Refugee (2017)
BOOK REVIEW
Section 1: Assessment on the book
Criterion Score (out of 10)
Language/Lexicon degree 4/10
Structure 6/10
Theme 5/10
Literature effect 8/10
Total 23/40

Section 2: comment
It’s an arduous task to appeal a critic like me, I’m not saying that I’m a pejorative person, by the time I read the book ‘Refugee’ by Alan Gratz, I understood the fact that if you are not critical enough to let the author wail with agony, one would always being low-level connoisseur and day-dreaming young idealist.

The content and context of the book WAS TOO SIMPLE, I have no idea whether Mr. Gratz was deeply moved by the lugubrious scene of these desperate refugees, yet one thing is certain, he is an amateur in terms of the word ‘refuge’. Mesdames et Messieurs, Mr. Gratz is a student, graduating from the Creative writing (Bachelor’s degree) and English education (master’s degree), he is not a professor/expertise in international relationship, politics, etc. the book was a product of his English language creative writing along with his ‘amateur research’ on the problem of refugee. He is not an expert, he had no experience but news he inspected during these crises in which he entailed in the context of his writing. In the exact same year the book was published, Tom Nichols’ death of expertise (newest version) were available on Amazon, he claimed that the saying that ‘everybody can be experts’ is intrinsically wrong, of course, most things Mr. Gratz referred to in his novel are the illusion of knowledge, it gives you a false sense that you had actually learned something from his sentences within his novel. In fact, most of us sitting here have the proclivity of showing that ‘swimming, is same as walking in the tempest’. You are not going deep into certain things unless you read esoteric stuffs from experts in that area.
It is the exact same thing for such modern-style-novel, for example Kite runner, an eloquence on the two characters’ friendship, redemption etc. A pioneer story of the new century shall not be replicated in different forms, Kite runner is enough for audiences of that age, not good, but striking. The novel refugee is a HOKUM compared to the story of Amir and Hassan in the kite runner, because kite runner went deeper into the sentimental bond between Amir and Hassan, Amir’s dad and his homeland, in addition to that, what makes the kite runner better than refugee is its inference on individual and country, which is quite incomplete in refugee. In Mr. Gratz’s word, the three children did somehow demonstrate a sense of chagrin of their homeland, but that element is rather vaguely expressed.
Usually I would not post the content of the book here, you may research or read the book on your own. Basically the book is about the refugee life of a Jewish boy, a Cuban girl and a Syrian boy’s toil and scourge on their way for ‘freedom’ and ‘brighter future’. This is just a diminutive example in billions of homeless men, women, and children. If one have to opt between a biography and a novel discussing the ordeal of these refugees on the briny ocean toss, the sun’s blazing heat, my admonition is that, GO READ THE Biography. The paucity of reality in fictions is detrimental to your rational thinking.
Section 3: Book review
Here are some symbols I refined from the text, alone with my personal explanation.
1. Mañana. The word Mañana means ‘tomorrow’ in Spanish, it is mentioned in both Josef and Isabel’s story. The word itself implied the refugee families’ angst and endless waiting for their and their beloved children’s future. In Josef’s story, it is when they are able to disembark from St. Louise, In Isabel’s story, it is to step on the United States of America’s territory and been grunted with the identity of US civilians.
2. Politic. This is what I disdained in the book, modern western fiction writers have the proclivity of saying that Cuban etc. were under the hegemonic regime of despotic and blood-curdling dictators. This is confirmation bias, those untalented writers put great effort in searching for data showing that Castro murdered his political opponents, Islamic terrorism activists assassinating infidels. Mr. Gratz went to great extent sanctifying U.S. and Europe, while denigrating, Whatever, I think you know that.
3. Ocean. The three routes encompassed the briny, seething toss and turn of vicissitudes, if Mr. Gratz wants to work on how to make his rhetoric writing better, he should consult LIFE OF Pi’s author, or himself would be the greatest fiasco in my ideology.
Section 4: Conclusion
‘Mr. Gratz’s writing is one of the worst things I have ever reads among war/refugee fictions. His novel is not going to sale well if those plots were not that enticing and attractive.’ A curt, concise reply I would provide and that is all, finished.
September 28, 2025,
Suzhou, China.

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