Prue MasonReviews
Author of Camel Rider
5 Works 149 Members 7 Reviews
Reviews
Flagged
Jarod.jleo6413 | 6 other reviews | Mar 29, 2012 | It is a rare treat for me to stumble upon a book that speaks to the reality of coming of age as a global nomad, or third culture kid (TCK). Prue Mason’s “Camel Rider” is one of those treats. The story is about a biz kid living in a compound in a fictional oil town somewhere in the Arabian peninsula, and his collaboration with one of his host-nationals (neither of whom speak the other’s language) to survive a harrowing journey through the desert.
What to me is particularly refreshing about this book is that – unlike books written about traumatized expatriate kids making their first move to their first foreign post – in this book, life in an expat compound in the Middle East is taken for granted as normal. There is nothing exotic or exciting about it from the perspective of the protagonist, until bombs start flying. That is the way living abroad really feels to a Third Culture Kid. It’s just normal.
Layered on top of this TCK sense of normalcy, there is the actual story, as described by the publisher (Charlesbridge):
“War has broken out in the Middle East and all foreigners are fleeing. Instead of escaping with his neighbors, Adam sneaks off to save his dog, which has been left behind. Lost in the desert, Adam meets Walid, an abused camel boy who is on the run. Together they struggle to survive the elements and elude the revengeful master from whom Walid has fled. Cultural and language barriers are wide, but with ingenuity and determination the two boys bridge their differences, helping each other to survive and learn what true friendship is.”
It is a fun little read, and well worth the effort to track down a copy.
What to me is particularly refreshing about this book is that – unlike books written about traumatized expatriate kids making their first move to their first foreign post – in this book, life in an expat compound in the Middle East is taken for granted as normal. There is nothing exotic or exciting about it from the perspective of the protagonist, until bombs start flying. That is the way living abroad really feels to a Third Culture Kid. It’s just normal.
Layered on top of this TCK sense of normalcy, there is the actual story, as described by the publisher (Charlesbridge):
“War has broken out in the Middle East and all foreigners are fleeing. Instead of escaping with his neighbors, Adam sneaks off to save his dog, which has been left behind. Lost in the desert, Adam meets Walid, an abused camel boy who is on the run. Together they struggle to survive the elements and elude the revengeful master from whom Walid has fled. Cultural and language barriers are wide, but with ingenuity and determination the two boys bridge their differences, helping each other to survive and learn what true friendship is.”
It is a fun little read, and well worth the effort to track down a copy.
Flagged
LarisaAWhite | 6 other reviews | Jun 9, 2010 | Adam finds himself lost in the desert in the Middle East after war breaks out. He teams up with Walid. Together they make their way back to civilization facing a variety of dangers from people and the environment, and the need to make themselves understood to each other despite not speaking the other's language.
Flagged
reeread | 6 other reviews | Aug 12, 2009 | An easy read. Adam lives with his family in a compound in the MiddleEast. War breaks out and Adma escapes and finds himself lost in the desert. Story of survival and trustworthiness.
Flagged
jhibburt | 6 other reviews | May 17, 2009 | This is a very exciting book!!! I loved the two main characters - two boys who speak different languages but who must get along to survive in the desert.
A great read!!
A great read!!
Flagged
BooksByLinda | 6 other reviews | Feb 5, 2009 | A rebellious young boy who is known for making emotional decisions finds himself stranded in the desert without hope for rescue until he finds someone in a worse predicament than he. Interesting look at life of desert dwellers and the relationships between foreigners and natives in an Arabic land.½
Flagged
dbanna | 6 other reviews | May 20, 2008 | There were times that I liked this book and times that I didn't. It just seemed that the author wasn't very polished at times.
One thing that I really liked was the fact that the setting was in the Middle East. It's nice to give kids a different perspective rather than just what they see on the nightly news. I also liked how Adam and Walid were not trusting of each other at first; both were distrustful of each other due to stereotypical reasons.
I was a bit put-off by the way the author wrote Walid's thoughts . . . it was kind of reminiscent of the Lone Ranger's Tonto - very stilted and ignorant sounding.
By the end of the book, it seemed like the author was in her "groove" - I hope that the author writes another book set in the Middle East.
One thing that I really liked was the fact that the setting was in the Middle East. It's nice to give kids a different perspective rather than just what they see on the nightly news. I also liked how Adam and Walid were not trusting of each other at first; both were distrustful of each other due to stereotypical reasons.
I was a bit put-off by the way the author wrote Walid's thoughts . . . it was kind of reminiscent of the Lone Ranger's Tonto - very stilted and ignorant sounding.
By the end of the book, it seemed like the author was in her "groove" - I hope that the author writes another book set in the Middle East.
Flagged
laurieleewalsh | 6 other reviews | Mar 26, 2008 | This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and (if not signed in) for advertising. By using LibraryThing you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms.
I gave this book a five star rating because there wasn't anything i didn't ike about it. One thing that I did really like was that the author wrote the book in two perspectives, one from each boy. So then you could see what both boy was thinking and wanting to do. Also how it was easy to tell which boy's perspective it was in because each boy had their own font in the book. I also liked how the boys are completely different yet they both want the same thing. I also liked how the boys met each other and how even though they would argue and have different views on things they still worked together to can safely to where they needed to go. So this is why i gave this book a five star rating.