ARC Review: The Bombs That Brought Us Together by Brian Conaghan

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.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a Physical copy of the book by Bloomsbury India in exchange for an honest review. However, all the thoughts, feelings and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the second read for the #BloomsburyAwardWinning month long Readathon from October 15th to November 15th.

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 ❤