This book was beautifully written. The language draws you in, and the setting is immersive and atmospheric.

But I found it somewhat lacking in substance.

The author has this gorgeous, lyrical style of prose that I always envy. Unfortunately, the plot was thin, and there was very little action. I felt the story mirrored the main character in that they both were very .... slow (of pace, not mind) and meandering.

If you enjoy stories that are all about the journey and the descriptions, you might appreciate it more than I did. As for the narration elements, I enjoyed those very much. No complaints there.

I’ve read plenty of retellings of the Trojan War, from the women inside the city to the women outside, the Greeks and the Trojans, and I thought I’d read every viewpoint. This, however, was something entirely new. This book is the story of Hani, a young boy from near Troy. Following the fall of the city, and the end of the war, Hani sets out to find his father and sister. Everyone is gone, and alone with his donkey, Hani passes through the desolation and ruins following the long siege. This is beautifully written, and very poetic. Everything is seen through Hani’s eyes, which means that sometimes it takes a while to work out what he is describing his naïveté sometimes means he doesn’t instantly recognise the horror before him. The story is bleak, and brings to life the aftermath of war and the impact on bystanders, for once skirting around the glory of the Greek heroes and focusing on the losses of an ordinary child. This was a very unique perspective on the most famous of wars.

The narrator did a fantastic job - she really brought to life Hani’s thoughts and feelings, and spun the beautiful writing brilliantly. I really enjoyed her narration, and will definitely look for other audiobooks she has voiced!

“… war is not about the killing. It seems to him that it must be about fear more than anything.”

When I heard Samara Naeymi mention this book during a (hilarious) live, I knew it would be right up my alley. I was extremely lucky go get an advance listener copy. I was not prepared to be as emotional over this book as I was. I am an active member of the black heart club so it takes a lot to make me cry. While I didn’t actually shed a tear, this book tugged on all my heart strings.

If you like retellings, pick this up. Jesse Browner knows how to turn a phrase. The writing was stunning. I highly encourage you to do the audio because Sam absolutely nailed this one.

Beautifully written- Hani’s insights, trying to survive after the war while looking for his family… All of it was so sad. Esp for someone his age, my goodness. After nursing an enemy soldier back to health, showing that small bit of humane compassion in a place so bleak & riddled w/ death. I would’ve thought their bond was strong, but I guess you really don’t know somebody even after the fact…
Overall, the story was well written. I also felt like I needed a bit more from it, the emotions were there, but they didn’t stick around neither.

“Maybe peace is just war taking a rest. Maybe war never ends.”
Will the world truly ever know peace…

3 stars ✶

i didn’t really know what to expect going into this book but i was intrigued by the synopsis.

i don’t really have much to say on this book just that it was really well written and atmospheric.

i think it’s a beautiful piece about grief and the after affects of war on humanity and our ability to persist and still have our guard up to strangers but also the beauty of bonding with someone you otherwise would never have met.

Samara Naeymi, our narrator was really good but i did have to speed up the audiobook to 2x and sometimes 2.5x because i felt like it was being spoken too slow.

thank you netgalley & hachette audio for the arc!

Sing to Me is undeniably beautifully written—Browner’s prose is elegant and lyrical, with moments that genuinely moved me. That said, the story itself felt meandering and ultimately aimless. While I appreciated the introspection and atmosphere, I was left wondering what the point of it all was. A lovely read on the surface, but lacking in lasting impact.

I felt the story was a bit meandering and lacked purpose. Stories with a main character as a child are not my favorite as it seems the child is always wise well beyond his years to the point of being unbelievable.
The narrator had a pleasing voice but maybe spoke a bit too slowly.
Thank you NetGalley, Little, Brown and Company Publishing, and Hatchett audio for the advance listening experience.
Full review on GoodReads closer to publication date