20191130_193550.jpgWelcome to my stop on the Street of Storytellers blog tour sponsored by Suzy Approved Book Tours! Thank you to Suzy for the invitation!

About the Book:

Luke is an American kid, in a place he doesn’t understand.

In this multicultural thriller, a teenager who’s passionate about rock and reggae music angrily blames his parents’ divorce on his dad’s obsession with finishing a book about a lost ancient civilization in a dangerous part of Asia. But Luke’s father has him over Christmas vacation, and desperately wants his son to understand — so he brings Luke to Peshawar, an age-old crossroads city in Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier. To punish his dad, Luke refuses to visit the ruins or learn anything about the project … and instead he is drawn into the strange, intriguing Old City, where a violent new extremism is on the rise. Luke is dazzled by the beautiful Danisha — but if they’re ever seen together, she could be killed. He’s recruited by a group of jihadis — but he also bonds with Yusuf, an Afghan refugee who knows what could happen. Then there are the musicians Luke befriends, and a mysterious Sufi teacher who opens his eyes. Set in 1984 at a pivotal time and place in history, Street of Storytellersis about three families across two cultures. It’s about an ancient true story the world has almost forgotten. And it’s about learning to think for yourself — even if that puts your life at risk.

This is Doug Wilhelm’s 17th book. His acclaimed novel The Revealers has been the focus of reading-and-discussion projects in over 1,000 American schools.

My Thoughts:

What an unusual, original read!

Luke is an American teen. His dad is obsessively writing a book set in Pakistan. His parents are divorced, and his dad invites him to Peshawar, Pakistan so Luke can gain insight into his writing process.

Luke wants nothing to do with his dad’s interests, and instead, spends time in the Old City, where violence and extremism is happening. He is enchanted with a girl named Danisha, but any contact is forbidden and could get her killed. He also forms a friendship with an Afghan refugee named Yusef.

This book encompasses so much. I learned about culture and history in a way I didn’t expect. The mystery enthralled me, and the messages from Luke’s coming-of-age were relatable.

Overall, I enjoyed this tense, suspenseful book and all it had to offer.

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Doug Wilhelm is the author of 16 books for young readers, including The Revealers, a novel about bullying that has been the focus of reading-and-discussion projects in over 1,000 U.S. middle schools. His newest book is Treasure Town, Doug’s first for younger readers. Doug’s realistic novels for grades 6-8 include True Shoes, the Revealers sequel on cyberbullying, and his newest, The Prince of Denial, which portrays the impacts on teenagers of addiction within families. Doug began writing for young people with the legendary Choose Your Own Adventure series, and he’s been doing it ever since. Wilhelm often visits schools to talk about The Revealers and his other books. Kids tend to notice pretty quickly that he is six feet ten inches tall!

http://www.dougwilhelm.com/
http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougwi…

Have you read Street of Storytellers, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR