Friday, December 5, 2014

Rebels by Accident by Patricia Dunn

Her best friend talked her into going to a party.  She knew her parents wouldn't like it, but she'd only go for a taste of the freedom to be with others of her age.  Nothing could happen, right?  Wrong.  They get busted by the cops...

Sourcebooks Fire and Net Galley allowed to read this book for review (thank you).  It was published December 2nd, so you can get a copy now at your local bookstore.

Mariam has to live through her parents yelling, her own guilt for having disobeyed and the idea that her parents can't trust her anymore.  She figures that's enough payback for one mistake.  When she finds out they are sending her to live with her grandmother in Egypt, she about dies.  All her father talks about was how strict she was, how unmoving and how mean she could be.  And now he's going to send her there???

This story is a mix of old events and new.  You get a bit of past history and these girls get thrown into a revolution they never intended to participate in.  Mariam goes to Egypt with her girlfriend.  Her girlfriend is the one who wants to attend the protest.  Mariam is still too shy to want to do such a daring thing in a place she's not familiar with.  However, when the other girl sneaks out and goes, Mariam follows.

With language barriers, beginning romances, the grandmother's ill health, and real bullets, there's a lot to be learned here.  Mariam learns some life lessons and finds her grandmother was not like her father had said.  She suffered to keep him safe.  Nothing in life is free; all actions have a price.

I found the story kept my attention, opened up my eyes to how the US can influence other countries, and made me glad that Mariam had some friends to keep her safe and hold her close.  You learn a bit about another country and have an exciting adventure, too.  Give it a try, I bet it keeps you reading.

1 comment:

Shewrites said...

Thank you for your review of Rebels by Accident. I means a great deal to me to have you share my book with your awesome readers.

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