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    War in Ukraine takes center stage in Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch’s Under Attack

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    By Jessica on January 3, 2025 ages 8 & up, Middle Grade

    UNDER ATTACK (KIDNAPPED FROM UKRAINE #1), by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, Scholastic Press, Jan. 7, 2025, Paperback, $7.99 (ages 8-12)

    Follow a girl as she tries to survive when Russia invades Ukraine in Kidnapped from Ukraine: Under Attack, by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch.

    12-year-old twin sisters Rada and Dariia Popkova couldn’t be more different. Dariia is outgoing and chatty while Rada is a quieter and artsy. But what they have in common is their love for each other and their home. The family lives in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which is attacked by the Russians on Feb 24th, 2022.

     The attack separates the family — Dariia is with her mom and Rada with her dad. Dariia and her mother are then separated by Russian officials and Dariia is sent to live with a Russian family. As the war rages around them, the sisters and their family must overcome unimaginable hardships. But they will learn how powerful hope is in the face of disaster. —Synopsis provided by Scholastic Press

    Under Attack takes place at the beginning of the war in Ukraine — which is ongoing. Though the characters are fiction, the events and experiences are based on day-by-day testimony, interviews, and documented accounts.

    Because Under Attack is set during what is currently an active war, the book has a sense of urgency. Skrypuch’s tone and pacing heighten the drama, and you really feel as if you’re next to Dariia as she fights to not only survive, but maintain who she is as a Ukrainian.

    Under Attack is fast moving and gut punching. It will appeal to a vast audience, hitting on current events, adventure, family and friendship.

    Skrypuch doesn’t shy away from the horrors of war. Death, assault, and bloody imagery are all present. Parents should be aware and ready to discuss these elements with their middle-graders.

     

    Copyright © 2024 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.

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    Jessica
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    Jessica Harrison is the reviewer behind Cracking the Cover. She loves books and worked as the in-house book critic at a daily newspaper, writing reviews and interviewing authors for two years. When the company cut back, she lost her position covering books, but that doesn't mean she stopped reading. If anything, the whole experience made her more passionate about reading and giving people the tools to make informed decisions in their own book choices. She has been featured on NetGalley's Blogger Spotlight and is on Kindleprenuer's Ultimate List of the Best Book Review Blogs. Contact her at jessica(at)crackingthecover(dot)com and follow Cracking the Cover on Bluesky, Instagram,  Facebook and Twitter (X) @crackingthecovr. You can also read scaled down reviews on Jessica's Goodreads review page. Jessica is also a reviewer on Amazon.

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