Review by Chatfemme -- Operation Olive Tree by Jemil Metti

[Chatfemme]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Operation Olive Tree" by Jemil Metti.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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OnlineBookClub Book Review
Operation Olive Tree by Jemil Metti
By chatfemme 8/17/2020

From a previous review, I anticipated a coming of age novel set in a culture unlike my own in Operation Olive Tree by Jemil Metti, but the story was much more than that. The book started as expected with the two main characters becoming friends and negotiating the difficulties of attending an integrated high school in Israel. However, the tone changed to a suspenseful, international intrigue tale a little more than halfway through the story.


The two central characters were high school students-an Israeli girl named Irith and a Palestinian boy named Jamal. Their school, called Oasis of Peace School, had a bilingual program with Israeli and Palestinian teachers and students. The school's purpose was to prepare students to become adult leaders who would better understand their neighboring cultures and thus have more insight into bringing peace to their homeland.


While Jamal and Irith chose to attend the Oasis of Peace School to use their talents to bring peace to their country, they were unknowingly and unwillingly set up through their connections at the school. They found themselves being used by Israeli security and intelligence organizations. Their involvement with Israeli intelligence placed our heroes in dangerous situations that were inappropriate for such young, inexperienced agents. The story demonstrates how, in a country at war, citizens' lives can be endangered and irrevocably changed to achieve the government's hostile purposes. The narrative also illustrated an apartheid-like world that the Palestinian people in Israel must endure.


The story could have been stronger if the writing had been better. Grammatical errors, poor word choices and transitions occurred repeatedly in the text. The poor editing of this book resulted in awkward and incomprehensible sentences. Often word choice created confusion and inexplicable expressions of actions and feelings. The development of the characters in the story was hindered by the writing style. Transitions were choppy and made the story hard to follow.


I liked the underlying messages the story strives to convey more than anything else about the book. It was easy to empathize with the two main characters as they worked toward their dreams while having a difficult uphill battle because of the violent war-infested world they lived in. No matter what difficulties they encountered, they both had great courage and perseverance. They stayed true friends to each other no matter what others said to cause worry.


The story seemed to be written for young adults who could really empathize with the two main characters but would be appropriate for adults as well. There is not any vulgar language or any love scenes making the book suitable for all audiences except children. There are some dreadful child abuse scenes and some unsubstantiated rumors of homosexuality, so be warned if these topics are problematic.


The awkward wording and writing style was what I disliked most about the book. The writing made the reading and comprehension of what was happening in the story a struggle. Poor transitions throughout obstructed the flow of the story. Because of the poor editing, I must give this novel 2 out of 4 stars. With better editing, the book could have had a score of 3 and maybe 4, but because the story was good, I could not give a score of 1 out of 4.

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Operation Olive Tree
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