Growing up, I remember watching bits and pieces of the war in Bosnia on the news with my parents. However, that was the only information that I got about the war until I read this book. I do not understand why, but for some reason, this war is hardly talked about in History Classes or in History Books. When I saw this book on Netgalley, I realized that I had never actually read a book about the war in Bosnia before. So, I would like to thank Netgalley for giving me access to a pre-released copy of this book to review. Three Summers: A Memoir of Sisterhood, Summer Crushes, and Growing Up on the Eve of the Bosnian Genocide by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess is such an amazing memoir that does a great job depicting what life was like as a pre-teen growing up in Bosnia just as the war was starting. It was very interesting to read about how the troubles progressed throughout the three summers and how it did not just happen all at once. I would also like to add that the pre-teen coming of age storyline was so well written! I loved both storylines and the author did a terrific job intertwining them together. I was also very grateful to the author for adding a timeline and a where are they now section at the end of the book. I was very curious to see how everybody ended up. All in all, I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars and would recommend this book to patron’s ages 13 and up who are interested in learning about what life is like growing up during war time.

I looked forward to reading more by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess, after reading her vivid memoir of life during the Bosnian war, and I was pleased to see that this was a memoir of her earlier life during peaceful times. I feel like the age group that this book would appeal to is unclear. Likely teens, but this might be best paired with The Cat I Never Named, so that readers are familiar with her family members and recognize the before and after of peace and war.

Overall, I love the way she writes. Sabic-El-Rayess has so much empathy and shows all the wonderful facets of her characters. The love she feels for her family really shines through. That said, the book is a bit dense. It takes a commitment to sit down and read through and process. It would work well as a high school literacy study, especially, as I said, paired with her earlier memoir.

The war in Bosnia is an event that mostly went under the radar in the 1990s (in America) so it's no surprise that today's youth have practically no knowledge. The fall of the Berlin Wall, while huge at the time, is also an event that most American youth know little about. Thanks to authors like Jennifer Nielsen and Jenni Walsh, post World War II history is taking middle grade readers by storm. But a literary gap still exists over Bosnia. That's why I'm excited about this book.

Three Summers is an autobiographical, coming-of-age story about a teen girl named Amra (the author). When the story begins, Amra is coming to terms with the death of her older brother. Since he was her best friend, she spends the following year in a low grade depression. She is rescued from her sadness by Zana, her happy, fun, sophisticated cousin. In their short first summer, they spend their days swimming at the river, talking fashion, trying out makeup, and dreaming about boys. Amra loves that Zana is honest, rather than putting on airs. They have so much fun, they vow to write often and spend the entire summer together the following year.

Summer 2 happens just as planned. A little older, they continue to obsess over boys (especially Zana) and discover the fun of being out at night with other teens. They both agree it's the best summer ever and plan for summer 3. Unfortunately, things are heating up politically. Muslims are being targeted by the Serbians as racially inferior people. Summer 3 is not shaping up as the girls hope. While Zana's mother is a Bosnian Muslim like Amra, her father is a Serbian. Zana is allowed to visit with some conditions in place. Still, the girls manage to have fun going to the discotheques with their many cousins and friends. Because of the racial divide, this is Zana's last visit.

This was a likable story, but flat from a descriptive and emotional standpoint. As much as I wanted to relive this experience through the author, I just couldn't get there. I've often heard reviewers criticize authors for telling rather than showing, I would say that applies here. I was fascinated by all the family connections. Aunts, uncles and cousins kept coming out of the woodwork. I was also fascinated by the concept of image surrounding hospitality. They'll go to the poorhouse to provide a good meal, but turn on their own family members just as quickly. From my experience living in a Communist country, it's a Communist thing.

My last comment relates to the Bosnian conflict, which was only on the periphery of the story. Amra goes to great links to give a timeline and facts about the war in the Afterword sections. Since the story ends before any of this happens, it's confusing and honestly doesn't serve it's purpose. I am interested to know what that war was all about and what it was like to live through, but I need that in a story, not a rushed followup.

A good read, but not gripping, and therefore not likely to be the big winner it could have been.