Let's Go Swimming on Doomsday

December 15, 2018
Abdi's feelings of guilt begin when his brother Dahir is kidnapped by the jihadi group Al Shabaab in Mogadishu, Somalia, and he believes it is his fault.When American government operatives capture Abdi and his family and offer him a deal--their freedom in exchange for his infiltrating Al Shabaab--he believes he hasn't much choice. Dahir has risen in the ranks, making Abdi useful to those hunting the group's leaders. Abdi's account shifts between his time undercover and his present in Sangui City, Kenya, following his escape. Sam, a white American working with the United Nations who is grappling with her own guilt over leaving a Christian cult, meets Abdi and finds him a place in a refugee girls' boarding school by day, allowing him to sleep in her spare room. News of a possible placement in a foster family triggers an emotional deluge in which Abdi reveals all he's been through. In a dramatic climax, Abdi must decide whether family and trust will triumph over fear. At times the dialogue between Sam and Abdi feels fanciful and the story drags with unnecessary detail, with some characters feeling underdeveloped. However, this is a riveting account of young people living through violence which successfully illustrates the nuance of intent among the jihadi fighters.Greed, guilt, and redemption are layered in a sober yet tender narrative showing the lengths one will go to for loved ones. (Fiction. 14-18)

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Gr 7 Up-Abdi is just 12 years old when his older brother Dahir is kidnapped by Al Shaabab, an infamous Somali militia. Abdi feels guilty knowing that he might be the reason his brother was captured. Three years later, Abdi and his remaining family members are kidnapped by African Union Mission in Somalia. AMISOM is a collaborative effort between U.S. forces and the Somali army. After being brutally beaten by AMISOM soldiers for days, Abdi is brought before Mr. Jones, an American government official. Mr. Jones tells Abdi that Dahir is alive and is now a commander in Al Shaabab's militia. Mr. Jones offers the possibility for a new life for Abdi and his family in exchange for his infiltration of Al Shaabab's army. Abdi agrees, believing that with luck, he might save his family and his brother. Abdi infiltrates Al Shaabab only to learn that Dahir has been brainwashed completely. Abdi's rescue attempt goes awry and he is forced to hideout in a refugee home for girls. The relationship he builds with the girls and his social worker slowly helps Abdi to remember who he is. An intriguing examination of ways familial loyalty and guilt can lead anyone to make desperate choices. Anderson uses the exploration of manipulation and coercion to craft a thought-provoking narrative. VERDICT An excellent choice for public and school libraries looking for powerful realistic fiction titles.-Desiree Thomas, Worthington Library, OH

March 25, 2019
This gripping read offers an unflinching view of young people in desperate need of safety and healing after being caught up in political upheaval and violence. In her sophomore novel, Anderson (City of Saints & Thieves) tells the story of Abdi, a 16-year-old Somali in Kenya. While Sam, a U.N. relief worker, cares for the teen at her home as she searches for a suitable foster placement, traumatic episodes from Abdi’s past haunt his present. These include violent terrorist group Al Shabab abducting his older brother in Mogadishu, Somalia; his family’s kidnapping and imprisonment by U.S. forces in order to “motivate” Abdi to infiltrate Al Shabab and become an informant against his now radicalized sibling; and his experiences training, fighting, and killing alongside a ragtag group of boys while trying to gain the leaders’ trust, that he might later betray them to save his family. Anderson draws intriguing parallels between American-born Sam’s ongoing recovery from her upbringing in a Christian apocalyptic cult and Abdi’s encounter with Islamic fundamentalism; their recognition of shared trauma proves healing for both. Without melodrama, Abdi’s immediate first-person narrative conveys the physical abuse he endures; his anguished attempts to maintain a moral compass in the midst of widespread violence, chaos, and emotional manipulation; and his longing to find people he can trust. Ages 12–up.

Starred review from February 15, 2019
Grades 10-1 *Starred Review* Like so many Somalian boys, Abdi's older brother was forcibly recruited by al-Shabab, a terrorist group seeking to upend the government. Then Abdi himself is recruited by the opposite side, charged with infiltrating al-Shabab and reporting their operations. To insure Abdi's cooperation, a U.S.-backed agency is holding Adbi's mother and younger siblings captive. When the story begins, Abdi is in a Kenyan jail, beaten and missing two fingers. In the temporary custody of a UN social worker, Abdi befriends young women who have been differently victimized by war. His harrowing backstory is revealed through rapid-fire flashbacks. Trapped between the government's threat to his family and the terrifying demands of the al-Shabab training camp, Abdi is ultimately a mere tool in this world of ruthless, power-hungry adults. Anderson is not Somalian, but she explains her research in an author's note. Storytelling is a feat of informed imagination, and her efforts breathe ferocious life into a story that needs to be told. This is one of those tough but invaluable books with the power to increase a reader's awareness of and empathy for teens who have lost the right to be young.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)