Review of Operation Olive Tree
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- Latest Review: Operation Olive Tree by Jemil Metti
Review of Operation Olive Tree
[Following is a volunteer review of "Operation Olive Tree" by Jemil Metti.]
Operation Olive Tree by Jemil Metti takes the reader through a quick lesson in the often violent bi-cultural relations of Palestinians and Jews in modern Israel. It is the story of how an educational experiment causes two teens to learn to see someone from another culture as a human and not as an enemy. The book shows how they are caught between two opposing worldviews, their racist families and their love for opera.
One of the good aspects of this book is the dialogue. It is compelling, interesting, and each character is fleshed out by their own words. Another positive is the quick nature of the book. The story moves along rapidly and keeps the reader engaged and wanting to read more because there are so many interesting characters and unexpected events. It is obvious that the author knows the Israeli-Palestinian issues well. His knowledge of Middle Eastern geography, military tactics and politics shows through and allows the reader to understand the conflicts from an insider’s viewpoint.
There is one aspect of the book that seems out of place. The author uses a lot of anthropomorphism in the introduction to early chapters to set the stage. These words seem odd in a book that is more direct and serious. As the book progresses, these cute phrases are not as prevalent. Another drawback is the inclusion of some strong curse words in the dialogue. They do not add to the story nor to the characters.
The book Operation Olive Tree is an interesting exploration of how education can possibly bridge the gap between warring worldviews and generations of people who have been at odds with each other. The characters are interestingly intertwined as families and co-workers, but that does not mean that every character sees the political goals of the education and opera programs in the same way. Some of the characters seem to be on the side of ending violence and making both sides come together in peace initially, but they eventually reveal their real agenda of appeasing the opposition and then making a power grab.
There are elements throughout the book that are expected in a book about teens: friendship turning to first-time love and conflict with parents about the balance between control and letting teens grow up. These elements are not treated as the story, but as an asset to the story. There is a lot of intrigue, interest and excitement in Operation Olive Tree. It is a recommended read for young adults and adults alike. I give this book a 3 out of 4 stars.
******
Operation Olive Tree
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Operation Olive Tree by Jemil Metti takes the reader through a quick lesson in the often violent bi-cultural relations of Palestinians and Jews in modern Israel. It is the story of how an educational experiment causes two teens to learn to see someone from another culture as a human and not as an enemy. The book shows how they are caught between two opposing worldviews, their racist families and their love for opera.
One of the good aspects of this book is the dialogue. It is compelling, interesting, and each character is fleshed out by their own words. Another positive is the quick nature of the book. The story moves along rapidly and keeps the reader engaged and wanting to read more because there are so many interesting characters and unexpected events. It is obvious that the author knows the Israeli-Palestinian issues well. His knowledge of Middle Eastern geography, military tactics and politics shows through and allows the reader to understand the conflicts from an insider’s viewpoint.
There is one aspect of the book that seems out of place. The author uses a lot of anthropomorphism in the introduction to early chapters to set the stage. These words seem odd in a book that is more direct and serious. As the book progresses, these cute phrases are not as prevalent. Another drawback is the inclusion of some strong curse words in the dialogue. They do not add to the story nor to the characters.
The book Operation Olive Tree is an interesting exploration of how education can possibly bridge the gap between warring worldviews and generations of people who have been at odds with each other. The characters are interestingly intertwined as families and co-workers, but that does not mean that every character sees the political goals of the education and opera programs in the same way. Some of the characters seem to be on the side of ending violence and making both sides come together in peace initially, but they eventually reveal their real agenda of appeasing the opposition and then making a power grab.
There are elements throughout the book that are expected in a book about teens: friendship turning to first-time love and conflict with parents about the balance between control and letting teens grow up. These elements are not treated as the story, but as an asset to the story. There is a lot of intrigue, interest and excitement in Operation Olive Tree. It is a recommended read for young adults and adults alike. I give this book a 3 out of 4 stars.
******
Operation Olive Tree
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Operation Olive Tree by Jemil Metti
