Enemy Territory
Description
Trained to hate, two boys discover friendship instead.
Sam, an Israeli teen whose leg may have to be amputated, and Yusuf, a Palestinian teen who has lost his left eye, find themselves uneasy roommates in a Jerusalem hospital. One night, the boys decide to slip away while the nurses aren鈥檛 looking and go on an adventure to the Old City.
The escapade turns dangerous when they realize they鈥檙e hopelessly lost. As they navigate the dark city鈥攐ne of them limping and the other half-blind鈥攖heir suspicions of each other are diverted. They band together to find their way home, defending themselves against unfriendly locals, arrest by the military police, and an encounter with a deadly desert snake. The boys鈥� attempts to understand each other and the politics that divide them mirror the longstanding conflict in the Middle East.
This powerful story, touched with humor, demonstrates how individual friendships and experiences can triumph over enormous cultural and political differences and lead to understanding and compassion.
Reviews
鈥淚n this fast-paced narrative, Sam and Yusuf blur together at times鈥攁nger is a realistic, defining characteristic for both鈥攂ut given the overarching theme, that confusion just may be the point . . . powerful.鈥�
- Kirkus Reviews, 08/22
鈥淎n action-packed narrative . . . The result is intense, and leaves the reader with much to think about.鈥�
- Quill & Quire, 09/12
鈥淭he prevailing message is powerful.鈥�
- Library Media Connection, 04/13
鈥淭elling the story with sensitivity and humor, McKay brings to life, through the young men, both the dangerous and precarious situation in Israel, and the value of friendship in the face of crisis and deep-seated cultural instability.鈥�
- CM Reviews, 01/13
鈥淢cKay ably . . . illustrates the deep-seated hatred and misinformation each side has for the other.鈥�
- VOYA, 12/12
鈥淢cKay weaves a story of depth and understanding, a beautiful portrait of reluctant friendship, of overcoming profound prejudices, misconceptions, and deep-seeded anger, even hate.鈥�
- Resource Links, 12/12
鈥淎n essential way to help our young people see the many sides to a given situation, even one on the other side of the world.鈥�
- ALAN (Assembly for Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE), 05/14/13
鈥淔ull of grit and bursts of well-placed humour, Enemy Territory is a characteristically bold, thought-provoking, important novel from an author and Canadian war artist unafraid to use controversial issues as a platform to educate and enlighten.鈥�
- Canadian Children鈥檚 Book News, 01/13
鈥淎n eclectic mixture of adventure, drama, and humor . . . also reveals how resilience, forgiveness, and tolerance can triumph.鈥�
- Edwards Book Club, 10/01/12