Seven Days Written by Rebeka Shaid. Reviewed by Kirsten, Age 13

This was an inspiring read that showed me how young love can overcome any challenge. The characters were incredibly described and felt just like normal teenagers and while sometimes authors struggle to give realistic impressions of young people, Rebeka Shaid did not fall into this category. Aamir’s character was particularly well drawn; I really felt his thoughts and strong emotions and although he was a bit of a coward, he was sweet and caring and this came through clearly.

Both Noori and Aamir were complete strangers, but they crossed paths in Bristol – perhaps brought together by fate, a theme returned to multiple times during the story. They both had to help the other out in a number of ways, such as providing a place to sleep or finding food and water. They developed a strong friendship after figuring out that they had many things in common: their shared sense of humour and in particular, their love for flatbreads, Indian roti. However, while they found similarities within each other, they also had to conquer challenges that tested their relationship. At one point, Aamir disappears which creates a large amount of tension between the two protagonists.

I flew through this book, even during the busy Christmas holidays. It was fun and humorous, but I also found myself caught out by some hard-hitting emotions. At times it made me cry and laugh and I really wanted to stay with Noori and Aamir. In the end, it was their love for each other that drew me into their story and kept me with them page after page.