Guardian:
“In To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus Finch states – “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”. Fiction lets the reader do this, lets them see the pain, the determination, the sorrow, the bombs, the families and the friendships, lets them make up their own minds and form their own opinions.”
This is what Kerry had done with A Brighter Fear – given us a chance to put ourselves in Lina’s skin for a few hours and remember our common humanity with innocent people caught up in the modern nightmare of war. I recommend this book to schools and to readers, both young and old.
April 12, 2016
A finished unsolicited copy was provided by the publisher for review.
Don’t let the beautiful cover fool you. A Brighter Fear is not full of a warm heartbreaking tale of love and friendship. We find Lina, a teenager living Baghdad during the war against the United States. What has become of her country after Saddam Hussein’s reign?
Beautifully written, there’s a wonderful quality in the author’s writing. I think it’s all about simplicity and the emotions she portrayed. How does it feel to live in fear of your life? Your family’s lives? Your friend’s? It’s unimaginable, yet the author takes great care with writing her fears.
I didn’t enjoy the chapters with Lina’s mother. I felt it broke up the story too much. It was heart breaking to read too. I can’t imagine the pain they have suffered. I don’t understand war, and I never did. There’s always sadness where it happens. And the Iraqi war isn’t any different. I think this touched me more so because it’s not exactly fiction. These things happen. We hear about it on the news, and watch as our soldiers come home, but no one really understands what they go through. This was a healthy reminder of that, and I couldn’t help but cry.
The romance between the two was sweet, yet I wanted it to be more. It wasn’t so much a love story between the two, but a love for her country an what she would do to stay there.
Don’t let the beautiful cover fool you. A Brighter Fear is not full of a warm heartbreaking tale of love and friendship. We find Lina, a teenager living Baghdad during the war against the United States. What has become of her country after Saddam Hussein’s reign?
Beautifully written, there’s a wonderful quality in the author’s writing. I think it’s all about simplicity and the emotions she portrayed. How does it feel to live in fear of your life? Your family’s lives? Your friend’s? It’s unimaginable, yet the author takes great care with writing her fears.
I didn’t enjoy the chapters with Lina’s mother. I felt it broke up the story too much. It was heart breaking to read too. I can’t imagine the pain they have suffered. I don’t understand war, and I never did. There’s always sadness where it happens. And the Iraqi war isn’t any different. I think this touched me more so because it’s not exactly fiction. These things happen. We hear about it on the news, and watch as our soldiers come home, but no one really understands what they go through. This was a healthy reminder of that, and I couldn’t help but cry.
The romance between the two was sweet, yet I wanted it to be more. It wasn’t so much a love story between the two, but a love for her country an what she would do to stay there.
January 19, 2018
4.5*/5
“Being alive is not luck. Being alive is a right.”
I feel so much right now. I can’t believe I had the pleasure of not only seeing this book’s meaning and feeling it’s beauty, but being able to scout its weight with my eyes closed. In my blindfolded book challenge, I picked this and 3 other books and am slowly getting through them. This book had something about it that drew me towards it and made me want to read it first. Not only that, but I managed to bag myself a signed copy!!
Thank you so much to Kerry Drewery for writing such a strong story. I can’t imagine that this story was easy to write and the ending left me in a flood of tears, and she did the 2003 war against Iraq justice within a heartbreaking context. The description was wonderful and it was really easy to picture and follow the characters within their stories.
The reason why this story stuck with me and maybe my brain made it out to be better than it really is, is the fact that this war actually did happen. It destroyed people’s lives. It ripped families apart. And war and suffering in countries like Syria are still going through such hardships and picturing this story in our world was absolutely heartbreaking; one death and abduction came after another and each with their own plot twists and harsh decisions. With the decisions of Brexit and the election of Donald Trump, I would recommend anyone who is ignorant or shy on knowledge about immigrants and refugees; to possibly let them know how escaping to better off countries benefits people in these countries who are at war. After reading this book, people may think twice about where they stand within politics and people’s right to live. A job well done.
“Being alive is not luck. Being alive is a right.”
I feel so much right now. I can’t believe I had the pleasure of not only seeing this book’s meaning and feeling it’s beauty, but being able to scout its weight with my eyes closed. In my blindfolded book challenge, I picked this and 3 other books and am slowly getting through them. This book had something about it that drew me towards it and made me want to read it first. Not only that, but I managed to bag myself a signed copy!!
Thank you so much to Kerry Drewery for writing such a strong story. I can’t imagine that this story was easy to write and the ending left me in a flood of tears, and she did the 2003 war against Iraq justice within a heartbreaking context. The description was wonderful and it was really easy to picture and follow the characters within their stories.
The reason why this story stuck with me and maybe my brain made it out to be better than it really is, is the fact that this war actually did happen. It destroyed people’s lives. It ripped families apart. And war and suffering in countries like Syria are still going through such hardships and picturing this story in our world was absolutely heartbreaking; one death and abduction came after another and each with their own plot twists and harsh decisions. With the decisions of Brexit and the election of Donald Trump, I would recommend anyone who is ignorant or shy on knowledge about immigrants and refugees; to possibly let them know how escaping to better off countries benefits people in these countries who are at war. After reading this book, people may think twice about where they stand within politics and people’s right to live. A job well done.
March 24, 2021
I enjoyed reading this more than I thought I would. But don't fool yourself—it's not an easy read. Kerry Drewery managed to write a heartbreaking and yet beautiful story set in the 2000s Iraq with the war and the north-american ocupation as backgroud. Even though it was a little hard for me to connect with writing at the beggining, I think the author did such a great job at depicting Lina's feelings. I liked to be in inside her head most of the time and I believe it's due to how genuine and human her thoughts were portrayed. You could feel love and hope growing, and then feel them being shattered to pieces. You could feel her struggles, her indecisiveness and her fears. I felt claustrophobic to an extent sometimes and overwhelmed by all of the tragedy going on. And that's not necessarly a bad thing—the whole scenario of war could make you feel that way and Kerry was a genius for being able to making me feel like that by just reading a book.
The one thing I didn't enjoy much was the few flashbacks telling what had happened to Sacha, Lina's mother. They were also well written and painful to read, but I reckon it broke the linearity of the main story and its flow.
Overall, it was a good read and I really recommend picking up this book if you're interested in expanding your views of the world and diversing your reading list.
The one thing I didn't enjoy much was the few flashbacks telling what had happened to Sacha, Lina's mother. They were also well written and painful to read, but I reckon it broke the linearity of the main story and its flow.
Overall, it was a good read and I really recommend picking up this book if you're interested in expanding your views of the world and diversing your reading list.
May 27, 2020
A Brighter Fear is about a girl named Lina during the time of the Iraq war. You will learn pretty quickly in this book that she has lots of troubles with her family. For instance, her mother went missing. This book will teach you what sadness really means, and how to at least try to cope with it.
I thought this book started off a little slow, but once it got moving, I couldn't put it down! There was so much action in this book more than just trying to find Lina's mother! I totally recommend buying this book! Its worth it!
I thought this book started off a little slow, but once it got moving, I couldn't put it down! There was so much action in this book more than just trying to find Lina's mother! I totally recommend buying this book! Its worth it!
August 31, 2020
Indringend en aangrijpend.
Een boek wat iedereen zou moeten lezen.
Valt rauw op je dak.
Een boek wat iedereen zou moeten lezen.
Valt rauw op je dak.
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December 1, 2021
Trigger & Content Warnings
Disappearance of a parent
Bombings
Iraq War
Disappearance of a parent
Bombings
Iraq War
June 19, 2012
A Brighter Fear by Kerry Drewery is, I think, the first piece of British children's literature to directly address the war in Iraq. (Please do correct me if I'm wrong!). A while back on my blog I wrote about the necessity of children's literature addressing war here and would particularly reccommend Lydia Kokkola's Representing the Holocaust in Children's Literature to those who wish to learn more.
A Brighter Fear is a groundbreaking book in many ways and one that's also very very curious. It's the story of Lina; teenager, Christian, female - and Iraqi. She's growing up in the most difficult circumstances possible and it's not easy. Growing up never is.
Drewery creates a convincing and believable character in Lina. She's palpably sad, and tense, and fragile. Every word she says has the sensation of being very deliberately chosen for this point in time. Here, though, is where the book gets quite curiously intriguing. It's told in a first person past tense style: I said, I believed, I watched etc. The other key signifier of Drewery's writing here is a preponderance for sentences that begin with "And" or "But". There's a lot of them here.
Now usually I'd be picking up on these stylistic tendencies because reading a lot of sentences that look the same is a tiring experience. You become used to the shape of the word, of the paragraph, and as such start to slowly disengage from the text. A Brighter Fear manages to become a book that doesn't really lend itself to be read - it's one that you engage with. Time and time again I found myself reading sections out loud, feeling the words on my tongue and picking up on the inherent rhythms of the text. It combines to produce quite a spooky, unnerving affect and being all in past tense gives it a very definitive feel of uncertainty. It seems to say this is Lina's moment, this is where it all changed, and the Lina that's telling you this might not be the same one who's in the story.
This is a book that's very near to the bone in many places. There's a subplot with Lina's mother which is incredibly painful to read. It needs to be read with an awareness of the recent nature of these events for if A Brighter Fear is something, it is very quietly provocative and disturbing.
The more I read A Brighter Fear, the more I felt uncomfortable and the more I became wrapped up in what happens to Lina. It's a big, brave story to try and tell and I sort of think that Drewery does succeed in the whole. She presents a novel full of pain, and beauty, and tear-filled moments and when she writes her big moments, she writes them very beautifully.
But I think where A Brighter Fear perhaps succeeds more is when it forgets the bombs, the terror, and the sad sad resignation of the populace. It is in the quieter moments; the moments where people just talk or think or love. After all, it's people who make conflict - and it's people who will solve it.
A Brighter Fear is a groundbreaking book in many ways and one that's also very very curious. It's the story of Lina; teenager, Christian, female - and Iraqi. She's growing up in the most difficult circumstances possible and it's not easy. Growing up never is.
Drewery creates a convincing and believable character in Lina. She's palpably sad, and tense, and fragile. Every word she says has the sensation of being very deliberately chosen for this point in time. Here, though, is where the book gets quite curiously intriguing. It's told in a first person past tense style: I said, I believed, I watched etc. The other key signifier of Drewery's writing here is a preponderance for sentences that begin with "And" or "But". There's a lot of them here.
Now usually I'd be picking up on these stylistic tendencies because reading a lot of sentences that look the same is a tiring experience. You become used to the shape of the word, of the paragraph, and as such start to slowly disengage from the text. A Brighter Fear manages to become a book that doesn't really lend itself to be read - it's one that you engage with. Time and time again I found myself reading sections out loud, feeling the words on my tongue and picking up on the inherent rhythms of the text. It combines to produce quite a spooky, unnerving affect and being all in past tense gives it a very definitive feel of uncertainty. It seems to say this is Lina's moment, this is where it all changed, and the Lina that's telling you this might not be the same one who's in the story.
This is a book that's very near to the bone in many places. There's a subplot with Lina's mother which is incredibly painful to read. It needs to be read with an awareness of the recent nature of these events for if A Brighter Fear is something, it is very quietly provocative and disturbing.
The more I read A Brighter Fear, the more I felt uncomfortable and the more I became wrapped up in what happens to Lina. It's a big, brave story to try and tell and I sort of think that Drewery does succeed in the whole. She presents a novel full of pain, and beauty, and tear-filled moments and when she writes her big moments, she writes them very beautifully.
But I think where A Brighter Fear perhaps succeeds more is when it forgets the bombs, the terror, and the sad sad resignation of the populace. It is in the quieter moments; the moments where people just talk or think or love. After all, it's people who make conflict - and it's people who will solve it.
April 20, 2014
Stars = spoilers start and end points.
A Brighter Fear is the story of Lina, a bright, young girl, living in Baghdad under the reign of Al-Qaeda. Her mother, taken 3 years before, is not around, and her father has to join them for a job, seeing as they are Christians. **********Then, one day, her father is shot and killed whilst working as an interpreter. Lina goes to live with her Aunt Hana and Uncle Aziz, but she isn’t allowed to go to University any more, after there have been a series of bombings. However, she begins to make friends with a soldier, Steve, after Aunt Hana sends her to deliver soup. Their relationship progresses, but then Steve has to go back home. He gives Lina an address, so she can get out of the country, for $15000. She’s going to do it, but then Aziz is kidnapped – and the ransom is $15000. Lina gives up her hope of leaving, and uses her ticket out to pay for her Uncle’s life. When she goes back to her old home to pick up some belongings, it is hit by a bomb – and a man called David, who shot her mother when she was asking for death, returns a necklace to Lina, and tells her the whole truth; thus, the book ends.**********
A Brighter Fear is a story of love, life, fear and hope. I did enjoy it, although it made me terribly angry at war, and how it effects innocent people, like Lina’s mother and father. After finishing it, I just wanted to sit down and cry, for how completely and utterly unfair everything is; and how people can’t see that war is not the answer.
Lina was a truly brave girl, going through losing her family and having to move into a new one. Not only that, but Steve left, she wasn’t allowed to continue her education, and she couldn’t even practise her faith.
On the subject of Steve, I did feel that their romance was hyped up on the blurb, and in the front cover, as it was a bit of a whirlwind, and nothing really came of it. Lina even got rid of her contact to him, so she couldn’t find him again. I understand that she hadn’t had much of a chance at romance before, but I didn’t think it was written very well.
Not mentioned above is Lina’s friendship with Layla, who was a Muslim and, effectively, scared of Lina. She stops contacting her, until one Christmas, when she comes over and gives her a present. Their friendship really heightens the fact that these are two teenage girls, scared for their lives because they are friends, and I think that Drewery really portrayed this well. I loved their friendship – they really loved each other, which made it all the more better.
Overall, I would give this 4 stars. There were aspects I liked, such as Lina and Layla’s friendship, but other ones I didn’t so much, such as Lina and Steve’s relationship – I feel that it could have just stayed as friendship, as it felt that the writer was trying to hard. However, a very good read, and I still recommend it!
A Brighter Fear is the story of Lina, a bright, young girl, living in Baghdad under the reign of Al-Qaeda. Her mother, taken 3 years before, is not around, and her father has to join them for a job, seeing as they are Christians. **********Then, one day, her father is shot and killed whilst working as an interpreter. Lina goes to live with her Aunt Hana and Uncle Aziz, but she isn’t allowed to go to University any more, after there have been a series of bombings. However, she begins to make friends with a soldier, Steve, after Aunt Hana sends her to deliver soup. Their relationship progresses, but then Steve has to go back home. He gives Lina an address, so she can get out of the country, for $15000. She’s going to do it, but then Aziz is kidnapped – and the ransom is $15000. Lina gives up her hope of leaving, and uses her ticket out to pay for her Uncle’s life. When she goes back to her old home to pick up some belongings, it is hit by a bomb – and a man called David, who shot her mother when she was asking for death, returns a necklace to Lina, and tells her the whole truth; thus, the book ends.**********
A Brighter Fear is a story of love, life, fear and hope. I did enjoy it, although it made me terribly angry at war, and how it effects innocent people, like Lina’s mother and father. After finishing it, I just wanted to sit down and cry, for how completely and utterly unfair everything is; and how people can’t see that war is not the answer.
Lina was a truly brave girl, going through losing her family and having to move into a new one. Not only that, but Steve left, she wasn’t allowed to continue her education, and she couldn’t even practise her faith.
On the subject of Steve, I did feel that their romance was hyped up on the blurb, and in the front cover, as it was a bit of a whirlwind, and nothing really came of it. Lina even got rid of her contact to him, so she couldn’t find him again. I understand that she hadn’t had much of a chance at romance before, but I didn’t think it was written very well.
Not mentioned above is Lina’s friendship with Layla, who was a Muslim and, effectively, scared of Lina. She stops contacting her, until one Christmas, when she comes over and gives her a present. Their friendship really heightens the fact that these are two teenage girls, scared for their lives because they are friends, and I think that Drewery really portrayed this well. I loved their friendship – they really loved each other, which made it all the more better.
Overall, I would give this 4 stars. There were aspects I liked, such as Lina and Layla’s friendship, but other ones I didn’t so much, such as Lina and Steve’s relationship – I feel that it could have just stayed as friendship, as it felt that the writer was trying to hard. However, a very good read, and I still recommend it!
September 11, 2015
Should be required reading! Not sure why this is described as a love story. While there is the inkling of a maybe romance, it's not really the focus of the story. This story IS about Lina, a sixteen year old girl living in in Baghdad near the end of Saddam Hussein's reign. In fact, she experiences the fall of Baghdad. We meet Lina and her family right before that point. Her mother, kidnapped three years ago, remains missing. American soldiers are posted all over town and war feels inevitable. Still, Lina desperately wants to maintain a normal teen life -- school, friends, flirtations, the whole bit.
Over time Lina becomes very frustrated with the shift in the feel of her town. The new government promises liberation. This "liberation" shows itself in women being kidnapped, raped, sometimes killed, their freedoms removed. Women try to find a modicum of protection by going back to wearing hijabs and abayas (full body covering) full time. For Lina, there is added pressure because her family is Christian so her Islamic friends are now terrified to associate with her or her family, fearful that they will be captured as presumed enemies of the new regime. Due to political and cultural tensions, kidnappings and such, Lina watches her class size diminish over time. She fears the day when they might come for her, but she doesn't want to let go of her educational opportunities and refuses to hide in terror.
I was surprised to find that this is considered a YA novel. There's some seriously hardcore stuff in here that made me audibly gasp and cringe as I was reading, mainly the descriptions of the innocent women, taken as prisoners of war, being violently beaten, raped, electrocuted, only given enough food and water to barely keep them alive until they would finally succumb to death. That being said, I think this book is a must read, at least once, for anyone and everyone, but especially Americans. Our news programs tend to sell us on the idea that our government is always right and just in their decisions to interfere with other countries. There's also a disturbingly high level of xenophobia in this country -- particularly towards anyone of Middle Eastern heritage and this book is just one of many that will powerfully show you how immature that mindset is. This book shows that, regardless of where we come from, we are all people, we all have families we care about. I really appreciated how this little novel looks at both sides of the war, the good and the bad.
Drewery's writing style is so stunning to boot. One of my favorite reads this year.
Over time Lina becomes very frustrated with the shift in the feel of her town. The new government promises liberation. This "liberation" shows itself in women being kidnapped, raped, sometimes killed, their freedoms removed. Women try to find a modicum of protection by going back to wearing hijabs and abayas (full body covering) full time. For Lina, there is added pressure because her family is Christian so her Islamic friends are now terrified to associate with her or her family, fearful that they will be captured as presumed enemies of the new regime. Due to political and cultural tensions, kidnappings and such, Lina watches her class size diminish over time. She fears the day when they might come for her, but she doesn't want to let go of her educational opportunities and refuses to hide in terror.
I was surprised to find that this is considered a YA novel. There's some seriously hardcore stuff in here that made me audibly gasp and cringe as I was reading, mainly the descriptions of the innocent women, taken as prisoners of war, being violently beaten, raped, electrocuted, only given enough food and water to barely keep them alive until they would finally succumb to death. That being said, I think this book is a must read, at least once, for anyone and everyone, but especially Americans. Our news programs tend to sell us on the idea that our government is always right and just in their decisions to interfere with other countries. There's also a disturbingly high level of xenophobia in this country -- particularly towards anyone of Middle Eastern heritage and this book is just one of many that will powerfully show you how immature that mindset is. This book shows that, regardless of where we come from, we are all people, we all have families we care about. I really appreciated how this little novel looks at both sides of the war, the good and the bad.
Drewery's writing style is so stunning to boot. One of my favorite reads this year.
May 28, 2014
There is something so readable about Kerry Drewery's books. I have read this in one sitting today as every time I tried to put it down, I picked it right back up again, it's like every chapter has a cliff hanger so I have to just keep reading. It's a good job I had nothing pressing to do today!
Again, this book is set in a time and place that I know of, but know so little about. We hear so much on the news about Iraq from a British/ American perspective and it's impact on us/ our soldiers so it is refreshing to read about the fear from the other side, as I found with her other book 'A Dream of Lights'.
I have read many YA books with a female teenage protaganist of late but what I really like about Lina is that it felt a very honest account, especially when she had to make her 'decision' and the reality of wanting to be selfish. A lot of heroine's/ protagonists are not written to show this selfish but very real side to them and it gives more reality to the plot. I also liked the seperate chapters worked in sporadically about what happened to Sacha and the emotions involving the soldiers, with their humanity and hopelessness showing through, in total contrast to the situation in which they have found themselves.
Drewery is an author I will keep a keen eye on in anticipation of her next books as they are great for adults and YA alike. I don't believe there are any other books currently out there for YA based on North Korea and Iraq (correct me if I'm wrong there...) and she has set the bar high for those who follow.
Again, this book is set in a time and place that I know of, but know so little about. We hear so much on the news about Iraq from a British/ American perspective and it's impact on us/ our soldiers so it is refreshing to read about the fear from the other side, as I found with her other book 'A Dream of Lights'.
I have read many YA books with a female teenage protaganist of late but what I really like about Lina is that it felt a very honest account, especially when she had to make her 'decision' and the reality of wanting to be selfish. A lot of heroine's/ protagonists are not written to show this selfish but very real side to them and it gives more reality to the plot. I also liked the seperate chapters worked in sporadically about what happened to Sacha and the emotions involving the soldiers, with their humanity and hopelessness showing through, in total contrast to the situation in which they have found themselves.
Drewery is an author I will keep a keen eye on in anticipation of her next books as they are great for adults and YA alike. I don't believe there are any other books currently out there for YA based on North Korea and Iraq (correct me if I'm wrong there...) and she has set the bar high for those who follow.
November 24, 2015
This book is extremely painful to read, but definitely worthwhile -- especially if recent events in the Middle East (war, sectarian violence, Islamic State terrorism and the Syrian refugee crisis) have piqued your interest in the region. Set during the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, it certainly shows how violence and conflict and a vacuum of power never bring anything good to the civilian population. Rather than enjoying freedom and democracy -- as the Americans promised -- Baghdad becomes a frightening city ruled by fear and intolerance.
Lina, a 16 year old from an academic family, is the protagonist of the novel. Lina's mother, a lawyer, refused to work with Saddam Hussein's government and was imprisoned some years before the invasion. Lina and her father do not know what happened to her, and in part this explains why they don't flee as the situation in Baghdad worsens. When Lina's father, a history professor, begins working with the Americans as a translator, his safety is also compromised. Lina has the chance (and money) to leave the country, but her 'selfish' desire to be safe and free to pursue her own ambitions is set against the responsibility she feels for others in her family. There are some interesting personal dilemmas in the novel, but what shines through the most is how choice and freedom are destroyed in war zones.
Lina, a 16 year old from an academic family, is the protagonist of the novel. Lina's mother, a lawyer, refused to work with Saddam Hussein's government and was imprisoned some years before the invasion. Lina and her father do not know what happened to her, and in part this explains why they don't flee as the situation in Baghdad worsens. When Lina's father, a history professor, begins working with the Americans as a translator, his safety is also compromised. Lina has the chance (and money) to leave the country, but her 'selfish' desire to be safe and free to pursue her own ambitions is set against the responsibility she feels for others in her family. There are some interesting personal dilemmas in the novel, but what shines through the most is how choice and freedom are destroyed in war zones.
March 20, 2012
This book is really intriguing and I think it would be a good choice for anyone interested in thinking about the Iraq war from an inside perspective or even as part of a course on the sociology of war. The writing is quite good at times and the story well paced. As I reached the end of the novel I found myself wondering what the point had been and if anything had really changed throughout the story, but having finished the book I think that's the point. Lina comes of age in the most uncertain setting possible and can only look after herself rather than make huge leaps forward in her career or personal life. I really enjoyed that the story examined all players in the war and acknowledged the good and evil sides of all. I'd be quite interested to know what sort of research Drewery completed.
October 24, 2015
A Brighter Fear is not an easy read, it’s a book you know will task you before you even turn the first page. It was sitting on my shelf for a while before I picked it up.
Reading Lina’s story is like reading an autobiography – there is very little dialogue throughout the book instead we learn what is happening through Lina’s observations and thoughts. Thoughts, which at the beginning of the book she makes clear, she shouldn’t have. It makes the book very personal but also hard to read.
There are a few chapters interspersed telling you what happened to Sasha (Lina’s mother) which given the style of narration feel out of place. While I wanted to know what became of her I felt this method made Lina’s narration less convincing. Every time I’d lost myself believing Lina was real the jump to third person for Sasha’s story dragged me back out again.
Reading Lina’s story is like reading an autobiography – there is very little dialogue throughout the book instead we learn what is happening through Lina’s observations and thoughts. Thoughts, which at the beginning of the book she makes clear, she shouldn’t have. It makes the book very personal but also hard to read.
There are a few chapters interspersed telling you what happened to Sasha (Lina’s mother) which given the style of narration feel out of place. While I wanted to know what became of her I felt this method made Lina’s narration less convincing. Every time I’d lost myself believing Lina was real the jump to third person for Sasha’s story dragged me back out again.
May 11, 2014
This was an amazing book, from the first page and forever after, in the book, in my mind, my heart, and in the hearts of millions of others, still living every moment of their lives like this. Brave, heartfelt, moving, incredible. Just some of the words that come to mind as i think of A brighter fear, the title fits perfectly with the book and drewerys writing in second to none. Her words summon powerful imagery and emotions so fierce they burn holes in the page. The story of one girl striving to live a life of discovery and experiences. A life that should already be hers. But shes not. Shes living a life full of fear and danger, death and destruction, constant war with no breaks, no timeouts, no second chances.
Its hard to believe that this is a reality.
This a book everyone should read, an eye opener of epic proportions.
Its hard to believe that this is a reality.
This a book everyone should read, an eye opener of epic proportions.
May 25, 2015
I have owned this book for almost a month now but I have been putting off reading it simply because I was a bit worried about reading a book based solely on war. Not a fictional dystopian war but a real war that actually happened. I’m not a fan of history as a subject so therefore I don’t know much about the Iraq war but I didn’t need to.
This book tells the story of a Christian in Iraq called Lina and how the war affects her.The story has no overall riding plot because it is a story about many different things all at once. It is just simply about Lina’s life during the war and I really enjoyed that aspect of it.
Read more of my review at: https://thereadingfangirl.wordpress.c...
This book tells the story of a Christian in Iraq called Lina and how the war affects her.The story has no overall riding plot because it is a story about many different things all at once. It is just simply about Lina’s life during the war and I really enjoyed that aspect of it.
Read more of my review at: https://thereadingfangirl.wordpress.c...
April 18, 2017
Baghdad 2005, narrated by seventeen year old Lina whose mother has been missing for four years.The americans are about to occupy the city,later they do.I enjoyed this book.It brought the dust, the dirt, the heat and the sheer desolation of a city at war very vividly to life. The fear and suspicion were present throughout. The relationship between Lina and Steve were very sensitively handled, one felt this could have blossomed into something deeper under different circumstances.Good read. I did however have issues with some of the grammar. She was sat..he was stood..she was laying in bed (eggs?) surely the editor should have picked this up?
June 11, 2015
A Brighter Fear is an exceptional book. Ostensibly it’s a young adult novel but it has resonance and relevance for adult readers too. It tells the moving tale of Lina, an Iraqi teenager whose life is blighted firstly by Saddam Hussein’s regime and then by the outbreak of war and the subsequent US occupation of her country. This story of love and oppression, fear and family doesn’t hold back on depicting the horrors of war, even though it can be harrowing at times. Sensitive, brave and powerful, it examines our common humanity whilst portraying characters that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
June 4, 2013
I loved reading about war and how people felt and what was happening with them for a change. Ive never read a book like this so it was very fascinating. Oval all I think the book had great storyline but was maybe not written the way i had expected. I also loved many of the characters and even though the end was the right way to resolve the conflict, just like lina, there was a part of me that wished the mother is alive and lina would escape.
August 12, 2013
I love fiction books that are based at times of real events. This book had a lot of happenings that were completely unnecessary for example after she became friends with Layla again you though "Oh okay we're going to hear more of her now" and you didn't. There were also things that needed more of a build up and more afterword explanation. Other than that it was good It was nicely and things like flashbacks were used appropriately. The charecter's feelings were portrayed well.
October 24, 2016
4,5 sterren. Nederlandse versie gelezen.
Wat een pijnlijk verhaal. Het liefdesverhaal wat ik verwachte wordt totaal ondergesneeuwd door een verhaal over de oorlog in Irak en wat een meisje/jongedame daarin beleefd. Schrijnend pijnlijk de beschrijving van de gevangenissen in Irak en wat er met haar moeder gebeurd onder het regime van Sadam Hoesein. Mooi, maar ik heb het verhaal regelmatig weg moeten leggen. Ik kreeg het niet voor elkaar het in een keer te lezen.
Wat een pijnlijk verhaal. Het liefdesverhaal wat ik verwachte wordt totaal ondergesneeuwd door een verhaal over de oorlog in Irak en wat een meisje/jongedame daarin beleefd. Schrijnend pijnlijk de beschrijving van de gevangenissen in Irak en wat er met haar moeder gebeurd onder het regime van Sadam Hoesein. Mooi, maar ik heb het verhaal regelmatig weg moeten leggen. Ik kreeg het niet voor elkaar het in een keer te lezen.
May 18, 2016
I could not say I enjoyed it. It was hard to read all the way through. It was gruesome, there were no lighter moments. It was enlightening though of how the ordinary people of Iraq felt about life under Saddam, the invasion and how it affected them, and how they tried to carry on a normal life despite the horrors.
March 6, 2013
This is an excellent novel for young adults. An important story, very well told. The first page alone is gorgeous. It deals with crucial issues and yet has a compelling plot and realistic characters. Sad yet ultimately hopeful. Read it.
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