Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Life in Gaza under siege. The daily threat, the daily danger, the attacks, the privations, the deaths, the destruction. Members of the Palestinian resistance constantly struggle against the Occupier and we follow them in this dramatic and powerful novel that brings home all too vividly the plight of the Palestinians under Israeli oppression. More powerfully than any reportage, this novel portrays what it’s like to live in Gaza and as we get to know the characters we empathise with them all the more. On the one hand it’s an exciting political action thriller but it’s much more nuanced and multi-layered than that, a truly human story. Based on real-life events, as the author makes clear in the notes, we see how Israel has dehumanized the Palestinians in order to justify their actions. I can’t understand why this novel hasn’t made more of an impact – at the time of writing this review (Feb 2021) there is just 1 review on Goodreads and none on Amazon. It deserves much more attention. I found it both compelling and illuminating and recommend it to all those concerned about and interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

I really liked this book! It's a refreshing perspective coming from an action/spy title and I appreciated the endnotes about the real-life events that inspired moments in the story. It was a fast-paced, thrilling ride from beginning to end but always with very human moments and characters at the centre of the narrative and sensitivity when discussing deaths. Thank you for the opportunity of letting me read this, I'm very glad I did because otherwise I probably wouldn't have heard about this book.