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The Bombs That Brought Us Together
Fourteen-year-old Hamish Law has lived in Little Town, on the border with Old Country, all his life. He knows the rules: no going out after dark; no drinking; no litter; no fighting. You don't want to get on the wrong side of the people who run Little Town. When he meets Pavel Duda, a refugee from Old Country, the rules start to get broken. Then the bombs come, and the soldiers from Old Country, and Little Town changes for ever.
Sometimes, to keep the people you love safe, you have to do bad things. As Little Town's rules crumble, Hamish is sucked into a dangerous game. There's a gun, and a bad man, and his closest friend, and his dearest enemy.
Hamish Law wants to keep everyone happy, even if it kills him. And maybe it will ... But he's got to kill someone else first. - See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/au/the-bomb...
Sometimes, to keep the people you love safe, you have to do bad things. As Little Town's rules crumble, Hamish is sucked into a dangerous game. There's a gun, and a bad man, and his closest friend, and his dearest enemy.
Hamish Law wants to keep everyone happy, even if it kills him. And maybe it will ... But he's got to kill someone else first. - See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/au/the-bomb...
368 pages, Hardcover
First published April 21, 2016
About the author
Brian Conaghan
14 books96 followersBrian Conaghan lives and works in the Scottish town of Coatbridge. He has a Master of Letters in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow, and worked as a teacher for many years. His novel When Mr Dog Bites was shortlisted for the 2015 CILIP Carnegie Medal. The Bombs That Brought Us Together won the 2016 Costa Children’s Book Award, The Weight of a Thousand Feathers won the 2018 Irish Book Award for Teen/YA Book of the Year, and We Come Apart, a verse novel co-authored with Carnegie Medal-winner Sarah Crossan, won the 2018 UKLA Book Award. Cardboard Cowboys, Brian’s first middle-grade novel, published in 2021 and is full of his trademark heart, humour and crackling dialogue. Swimming on the Moon is his second middle-grade novel. @ConaghanAuthor
@BrianConaghan
@BrianConaghan
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
February 28, 2017
My full review is available on United by Pop.
I feel this book would be a very beneficial learning tool to teach a younger audience about refugees and the devastating effects of war. It gives the reader an up-close account of the stigma immigrants face and really does justice, despite this being set in a fictional land, to those living this story in our own world. The conflict between Old Country and Little Town is disturbingly reminiscent of the wars happening in the Middle East, and the way the people there are forced to live.
So far, so poignant. But here my affinity with the book fails. I honestly feel this came into my life at the wrong time. Everything about this seemed to have been created with me, as a reader, in mind, and yet I couldn’t fully commit to it. This was definitely a case of ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ as this was a pretty faultless book, in my opinion. The friendships were adorable, the world was believable, the dialogue was intense, the plot was thrilling…
Unfortunately, the urban setting and contemporary dialogue that referenced pop culture and modern slang were unexpected. I gel more with rural, high fantasy pieces and was unprepared for this to deliver the opposite.
I feel this book would be a very beneficial learning tool to teach a younger audience about refugees and the devastating effects of war. It gives the reader an up-close account of the stigma immigrants face and really does justice, despite this being set in a fictional land, to those living this story in our own world. The conflict between Old Country and Little Town is disturbingly reminiscent of the wars happening in the Middle East, and the way the people there are forced to live.
So far, so poignant. But here my affinity with the book fails. I honestly feel this came into my life at the wrong time. Everything about this seemed to have been created with me, as a reader, in mind, and yet I couldn’t fully commit to it. This was definitely a case of ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ as this was a pretty faultless book, in my opinion. The friendships were adorable, the world was believable, the dialogue was intense, the plot was thrilling…
Unfortunately, the urban setting and contemporary dialogue that referenced pop culture and modern slang were unexpected. I gel more with rural, high fantasy pieces and was unprepared for this to deliver the opposite.
March 22, 2017
I picked this up because of the themes and because I'd read a book by Brian Conaghan earlier this year and really loved it. Refugees are topical subject, our students study them in various areas and we have a community of students who are themselves, refugees. I thought this would be a good insight into their lives and that it might be something they would enjoy reading.
I found it very slow. Interesting and well written, but slow. I think it will irritate some of my readers as they wade through it waiting for the good stuff to happen. By the time I got to all the action I was nearly ready to quit. I stuck at it but will admit to skipping pages on the way. Having said that it is a decent read. And it was gritty too in places. I just wanted it to move along. The best thing about the book is the relationship between the two boys at the heart of it. They are true friends and the friendship is tested often.
I really wanted more. Not a bad book at all, but a difficult sell to teenage boys who need pace and vigor in their stories way earlier than this one brings that into play.
I found it very slow. Interesting and well written, but slow. I think it will irritate some of my readers as they wade through it waiting for the good stuff to happen. By the time I got to all the action I was nearly ready to quit. I stuck at it but will admit to skipping pages on the way. Having said that it is a decent read. And it was gritty too in places. I just wanted it to move along. The best thing about the book is the relationship between the two boys at the heart of it. They are true friends and the friendship is tested often.
I really wanted more. Not a bad book at all, but a difficult sell to teenage boys who need pace and vigor in their stories way earlier than this one brings that into play.
August 21, 2017
I liked the concept of this book and I think it had A LOT of potential but I found that the way the story was delivered, through the main character (who I found to be quite annoying) was boring and bland in some parts.
I don't know if i'll write a full review but for now I'm hopefully going to go and read a book!
I don't know if i'll write a full review but for now I'm hopefully going to go and read a book!
December 18, 2017
A step outside my comfort zone, but one I definitely appreciated. Brian Conaghan's characters are bursting with voice and I loved how dialogue-driven this was. I don't often read about male friendships, and this was great because of the bond between Charlie and Pav. I'd definitely recommend if you're interested in male POVs, gangs and dystopian themes.
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July 25, 2016I didn't finish this book so I'm not going to give it a rating.
This book is amazingly written but it was just too much for me emotionally. I avoided reading this book for an entire month before I just DNFed it.
This book is amazingly written but it was just too much for me emotionally. I avoided reading this book for an entire month before I just DNFed it.
June 25, 2016
3.5 stars.
I received an advanced readers copy for this book and finally got around to reading it. I'm not exactly sure how to classify the genre, but it's definitely young adult with a hint of dystopia.
Plot
This book was mostly very slow-paced, and i had some trouble getting into the story for the first half of the book. It gets a lot better in the second half and the last third was actually pretty good with the plot twist. The whole conflict between Old Country and Little Town disturbingly reminded me of the wars happening in the Middle East and the way the people there are forced to live.
Writing
I had a huge problem with the writing. I found Charlie's narrative to be inconsistent. During the first half i got this vibe that he was an innocent kid and that the book was more middlegrade-ish. However when getting through the second half a lot of profanity and mild sexual references started to appear and it shocked me a little because I wasn't expecting it. It would have been better if we had a glimpse of this from earlier on in the book. It might have made the first half of the book more interesting as well, because it further paints the picture of the environment and people of Little Town. Other than that, i found the dialogue to be a little cringe-worthy at times. I also wish the scene when the bombs came and the impact of it would have been highlighted more, because it would have made the last paragraph of the book stand out more strongly.
Characters
I couldn't form any form of attachment with any of the characters. I found the main character to be kind of annoying most of the time, but when considering that he was a young male teenager I didn't let it bother me. The only thing i appreciated about Charlie's character was his loyalty to Pav and their friendship, especially after something bad had happened to Pav. I liked Charlie's concern and panic and how pissed off he was.
Even though I didn't enjoy this book that much, it was still a refreshing YA read.
I received an advanced readers copy for this book and finally got around to reading it. I'm not exactly sure how to classify the genre, but it's definitely young adult with a hint of dystopia.
Plot
This book was mostly very slow-paced, and i had some trouble getting into the story for the first half of the book. It gets a lot better in the second half and the last third was actually pretty good with the plot twist. The whole conflict between Old Country and Little Town disturbingly reminded me of the wars happening in the Middle East and the way the people there are forced to live.
Writing
I had a huge problem with the writing. I found Charlie's narrative to be inconsistent. During the first half i got this vibe that he was an innocent kid and that the book was more middlegrade-ish. However when getting through the second half a lot of profanity and mild sexual references started to appear and it shocked me a little because I wasn't expecting it. It would have been better if we had a glimpse of this from earlier on in the book. It might have made the first half of the book more interesting as well, because it further paints the picture of the environment and people of Little Town. Other than that, i found the dialogue to be a little cringe-worthy at times. I also wish the scene when the bombs came and the impact of it would have been highlighted more, because it would have made the last paragraph of the book stand out more strongly.
Characters
I couldn't form any form of attachment with any of the characters. I found the main character to be kind of annoying most of the time, but when considering that he was a young male teenager I didn't let it bother me. The only thing i appreciated about Charlie's character was his loyalty to Pav and their friendship, especially after something bad had happened to Pav. I liked Charlie's concern and panic and how pissed off he was.
Even though I didn't enjoy this book that much, it was still a refreshing YA read.
August 11, 2016
I have to say I was really hoping that this book was going to be really good. The topic had so much potential but one thing broke it for me. The writing style. The novel was so slow and the way the character talked was kind of hard to read. I liked the theme of the novel and felt that it was really sweet that Charlie wanted to help Pav is Little Town, but the way the author had the characters speak was really hard to understand.
Pros
Theme
Topic
Character development
Theme and topic development
Cons
Hard to read character monologue
November 29, 2017
2.5 stars but I am rounding it up because let's just be nice so shortly before the new year starts!
i was really excited to see a middle grade book about a refugee! Especially one that's deals with war zone refugees.
Sadly I didn't really get that kind of story in most aspects so that was disappointing.
We do get a refugee family that is not treated nicely and a boy that just tries to under stand what the world around him is all about, but honestly? To me this book lacked a lot to be an actual good book!
The one good thing about this book?
The friendship between Charlie and the refugee Pavel. Both boys really teach something to the other and learn something themselves during the book. And that was nice to see.
I also enjoyed that Charlie didn't let it stop him that there were quite a few people around him, that tried to tell him that being friends with someone like Pavel -someone different and new to the town!- could get Charlie into trouble if he wasn't careful.
He clearly didn't listen and became friends with Pavel anyways. That was nice to ses especially in a children's book.
to get the clear message that you can't always trust wat people around you say even if they say it with good intentions and sometimes ave to form you own opinion and see where that leads.
But sadly that was all I could find I enjoyed in the book.
There was very little to no character development in my opinion.
Charlie, in the about the first half, was extremely overly innocently portrained in a way that made me a bit angry. He isn't supposed to be fourteens years old! That is an great where you understand war and politics and such problems in a way that you don't constantly complain, or that it at least what it felt like to me, about all the restriction she your parents give you to keep you safe!
And not just that Charlie doesn't understand anything about the world around him but he also thinks he isn't apparently the smartest person around, at least in his age group! Which just... maybe I am nit picking and maybe I read more into that as was stricktly necessary but Charlie's overly played up young naive behavior just really bothered me!
And then Charlie changed all of a sudden from this rather stupid boy that didn't understand anything to someone that could actually think and plan. I mean he still behaved mostly completye stupid and I really, really wanted to shake him hard, but he had last lost his superior feeling and got an understanding about the world around him!
Maybe I just really didn't like Charlie and he made it hard for me to get invested into this book, I am not sure, but he certainly didn't help.
And since the other characters didn't give me any feelings at all other either the character development was non existing in my eyes in this book. Sadly.
The plot itself was okay, but overall bit wishy washy for me.
There was not a clear thread going through the entire book, no connections and clear indications, instead it felt more like a few different plots where mixed together and written together in hopes that it would work out in the end.
The start was really, really slow and that was disappointing since the first two chapters aren't bad. But then the flash back stuff happens and while we do get sme background during those overall to me they just felt very forced and boring.
And once we finally get back to after the bombs dropped... it all felt very fast moving and once again forced and it that came that I didn't really see the effect the bombs had?
Other than a plot pusher to get Charlie where the author wanted him to be and go, what purpose did they have?
I had hoped to get a children's book not necessarily describing the horrors of war, but maybe at least give a child that reads the book a more realistic understandings of what refugees that come from a war zone went through,
Maybe a descriptions of the descriptions if a loved place or Charlie's home or someone's close to him, should give the perspective into something that we all in the safer regions of the world don't experience around us at the moment in time thankfully!
The lost what we all never think could be taken away from us, our daily comforts we take completye for granted!
Having that's explained t a child would have been wondeful! And given a very good view into the lives of refugees I think.
But we didn't get that at all. So to me the bombs where a very small and almost insignificant part of the plot that where simply there's to push Charlie into doing something that pushed the plot for words...
Let's wrap this plot thing up by saying that I wasn't the biggest fan of where the author decided to go with the story and that I expected and wanted something else, especially from what the books summary promised!
The writing itself was very easy and simple.
Which is not a bad thing.
It kind of fits for a children's book, even if I thought for the fist half it felt very young, more targeted towards the age range up to ten years old. And the the second half of the book the language and writing changed a bit and suddley was a lot older feeling and much more sexualized and suddley the formally more round about descriptions for swear words suddley disappeared and the swearing started,
Which s a bit of a Head scratcher for me, what age group is it supposed to be for?
First it feels way to young for YA readers especially for actual kids between fourteen and sixteen since let's be honest they prefer the bit older feeling or seeming writing to the more childish styles, most of them anyways... right?
So clearly the first part of the book is more written for a younger reader, up then the second? I wouldn't really feel that comfortable giving this book a eight or nine year old or even a ten year old and have no worries about it because if theater second part of the book.
It felt a bit like parts of the book were written at completely differt times of the authors life. Either that's he had A part of the story sitting unfished on his computer for a while and then just decided to finish it a good while later and so they parts written during different times don't really fit together that great. If that makes any sense at all outside of my head!
All in all this book was a good idea, and I am sure that there is an audience out there that will just love this book!
Sadly I wasn't one of them and I can't say I would recommend this book because to me it read like the first try not the finished product... but who knows? Maybe the book isn't the problem... maybe I am just not the right reader for this book, after all, there is a reason why there are so many different books about similar subjects... not every book fits every reader!
i was really excited to see a middle grade book about a refugee! Especially one that's deals with war zone refugees.
Sadly I didn't really get that kind of story in most aspects so that was disappointing.
We do get a refugee family that is not treated nicely and a boy that just tries to under stand what the world around him is all about, but honestly? To me this book lacked a lot to be an actual good book!
The one good thing about this book?
The friendship between Charlie and the refugee Pavel. Both boys really teach something to the other and learn something themselves during the book. And that was nice to see.
I also enjoyed that Charlie didn't let it stop him that there were quite a few people around him, that tried to tell him that being friends with someone like Pavel -someone different and new to the town!- could get Charlie into trouble if he wasn't careful.
He clearly didn't listen and became friends with Pavel anyways. That was nice to ses especially in a children's book.
to get the clear message that you can't always trust wat people around you say even if they say it with good intentions and sometimes ave to form you own opinion and see where that leads.
But sadly that was all I could find I enjoyed in the book.
There was very little to no character development in my opinion.
Charlie, in the about the first half, was extremely overly innocently portrained in a way that made me a bit angry. He isn't supposed to be fourteens years old! That is an great where you understand war and politics and such problems in a way that you don't constantly complain, or that it at least what it felt like to me, about all the restriction she your parents give you to keep you safe!
And not just that Charlie doesn't understand anything about the world around him but he also thinks he isn't apparently the smartest person around, at least in his age group! Which just... maybe I am nit picking and maybe I read more into that as was stricktly necessary but Charlie's overly played up young naive behavior just really bothered me!
And then Charlie changed all of a sudden from this rather stupid boy that didn't understand anything to someone that could actually think and plan. I mean he still behaved mostly completye stupid and I really, really wanted to shake him hard, but he had last lost his superior feeling and got an understanding about the world around him!
Maybe I just really didn't like Charlie and he made it hard for me to get invested into this book, I am not sure, but he certainly didn't help.
And since the other characters didn't give me any feelings at all other either the character development was non existing in my eyes in this book. Sadly.
The plot itself was okay, but overall bit wishy washy for me.
There was not a clear thread going through the entire book, no connections and clear indications, instead it felt more like a few different plots where mixed together and written together in hopes that it would work out in the end.
The start was really, really slow and that was disappointing since the first two chapters aren't bad. But then the flash back stuff happens and while we do get sme background during those overall to me they just felt very forced and boring.
And once we finally get back to after the bombs dropped... it all felt very fast moving and once again forced and it that came that I didn't really see the effect the bombs had?
Other than a plot pusher to get Charlie where the author wanted him to be and go, what purpose did they have?
I had hoped to get a children's book not necessarily describing the horrors of war, but maybe at least give a child that reads the book a more realistic understandings of what refugees that come from a war zone went through,
Maybe a descriptions of the descriptions if a loved place or Charlie's home or someone's close to him, should give the perspective into something that we all in the safer regions of the world don't experience around us at the moment in time thankfully!
The lost what we all never think could be taken away from us, our daily comforts we take completye for granted!
Having that's explained t a child would have been wondeful! And given a very good view into the lives of refugees I think.
But we didn't get that at all. So to me the bombs where a very small and almost insignificant part of the plot that where simply there's to push Charlie into doing something that pushed the plot for words...
Let's wrap this plot thing up by saying that I wasn't the biggest fan of where the author decided to go with the story and that I expected and wanted something else, especially from what the books summary promised!
The writing itself was very easy and simple.
Which is not a bad thing.
It kind of fits for a children's book, even if I thought for the fist half it felt very young, more targeted towards the age range up to ten years old. And the the second half of the book the language and writing changed a bit and suddley was a lot older feeling and much more sexualized and suddley the formally more round about descriptions for swear words suddley disappeared and the swearing started,
Which s a bit of a Head scratcher for me, what age group is it supposed to be for?
First it feels way to young for YA readers especially for actual kids between fourteen and sixteen since let's be honest they prefer the bit older feeling or seeming writing to the more childish styles, most of them anyways... right?
So clearly the first part of the book is more written for a younger reader, up then the second? I wouldn't really feel that comfortable giving this book a eight or nine year old or even a ten year old and have no worries about it because if theater second part of the book.
It felt a bit like parts of the book were written at completely differt times of the authors life. Either that's he had A part of the story sitting unfished on his computer for a while and then just decided to finish it a good while later and so they parts written during different times don't really fit together that great. If that makes any sense at all outside of my head!
All in all this book was a good idea, and I am sure that there is an audience out there that will just love this book!
Sadly I wasn't one of them and I can't say I would recommend this book because to me it read like the first try not the finished product... but who knows? Maybe the book isn't the problem... maybe I am just not the right reader for this book, after all, there is a reason why there are so many different books about similar subjects... not every book fits every reader!
August 26, 2022
3.5*
this book took me by surprise and i’m not mad at it. i went into this book thinking that i’m going to have to drag myself to the finish line, but the exact opposite happened even though the story wasn’t dense and the characters didn’t have deep personalities. i don’t know what it was honestly but i really liked this book.
this YA is written from the perspective of a 14 year old kid, and it reads like one so don’t expect the writing to be beautiful or aesthetic or whatever. i did really hate that the author used the word “lingo” more times that i could count.
it was funny sometimes so i’ll give it that.
i liked the friendship between the two characters as well.
overall, it was a nice read.
this book took me by surprise and i’m not mad at it. i went into this book thinking that i’m going to have to drag myself to the finish line, but the exact opposite happened even though the story wasn’t dense and the characters didn’t have deep personalities. i don’t know what it was honestly but i really liked this book.
this YA is written from the perspective of a 14 year old kid, and it reads like one so don’t expect the writing to be beautiful or aesthetic or whatever. i did really hate that the author used the word “lingo” more times that i could count.
it was funny sometimes so i’ll give it that.
i liked the friendship between the two characters as well.
overall, it was a nice read.
August 28, 2017
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
My initial thoughts:
1. Where was this book seven years ago?
2. The formatting was a bit inconsistent.
3. This would have made a really good independent film.
4. The first half was slow and innocent, the second was a crazy whirlwind of mobsters, guns, blackmail, and black eyes.
5. A solid 3.5/5 stars.
To expand on each of my previous points:
1. Where was this book seven years ago?
This is the type of book that I would have loved when I was younger. The writing is comparable to Markus Zusak and Benjamin Alire Sáenz (two authors whose writing I loved seven years ago). The layout of the book is even comparable to The Book Thief (each narrator gives side comments that interrupts the story flow, but usually are funny/important/self memos). The writing style I would have loved back when I went through my Zusak phase and long ago when I first read Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Sáenz. The running thought narrative that really puts you inside the character's head. Unfortunately, that isn't the style of writing I enjoy anymore. I'm seven years older and therefore have had seven years to change the types of books I enjoy. This is a case of "It's not you, it's me."
2. The formatting was a bit inconsistent.
This I can't tell if it was a stylistic approach or if my kindle download from Netgalley got screwed up. But there were a few times that the dialogue and paragraphs would be written in poetry-style (I really don't know what to call it), and it was weird. I feel like it was more of a Netgalley thing (hopefully) and that the actual books don't have that problem.
3. This would have made a really good independent film.
But seriously, it so would. Two boys from opposite sides of the track, refugees, bromance, bullying, bombs, mobsters and pair all of that with some Lumineers and Bon Iver and it's indie movie gold. Actually, the whole book had an indie vibe that I would really like to see on screen (I would love for the film version to have a Moonrise Kingdom sort of vibe).
4. The first half was slow and innocent, the second was a crazy whirlwind of mobsters, guns, blackmail, and black eyes.
This is a point that if I'm being honest I couldn't tell if it was good or bad:
-On one hand you, have that it surprises readers.
-On the other hand, it comes so out of left field that it makes you feel like you're reading a completely different book.
-The first half of the book is slow. The narrator, Charlie, has a pair of rose colored glasses on that don't seem to want to come off even after the bombs fall. He was way too innocent to make a believable 14 (nearly 15) year old kid. Pav too. In my head, Pav and Charlie were 12, maybe 13 tops. I couldn't picture them as high schoolers. For the second half, I began picturing Charlie as a 14-year-old kid. It seemed more believable. I just wish that more of the first part of the book was like the second half.
5. A solid 3.5/5 stars.
This rating stems from mostly a place of "It's not you it's me." If I had read this book seven years ago, I would have loved it. Also, parts of the book were problematic. Charlie make mental health jokes ("...don't be psycho" "...don't be mental") and other crude jokes ("...rubbish lingo skills akin to being a deaf mute"), but these jokes were less frequent in the second half of the book. Also some characters who were main characters in the first half disappeared for most of the second half of the book (). There were other minor things that annoyed me (like the fact that Charlie is more focused on girls and his shed than, you know, Old Country invading his homeland or ), but overall it was enjoyable.
Was it perfect? No. Would I buy it for a friend? Probably not. Would I read it again? Doubtful. I had to take a lot of breaks reading the book just because it was written in a style that I'm not used to. In some ways I feel like I'm rating up because of nostalgia reasons (I can't stop thinking about how much my thirteen year old self would love this book), but I don't really care.
I would recommend The Bombs That Brought Us Together to fans of Markus Zusak and Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
***TRIGGER WANRINGS: war, threat of R, mentions of suicide, bullying, terminal illness, blackmail
My initial thoughts:
1. Where was this book seven years ago?
2. The formatting was a bit inconsistent.
3. This would have made a really good independent film.
4. The first half was slow and innocent, the second was a crazy whirlwind of mobsters, guns, blackmail, and black eyes.
5. A solid 3.5/5 stars.
To expand on each of my previous points:
1. Where was this book seven years ago?
This is the type of book that I would have loved when I was younger. The writing is comparable to Markus Zusak and Benjamin Alire Sáenz (two authors whose writing I loved seven years ago). The layout of the book is even comparable to The Book Thief (each narrator gives side comments that interrupts the story flow, but usually are funny/important/self memos). The writing style I would have loved back when I went through my Zusak phase and long ago when I first read Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Sáenz. The running thought narrative that really puts you inside the character's head. Unfortunately, that isn't the style of writing I enjoy anymore. I'm seven years older and therefore have had seven years to change the types of books I enjoy. This is a case of "It's not you, it's me."
2. The formatting was a bit inconsistent.
This I can't tell if it was a stylistic approach or if my kindle download from Netgalley got screwed up. But there were a few times that the dialogue and paragraphs would be written in poetry-style (I really don't know what to call it), and it was weird. I feel like it was more of a Netgalley thing (hopefully) and that the actual books don't have that problem.
3. This would have made a really good independent film.
But seriously, it so would. Two boys from opposite sides of the track, refugees, bromance, bullying, bombs, mobsters and pair all of that with some Lumineers and Bon Iver and it's indie movie gold. Actually, the whole book had an indie vibe that I would really like to see on screen (I would love for the film version to have a Moonrise Kingdom sort of vibe).
4. The first half was slow and innocent, the second was a crazy whirlwind of mobsters, guns, blackmail, and black eyes.
This is a point that if I'm being honest I couldn't tell if it was good or bad:
-On one hand you, have that it surprises readers.
-On the other hand, it comes so out of left field that it makes you feel like you're reading a completely different book.
-The first half of the book is slow. The narrator, Charlie, has a pair of rose colored glasses on that don't seem to want to come off even after the bombs fall. He was way too innocent to make a believable 14 (nearly 15) year old kid. Pav too. In my head, Pav and Charlie were 12, maybe 13 tops. I couldn't picture them as high schoolers. For the second half, I began picturing Charlie as a 14-year-old kid. It seemed more believable. I just wish that more of the first part of the book was like the second half.
5. A solid 3.5/5 stars.
This rating stems from mostly a place of "It's not you it's me." If I had read this book seven years ago, I would have loved it. Also, parts of the book were problematic. Charlie make mental health jokes ("...don't be psycho" "...don't be mental") and other crude jokes ("...rubbish lingo skills akin to being a deaf mute"), but these jokes were less frequent in the second half of the book. Also some characters who were main characters in the first half disappeared for most of the second half of the book (). There were other minor things that annoyed me (like the fact that Charlie is more focused on girls and his shed than, you know, Old Country invading his homeland or ), but overall it was enjoyable.
Was it perfect? No. Would I buy it for a friend? Probably not. Would I read it again? Doubtful. I had to take a lot of breaks reading the book just because it was written in a style that I'm not used to. In some ways I feel like I'm rating up because of nostalgia reasons (I can't stop thinking about how much my thirteen year old self would love this book), but I don't really care.
I would recommend The Bombs That Brought Us Together to fans of Markus Zusak and Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
***TRIGGER WANRINGS: war, threat of R, mentions of suicide, bullying, terminal illness, blackmail
June 16, 2020
This book helps with your compassion to people who have lived during war. A book with characters who deal with big problems and find ways to survive.
Read
March 6, 2017Book Review
The Bombs That Brought Us Together written by Brian Conaghan had 361 pages. The author, Brian Conaghan is also known for writing: When Mr. Dog Bites and his most recent creation, We Came Apart. I chose this book because I wanted to expand my reading horizons by reading a novel set in a dystopian world. I've watched a few movies set in a dystopian world like The Hunger Games and Divergent, but my friends have told me such great things about dystopian books. So, I finally decided to pick a dystopian book. I must say, I was a bit disappointed with the ending of this book.
Charlie Law has lived in Little Town his whole life, and he’s made sure to follow all the rules: respect the curfew, no ball games in public, no pets, no drinking or shouting in the streets, do not disrespect the lawmakers, no skipping school unless deadly sick, no tomfoolery, no stealing and finally, never get caught. Charlie’s been an innocent teenage boy his whole 14 years of age, until he meets Pav Duda, an Old Country refugee. Old Country and Little Town have been fighting against each other for years, and the fact that Little Town borders Old Country helps no one. As Old Country continues to attack Little Town, Charlie and Pav find themselves tangled up in a web of danger from a very powerful man of Little Town. Charlie is willing to do anything to protect the ones he loves, even if it involves sneaking behind his new friend, Pav’s back, and even killing someone he’s never met.
The main characters of the book were Charlie Law, Pav Duda, and the Big Man. Charlie Law definitely seemed to change the most as the book progressed. In the beginning of the story, Charlie was just another innocent teenage boy who had a crush on a girl who probably had no idea who he was. Charlie hadn’t broken any of the rules of Little Town prior to his best friend, Pav Duda’s move. After Charlie met Pav and the Big Man, his thoughts became more violent, and he began to break the laws by stealing food from a store, and hiding a gun in his shed. As the book progressed and Charlie's thoughts became more erratic, I had to watch a funny video or movie after reading a few chapters just to prevent myself from getting nightmares at night.
To be honest, I really liked all the characters and I found them all interesting, but if I had to choose one character that bothered me, it'd have to be Charlie Law. Pav kept telling Charlie that he didn’t want to be involved with the Big Man and his gang, but Charlie kept having secret meetings with the Big Man behind Pav’s back requesting for more things. I found it ironic how Charlie kept telling Pav to stay away from trouble when he first moved to Little Town, but in the end, Charlie was the one who got himself tangled up in all the trouble.
I liked that Brian Conaghan truly developed the idea of hatred between the people of Old Country and Little Town informatively, but he didn't just write a whole chapter explaining the feud. Brian Conaghan gave us the information throughout the book, starting off with bits and details and then adding to it, leaving the readers to connect the pieces like a puzzle. I also liked that the story is told through Charlie's point of view. If the book was written in a different point of view, I think it would lose its intimacy and meaning. Since Charlie is telling the story, you really get to see how bad the situation is in Little Town, and you truly get to see how much hatred is present between Little Towners and Old Countrians. You also get to see a different and deeper side to all the characters which would only come out around Charlie and no other character in the book.
Although I did fairly enjoy some parts in the book, I would add a few tweaks to the ending of the story. My ending would include more than one death, just to spark some confusion or any other response from the readers. I like plots which include the death of one or more main characters because it makes me wonder how the plot would possibly go on without the presence of these vitals characters.
All in all, I did enjoy reading the book, but I found some chapters long and boring. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 13 looking to try out the dystopian genre.
The Bombs That Brought Us Together written by Brian Conaghan had 361 pages. The author, Brian Conaghan is also known for writing: When Mr. Dog Bites and his most recent creation, We Came Apart. I chose this book because I wanted to expand my reading horizons by reading a novel set in a dystopian world. I've watched a few movies set in a dystopian world like The Hunger Games and Divergent, but my friends have told me such great things about dystopian books. So, I finally decided to pick a dystopian book. I must say, I was a bit disappointed with the ending of this book.
Charlie Law has lived in Little Town his whole life, and he’s made sure to follow all the rules: respect the curfew, no ball games in public, no pets, no drinking or shouting in the streets, do not disrespect the lawmakers, no skipping school unless deadly sick, no tomfoolery, no stealing and finally, never get caught. Charlie’s been an innocent teenage boy his whole 14 years of age, until he meets Pav Duda, an Old Country refugee. Old Country and Little Town have been fighting against each other for years, and the fact that Little Town borders Old Country helps no one. As Old Country continues to attack Little Town, Charlie and Pav find themselves tangled up in a web of danger from a very powerful man of Little Town. Charlie is willing to do anything to protect the ones he loves, even if it involves sneaking behind his new friend, Pav’s back, and even killing someone he’s never met.
The main characters of the book were Charlie Law, Pav Duda, and the Big Man. Charlie Law definitely seemed to change the most as the book progressed. In the beginning of the story, Charlie was just another innocent teenage boy who had a crush on a girl who probably had no idea who he was. Charlie hadn’t broken any of the rules of Little Town prior to his best friend, Pav Duda’s move. After Charlie met Pav and the Big Man, his thoughts became more violent, and he began to break the laws by stealing food from a store, and hiding a gun in his shed. As the book progressed and Charlie's thoughts became more erratic, I had to watch a funny video or movie after reading a few chapters just to prevent myself from getting nightmares at night.
To be honest, I really liked all the characters and I found them all interesting, but if I had to choose one character that bothered me, it'd have to be Charlie Law. Pav kept telling Charlie that he didn’t want to be involved with the Big Man and his gang, but Charlie kept having secret meetings with the Big Man behind Pav’s back requesting for more things. I found it ironic how Charlie kept telling Pav to stay away from trouble when he first moved to Little Town, but in the end, Charlie was the one who got himself tangled up in all the trouble.
I liked that Brian Conaghan truly developed the idea of hatred between the people of Old Country and Little Town informatively, but he didn't just write a whole chapter explaining the feud. Brian Conaghan gave us the information throughout the book, starting off with bits and details and then adding to it, leaving the readers to connect the pieces like a puzzle. I also liked that the story is told through Charlie's point of view. If the book was written in a different point of view, I think it would lose its intimacy and meaning. Since Charlie is telling the story, you really get to see how bad the situation is in Little Town, and you truly get to see how much hatred is present between Little Towners and Old Countrians. You also get to see a different and deeper side to all the characters which would only come out around Charlie and no other character in the book.
Although I did fairly enjoy some parts in the book, I would add a few tweaks to the ending of the story. My ending would include more than one death, just to spark some confusion or any other response from the readers. I like plots which include the death of one or more main characters because it makes me wonder how the plot would possibly go on without the presence of these vitals characters.
All in all, I did enjoy reading the book, but I found some chapters long and boring. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 13 looking to try out the dystopian genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2019
I'm rounding this review up to 2 stars because I appreciated what the author was trying to do, and I thought the concept was interesting and important. That being said, I had a few issues:
1. The Writing
The dialogue was so clunky in some parts it became a little difficult to understand what was going on, and there were many times the characters became more caricatures than people. Like I said, I appreciated what the author was trying to do: depict war and occupation from a young person's perspective, but the transitions between "normal teenage stuff" like chasing girls and worrying about grades to running away from mob bosses and armed soldiers was very jarring but not in a way which was thought-provoking. There were times when it felt like two stories mashed together. Plus, he does this weird thing I've other sci/fi and speculative fiction writers do where they have to have weird names for things-- the most annoying example here was the characters saying "lingo" instead of "language." It was really just distracting. Then, there were the last 50 pages, which were honestly so bad they deserve their own section in this review.
2. The Characters
This is a problem that I see a lot with YA/ Middle Grade: because they are written by adults, a lot of the time the characters do or say things which are really beyond their age. Charlies is 14, and yet at the start of the story, is mature enough to understand that perhaps he shouldn't believe everything he is taught in school and hears in the media. This is something that even his parents struggle with in the story, and even as the plot progresses, he is depicted over and over again as the only person in his life (adults included) who can see beyond Pav's nationality. All this would be fine and in-character, if Charlie didn't have moments of feeling VERY 14-years old. He obsesses about a girl in a way only 14-year-old can, he naively thinks exchanging a favor with a mob boss for a table and some chairs is a good idea, he builds himself a fort. It all left me wondering how I was supposed to feel about Charlie, and how old/ mature he was really supposed to be.
3. The Weird Moralizing
So, throughout the book there are random moments where Charlie discusses the morality of politics with other characters (another thing which often felt out of character, making it truly seem random). The debates/ discussions usually revolved around Charlie asking himself or other character if they hated people from Old Country, if they hated the (cleverly named) Regime, or the Old Country's government better. My problems with this were twofold: one, we never got ANY details whatsoever about Old Country's government except that is was so bad and oppressive that Pav's family felt the need to abandon their home, their lives, and their daughter to escape from it, and the only thing we know about the Regime was that they were (I guess?) a fascist dictatorship which limited free speech and didn't allow for open elections. This felt like another moment where the author didn't know what would be too much for Charlie. His understanding of politics is about what it should be for a 14-year-old, meaning there is never any real, concrete examples of "bad" things either governments do. It left me wondering what the point of these discussions were, especially when it came to.....
4. The Last 50 Pages.
Yikes. So let me lay this out for you.
The whole story lacked so much nuance, it was very jarring. I appreciated that this story was trying to tackle a sensitive issue, and I really applaud it for that. But I really didn't understand what the message was supposed to be, or what the point of any of this was.
1. The Writing
The dialogue was so clunky in some parts it became a little difficult to understand what was going on, and there were many times the characters became more caricatures than people. Like I said, I appreciated what the author was trying to do: depict war and occupation from a young person's perspective, but the transitions between "normal teenage stuff" like chasing girls and worrying about grades to running away from mob bosses and armed soldiers was very jarring but not in a way which was thought-provoking. There were times when it felt like two stories mashed together. Plus, he does this weird thing I've other sci/fi and speculative fiction writers do where they have to have weird names for things-- the most annoying example here was the characters saying "lingo" instead of "language." It was really just distracting. Then, there were the last 50 pages, which were honestly so bad they deserve their own section in this review.
2. The Characters
This is a problem that I see a lot with YA/ Middle Grade: because they are written by adults, a lot of the time the characters do or say things which are really beyond their age. Charlies is 14, and yet at the start of the story, is mature enough to understand that perhaps he shouldn't believe everything he is taught in school and hears in the media. This is something that even his parents struggle with in the story, and even as the plot progresses, he is depicted over and over again as the only person in his life (adults included) who can see beyond Pav's nationality. All this would be fine and in-character, if Charlie didn't have moments of feeling VERY 14-years old. He obsesses about a girl in a way only 14-year-old can, he naively thinks exchanging a favor with a mob boss for a table and some chairs is a good idea, he builds himself a fort. It all left me wondering how I was supposed to feel about Charlie, and how old/ mature he was really supposed to be.
3. The Weird Moralizing
So, throughout the book there are random moments where Charlie discusses the morality of politics with other characters (another thing which often felt out of character, making it truly seem random). The debates/ discussions usually revolved around Charlie asking himself or other character if they hated people from Old Country, if they hated the (cleverly named) Regime, or the Old Country's government better. My problems with this were twofold: one, we never got ANY details whatsoever about Old Country's government except that is was so bad and oppressive that Pav's family felt the need to abandon their home, their lives, and their daughter to escape from it, and the only thing we know about the Regime was that they were (I guess?) a fascist dictatorship which limited free speech and didn't allow for open elections. This felt like another moment where the author didn't know what would be too much for Charlie. His understanding of politics is about what it should be for a 14-year-old, meaning there is never any real, concrete examples of "bad" things either governments do. It left me wondering what the point of these discussions were, especially when it came to.....
4. The Last 50 Pages.
Yikes. So let me lay this out for you.
The whole story lacked so much nuance, it was very jarring. I appreciated that this story was trying to tackle a sensitive issue, and I really applaud it for that. But I really didn't understand what the message was supposed to be, or what the point of any of this was.
August 31, 2017
This is one of those books that sound really cool when it’s described to you, but the execution left me disappointed.
The narrator, Charlie Law, lives in Little Town, which has been at war with Old Country for years. One day, a refugee family from Old Country moves into Charlie’s apartment building. At first, everyone is nervous about the refugees because Old Country’s army has just invaded Little Town and toppled its government. Now Little Town is run by soldiers and vicious bands of “Rascals.” Charlie becomes friends with the refugee family and their son, Pav. When the escalating conflict in Little Town starts to threaten Charlie and Pav’s families, the boys are drawn into the orbit of a dangerous gang leader. The leader agrees to protect their families . . . if Charlie agrees to assassinate one of the leader’s enemies.
There’s a lot to like about this novel. I think it does an excellent job of showing the complexities of war. There aren’t many good guys in this story. Both Little Town and Old Country are messed-up places. Pav’s family is treated horribly by the residents of Little Town, but the author helps the reader understand why Little Town doesn’t trust Old Country. The characters’ suspicion of Pav’s family is understandable, even if it isn’t morally right.
Charlie goes against everything Little Town has taught him to become friends with Pav. He knows that the refugees aren’t responsible for the bombs. The government of Old Country deserves Charlie’s anger, not the Old Country refugees. I like that Pav and Charlie are best friends, but they still have communication problems. Pav is depressed and needs help, but Charlie is so focused on his own issues that he doesn’t notice. It’s realistic.
I have mixed feelings about how this story is told. It’s clear that the author is trying to make this book relatable for kids who have never lived in a war zone. Little Town has shopping centers, apartment buildings, and skate parks. That’s all you’re really told about it. It could be a stand-in for almost any major city. Since the setting is so nonspecific, it’s bland. It was hard for me to imagine it as a real place.
The names of things didn’t help the setting feel more real. The warring countries are called “Little Town” and “Old Country.” The characters speak “lingos” instead of languages. The bad guys are called “Big Man” and “Rascals.” It was impossible for me to take any of it seriously. I think the strange word choices undermine the important messages of the story. This is a middlegrade book, so maybe the author was trying to tone down the scariness of war? I don’t know. It made me roll my eyes. I appreciate that he was trying to make the story relatable, but I think it would’ve been more effective if he’d used real places.
My biggest issue with the book is Charlie. This is just personal preference, but I didn’t like his “voice.” He repeats himself a lot and speaks in clichés. He’s also an annoying blend of naïve and arrogant. I actually put the book down several times because I couldn’t stand him anymore. It didn’t help that the pacing is really slow in the first half of the novel. I may have liked Charlie more if he’d been doing something. The only thing I like about him is his friendship with Pav. They’re loyal to each other. It’s cute.
Maybe I’m not the right audience for this book. It is meant for kids, after all. It may be a good teaching tool for kids who are learning about war and refugees. It captures the refugee experience, but it wraps it in a thick layer of fiction to keep the experience from being too intense.
The narrator, Charlie Law, lives in Little Town, which has been at war with Old Country for years. One day, a refugee family from Old Country moves into Charlie’s apartment building. At first, everyone is nervous about the refugees because Old Country’s army has just invaded Little Town and toppled its government. Now Little Town is run by soldiers and vicious bands of “Rascals.” Charlie becomes friends with the refugee family and their son, Pav. When the escalating conflict in Little Town starts to threaten Charlie and Pav’s families, the boys are drawn into the orbit of a dangerous gang leader. The leader agrees to protect their families . . . if Charlie agrees to assassinate one of the leader’s enemies.
There’s a lot to like about this novel. I think it does an excellent job of showing the complexities of war. There aren’t many good guys in this story. Both Little Town and Old Country are messed-up places. Pav’s family is treated horribly by the residents of Little Town, but the author helps the reader understand why Little Town doesn’t trust Old Country. The characters’ suspicion of Pav’s family is understandable, even if it isn’t morally right.
Charlie goes against everything Little Town has taught him to become friends with Pav. He knows that the refugees aren’t responsible for the bombs. The government of Old Country deserves Charlie’s anger, not the Old Country refugees. I like that Pav and Charlie are best friends, but they still have communication problems. Pav is depressed and needs help, but Charlie is so focused on his own issues that he doesn’t notice. It’s realistic.
I have mixed feelings about how this story is told. It’s clear that the author is trying to make this book relatable for kids who have never lived in a war zone. Little Town has shopping centers, apartment buildings, and skate parks. That’s all you’re really told about it. It could be a stand-in for almost any major city. Since the setting is so nonspecific, it’s bland. It was hard for me to imagine it as a real place.
The names of things didn’t help the setting feel more real. The warring countries are called “Little Town” and “Old Country.” The characters speak “lingos” instead of languages. The bad guys are called “Big Man” and “Rascals.” It was impossible for me to take any of it seriously. I think the strange word choices undermine the important messages of the story. This is a middlegrade book, so maybe the author was trying to tone down the scariness of war? I don’t know. It made me roll my eyes. I appreciate that he was trying to make the story relatable, but I think it would’ve been more effective if he’d used real places.
My biggest issue with the book is Charlie. This is just personal preference, but I didn’t like his “voice.” He repeats himself a lot and speaks in clichés. He’s also an annoying blend of naïve and arrogant. I actually put the book down several times because I couldn’t stand him anymore. It didn’t help that the pacing is really slow in the first half of the novel. I may have liked Charlie more if he’d been doing something. The only thing I like about him is his friendship with Pav. They’re loyal to each other. It’s cute.
Maybe I’m not the right audience for this book. It is meant for kids, after all. It may be a good teaching tool for kids who are learning about war and refugees. It captures the refugee experience, but it wraps it in a thick layer of fiction to keep the experience from being too intense.
June 1, 2016
I received the hardback version of this book from Bloomsbury Australia, and thought the cover was both bright and disturbing. I mean, check out the bombs! :/
Regardless, it's a really nice book. I'm kinda fussy about hardbacks, and really liked the look of this one.
Charlie Law lives in Little Town with his parents. Little Town borders the Old Country, and the two don't get along. The Regime in Little Town is strict and delivers harsh penalties to those who steal or break curfew. Charlie's a good boy: he goes to school, likes to read and stays off the radar, but when refugees from Old Country move in next door and Charlie befriends Pavel Duda, he's determined to teach him the lingo and keep him safe. Because there are a lot of people eager to make the Duda family feel unwelcome.
Charlie's mother has asthma, so he's always eager to help by walking several miles to get her inhaler. But when Old Country decides to attack Little Town and then soldiers move in, Charlie makes a few decisions that lead him down a very dangerous path...
This is such a unique book. Even after reading the blurb I wasn't sure what the genre was, but once I got stuck into the story there was no denying that it's a dystopian book.
The people of Little Town aren't just in constant fear of what the neighbouring Old Country will do next, they're also oppressed by their own Regime. Everyone lives under the watchful eye of the Big Man, and anyone who breaks the rules either suffers the punishment or ends up owing him. Yeah, it's not a fair life.
The Bombs That Brought Us Together is an interesting, yet disturbing book. Interesting, because the friendship angle is done very well. Charlie is ferocious about helping his friend. And disturbing because the town is run by a man who knows how to keep people down, as well as put children in situations where they become indebted to him.
I also found the writing style to be as unique as Charlie's voice.
Regardless, it's a really nice book. I'm kinda fussy about hardbacks, and really liked the look of this one.
Charlie Law lives in Little Town with his parents. Little Town borders the Old Country, and the two don't get along. The Regime in Little Town is strict and delivers harsh penalties to those who steal or break curfew. Charlie's a good boy: he goes to school, likes to read and stays off the radar, but when refugees from Old Country move in next door and Charlie befriends Pavel Duda, he's determined to teach him the lingo and keep him safe. Because there are a lot of people eager to make the Duda family feel unwelcome.
Charlie's mother has asthma, so he's always eager to help by walking several miles to get her inhaler. But when Old Country decides to attack Little Town and then soldiers move in, Charlie makes a few decisions that lead him down a very dangerous path...
This is such a unique book. Even after reading the blurb I wasn't sure what the genre was, but once I got stuck into the story there was no denying that it's a dystopian book.
The people of Little Town aren't just in constant fear of what the neighbouring Old Country will do next, they're also oppressed by their own Regime. Everyone lives under the watchful eye of the Big Man, and anyone who breaks the rules either suffers the punishment or ends up owing him. Yeah, it's not a fair life.
The Bombs That Brought Us Together is an interesting, yet disturbing book. Interesting, because the friendship angle is done very well. Charlie is ferocious about helping his friend. And disturbing because the town is run by a man who knows how to keep people down, as well as put children in situations where they become indebted to him.
I also found the writing style to be as unique as Charlie's voice.
April 17, 2016
The main character of the story is a 14 year old boy called Charlie .Charlie lives in little town which borders the notorious Old Country where the rules are very different then where he lives. When a new family move to Charlie's town he makes friends with the son Pavel , or Pav as his friends call him. Not everyone is as welcoming to Pav as Charlie is and it's not long before Pav is getting a hard time . I really enjoyed this story about this dystopian world . The book also covered topics such as friendship , bullying and survival in hard times . I would recommend this to fans of dystopian books or if you like books about friendship and bullying.
I received this book from the lovely people over at Lovereading4kids.
I received this book from the lovely people over at Lovereading4kids.
September 3, 2016
I really liked this one. Most war/dystopian YA has the teenage protagonist/band of teenage heroes who rose to the occasion and save the day.
But...what if the teenager is more teenager than hero? This one is more of an honest depiction of war, complete with lots of thoughts about who the bad guys really are, with many parallels to our own world.
Highly recommended. This would be great for high schoolers who have a bit of a geopolitical bent to them, though that's certainly far from necessary to enjoy this one.
But...what if the teenager is more teenager than hero? This one is more of an honest depiction of war, complete with lots of thoughts about who the bad guys really are, with many parallels to our own world.
Highly recommended. This would be great for high schoolers who have a bit of a geopolitical bent to them, though that's certainly far from necessary to enjoy this one.
December 14, 2016
A really very beautiful, compelling and poignant story.
March 12, 2017
If it's not love then it's the bomb
November 24, 2018
Also Posted on For The Love of Fictional Worlds
Disclaimer: A physical copy of the book was provided via Bloomsbury India as part of the Bloomsbury Award Winning Readathon The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own.
Actual Rating 3.75 Stars
The Bombs That Brought Us Together by Brain Conaghan is on topic that could be quite interesting, especially in the currents scenarios – with the plot that is geared around the disturbing effects of war on not only psyches of human beings but also on the kids itself + also gives a real close up look at the discrimination that immigrants face in the place where they should actually be feeling safe and secure.
The war between Old Country and Little town would remind the readers about the strife’s that Middle East is currently facing and the discrimination of being an immigrant when people run away to protect themselves from the effects of war.
I honestly did my best to enjoy the book – it’s interesting and definitely quite well plotted, yet somehow ended up being slow as well – a combination that somehow shouldn’t be plausible but somehow is.
I am not saying that it isn’t an thought-provoking book, it is, but it needed a little more jazz – by the time the action came into plot, I was honestly losing my interest in the plot.
Beyond, the slowness of the plot, this is a book I would recommend for kids if you are willing for them to understand the realities of life, especially if they are a little distracted during reading <3<,/b>
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August 28, 2017
2.5/3 I liked the concept of this book but it didn't quite meet the mark for me. Charlie (the protagonist) I found pretty irritating, and I didn't like how he responded to his own thoughts (things like "you know what he means, Charlie) when the idea was already conveyed without stating it. I also hated the PLETHORA OF CAPITAL LETTERS. I just find that to be really unnecessary, and feel that there are more effective ways to convey a sense of urgency or importance than just capitalising whole sections of text. I think that Conaghan made a lot of particular stylistic choices in this novel, and though they may appeal to some readers (maybe younger readers) they didn't to me.
Although I wasn't too keen on the naming of 'Little Town' and 'Old Country' at first, by the end it grew on me and I think it was logical, as it didn't specify actual places- it gave the sense that the situation depicted could happen anywhere, and that was quite foreboding.
I did like Pav and Charlie's relationship to an extent- it was probably the strongest part of the book- but Charlie's lack of depth prevented it from being explored as well as I would have liked. Charlie's obsession with Erin F also got a bit much, and I feel like it detracted a bit from the parts I did like.
Overall not a bad read, it was still entertaining and I didn't feel like it was a struggle. I liked the concept in terms of exploring stigma and discrimination in relation to refugees, and it was nice to read a YA book with a bit of a real-world message behind it, but definitely not a fave.
Although I wasn't too keen on the naming of 'Little Town' and 'Old Country' at first, by the end it grew on me and I think it was logical, as it didn't specify actual places- it gave the sense that the situation depicted could happen anywhere, and that was quite foreboding.
I did like Pav and Charlie's relationship to an extent- it was probably the strongest part of the book- but Charlie's lack of depth prevented it from being explored as well as I would have liked. Charlie's obsession with Erin F also got a bit much, and I feel like it detracted a bit from the parts I did like.
Overall not a bad read, it was still entertaining and I didn't feel like it was a struggle. I liked the concept in terms of exploring stigma and discrimination in relation to refugees, and it was nice to read a YA book with a bit of a real-world message behind it, but definitely not a fave.
April 15, 2017
Although I initially struggled with this and found the writing quirky - young Charlie Law was engaging as he struggled to come to terms with the bombing of Little Town by the dreadful enemy. That he starts to make a friend of one of the enemy is hard enough, but finding three chairs for his den so he can impress the girl he fancies is tough. It's hard to square the daily reports in real life of life in Aleppo or Mosul and this quaint tale of survival, but as you press on you can see the subtlety of Brian Monaghan's writing and warm to Charlie's plight to be normal in the madness that surrounds him.
Sam Hawksmoor J&K 4Ever
Sam Hawksmoor J&K 4Ever
April 16, 2017
2.5 stars
I liked it but I was like
What I liked:
•The friendship between Pav and Charlie.
•The concept and plot.
What I didn't like:
•The writing style-it didn't work for me.
•Charlie didn't seem like he was 14 at first and then he changed a lot really quickly.
•I couldn't connect with the characters.
Overall, it was okay. It wasn't too bad and the second half was pretty good but it didn't work for me.
I liked it but I was like
What I liked:
•The friendship between Pav and Charlie.
•The concept and plot.
What I didn't like:
•The writing style-it didn't work for me.
•Charlie didn't seem like he was 14 at first and then he changed a lot really quickly.
•I couldn't connect with the characters.
Overall, it was okay. It wasn't too bad and the second half was pretty good but it didn't work for me.
January 11, 2021
This almost has a Patrick Ness feel to it, with its unique narrative voice. Charlie and Pav’s relationship is beautiful and shows how true friendship knows no barriers or boundaries. Cleverly written, I just wish there was a little more to the ending.
July 7, 2022
read this book with my form at school and it was such a good read!
May 16, 2017
I took a whim by reading this book, I thought I'd try something different and I'm certainly glad that I did. A winner in the Costa Book Awards, The Bombs That Brought Us Together is about the conflict between two opposing states: Old Country and Little Town. The story focuses on teenager Charlie and his friendship with a refugee from Old Country, and his fight to protect him from those who suspect Pavel from being a spy. The dynamic of the world within Little Town presents a corrupt hierarchy, where the local thug-leader The Big Man seems to control everyone in the local area by having all the essential supplies despite the poverty and physical ruins, but he doesn't give things out for free. While Charlie and Pavel initially ask for a favour, they have no idea what The Big Man wants in return, and how it will strain the boys' friendship, and even their lives.
This novel is difficult to classify in terms of genre and audience. It has traits of being a dystopian novel with harsh traits of modern realism, as if it could take place in any impoverished, urban area. It has some dark references to violence and war, which could be useful for showing the aftermath of destruction and conflict for younger readers. It also educates younger readers about refugees through the unfortunate experiences of Pavel, and how he struggles to find place in the world: Pavel and his family belongs neither in Old Country nor Little Town. It's very creative that due to some actions in the novel, both places can be references to real life countries today. It's also interesting because neither side is perfect, both sides are corrupt and impoverished, and the idea of progress seems nothing more as a myth.
One thing that really pulled me over, which seems to be a love-or-hate aspect for other readers, is Conaghan's incredible writing style. The voice is incredibly gripping and manages to convey so many important messages and emotional ideas without drowning the reader in exposition or long descriptions. There is an escalating amount of suspense and a clear sense of maturity as Charlie goes through specific and traumatic events. People go missing, school is shut down, people are starving and Charlie must age dramatically overnight in order to survive.
For a book that touches on the important issues of contemporary war, it treats characters with understanding and respect, rather than simplification. No single character feels flat or simply good or evil, the characters are simply learning to cope and survive with different methods - some more successfully than others.
The ending, while brilliantly written, felt a little predictable and flat to me. However, I think this would be vastly more appreciated by younger readers.
Overall, this novel offers a wide lens at the realities of contemporary war and its effects on civilian life from a unique perspective. Extremely well-written with growing suspense and a protagonist younger readers can really understand and relate to.
This novel is difficult to classify in terms of genre and audience. It has traits of being a dystopian novel with harsh traits of modern realism, as if it could take place in any impoverished, urban area. It has some dark references to violence and war, which could be useful for showing the aftermath of destruction and conflict for younger readers. It also educates younger readers about refugees through the unfortunate experiences of Pavel, and how he struggles to find place in the world: Pavel and his family belongs neither in Old Country nor Little Town. It's very creative that due to some actions in the novel, both places can be references to real life countries today. It's also interesting because neither side is perfect, both sides are corrupt and impoverished, and the idea of progress seems nothing more as a myth.
One thing that really pulled me over, which seems to be a love-or-hate aspect for other readers, is Conaghan's incredible writing style. The voice is incredibly gripping and manages to convey so many important messages and emotional ideas without drowning the reader in exposition or long descriptions. There is an escalating amount of suspense and a clear sense of maturity as Charlie goes through specific and traumatic events. People go missing, school is shut down, people are starving and Charlie must age dramatically overnight in order to survive.
For a book that touches on the important issues of contemporary war, it treats characters with understanding and respect, rather than simplification. No single character feels flat or simply good or evil, the characters are simply learning to cope and survive with different methods - some more successfully than others.
The ending, while brilliantly written, felt a little predictable and flat to me. However, I think this would be vastly more appreciated by younger readers.
Overall, this novel offers a wide lens at the realities of contemporary war and its effects on civilian life from a unique perspective. Extremely well-written with growing suspense and a protagonist younger readers can really understand and relate to.
July 7, 2017
Little Town native Charlie Law knows the rules of living in Little Town; no fighting, no stealing and no going out after dark. Charlie lives by these rules, your don't want to get on the wrong side of the Rascals and Regime that run Little Town. When Pav Duda, an Old Country refugee moves onto Charlie's block, the rules starts to get broken. Then the bombs fall, and Old Country soldiers appear, and Little Town is changed forever.
This book is a very interesting and very current read.
Brian Conaghan has done a fantastic job on this book. He perfectly captured the terror and fear of conflict through the eyes of a fourteen year old boy,
The relationship between Charlie and Pav is so beautifully written and strengthened throughout the story. I havent come across a really great, believable friendship between teenage boys in a very long time, and Charlie and Pav's friendship was a joy to read.
I found this book a bit slow at the start but as I got more invested in this story and these characters I realised that it was necessary to have this slow build up so the reader could get to know all the players and get invested in the story before chaos reigned.
As the pace accelerated, the story raced to its exciting conclusion.
I loved the end of this book, the last few chapters of this book were so beautifully written, I was completely hooked.
Brian Conaghan's ability to bring a smile to your face whilst reading a book about war and political upheaval is truly a gift.
The Bombs That Brought Us Together by Brian Conaghan is a fantastic book for Young Adult readers and Adult readers alike.
Dont miss out on this wonderful reading experience.
Written by Geramie Kate Barker
https://gemsbooknook.wordpress.com
This book is a very interesting and very current read.
Brian Conaghan has done a fantastic job on this book. He perfectly captured the terror and fear of conflict through the eyes of a fourteen year old boy,
The relationship between Charlie and Pav is so beautifully written and strengthened throughout the story. I havent come across a really great, believable friendship between teenage boys in a very long time, and Charlie and Pav's friendship was a joy to read.
I found this book a bit slow at the start but as I got more invested in this story and these characters I realised that it was necessary to have this slow build up so the reader could get to know all the players and get invested in the story before chaos reigned.
As the pace accelerated, the story raced to its exciting conclusion.
I loved the end of this book, the last few chapters of this book were so beautifully written, I was completely hooked.
Brian Conaghan's ability to bring a smile to your face whilst reading a book about war and political upheaval is truly a gift.
The Bombs That Brought Us Together by Brian Conaghan is a fantastic book for Young Adult readers and Adult readers alike.
Dont miss out on this wonderful reading experience.
Written by Geramie Kate Barker
https://gemsbooknook.wordpress.com
July 10, 2016
There's a lot I like about this novel, particularly the many layers of conflict and especially the inner conflicts the protagonist wrestles with in the story. There's a lot of potential for meaty discussion in this narrative. What bothers me is the Little Town vs. Old Country setting. I understand the author wants to capture a sense of timelessness and universality but it comes off too vague, not enough to grab on and relate to. A novel not fully realized but one still worth reading and discussing.
February 8, 2017
I don't need another book that makes me want to be a teacher. However, this book is so unique and cleverly written. If I were a social studies teacher, I would tie this book into almost every war, conflict, or operation that is studied in my classroom. I can't do it justice with a simple review.
As I read, I could have replaced the generic places Little Town and Big Country with country names from my deployments during my military career.
As I read, I could have replaced the generic places Little Town and Big Country with country names from my deployments during my military career.
February 7, 2017
Disappointed with female characters, depicted as victims "love interest" and needing to be "saved" by the gun toting male. Wouldn't recommend to my teenagers!
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