Sharon E. McKay doesn’t shy away from tackling tough subjects. Having delved into the Afghan war, the Holocaust, and the First World War in previous books, McKay takes on the challenge of crafting a delicately balanced portrayal of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, as seen through the eyes – and prejudices – of two 14-year-old boys on either side of the divide. 

Sam is an Israeli Jew whose family history in Jerusalem extends back for generations. After he is struck by a military truck while playing ball with his friends, he ends up at the Hadassah Medical Center with an injured leg that may require amputation. His roommate in the hospital is Yusuf, a Muslim boy from the West Bank who lost an eye following an explosion. The two find themselves unlikely allies when they venture out of the hospital one night in search of a candy shop in the Old City, and end up in a series of dangerous situations. 

That the boys, each with a grave injury, could encounter and extricate themselves from so many challenges in a single night strains credibility. However, McKay uses their experiences to create an action-packed narrative with which to educate readers, filling the novel with observations about history and culture. Though largely successful, there are a few instances of information overload, such as the fact-filled, rapid-fire monologue relayed in the Texas drawl of an American with whom the boys catch a ride.

McKay does an excellent job sharing each boy’s perspective, but the transitions between the two are at times awkward and confusing, often flipping from character to character within a single scene. Where McKay triumphs is in the climactic exchange between Sam and Yusuf, in which the two teens confront each other about their histories and beliefs without the filters of other characters. The result is intense, and leaves the reader with much to think about.