This dual narrative story introduces the reader to two girls who both have a difficult time ahead.  Abela's had a hard life and has lost virtually all of her family to AIDS.  She is then mistreated by her uncle and shipped off to a country she knows nothing about.  But she is a positive and motivated character and her story is not a despondent one.  

Rosa, on the other hand, is used to being the priority in her mother's life and is struggling with the idea of welcoming someone new into their home.  Rosa's story takes up a little less of the narrative, which I was grateful for, as I found Abela to be the more engaging of the two.

Whilst this was not the most exciting or dramatic book, it is an insightful read regarding the plight of AIDS in Africa.

A good easy read that flowed well between the two perspectives.

Whilst predictable, it was a nice read

I wasn’t sure how I felt about this book at first - I thought it offered quite a reductive portrait of Tanzania, but further into the book it expanded this and showed the author really loved the country. My one real criticism is that Rosa is supposed to be thirteen, yet she has the emotional maturity of an eight year old. It was a little bit jarring, as were the constant changes in narrator mid-chapter. I did get sucked into it at the end though, and really grew to love Abela. I would recommend this book for children learning about Tanzania or immigration - it would stimulate some great classroom discussion about other countries, and how it would feel for a child moving to a new country. I just wish that Rosa was as young as she sounds!

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review)

This is a great story.

What I really liked from the start how the story is constructed, showing the two perspectives of the girls in the book. Abela and Rosa’s contrasting stories are throughout this book written perfectly, and how the writer threads similar themes through each girl’s story (for example, the starting chapter’s references to shadows) really show just how the characters tie but contrast.

This book quickly does become a page turner as the story begins to grow, particularly Abela’s story as her life quickly changes in this book. For both characters you see development as Rosa adapts to the idea of having a sister, but also you see Abela finally get the ending she deserves after going through so much.

A story that covers an array of social issues too through two great characters, The Girl Who Saw Lions is a book that puts an important focus on adoption, trafficking, AIDS and privilege (maybe the last less consciously) that no matter what age you are I think you would gain something from reading it.

Side note: The artwork for this edition is beautiful!

I'll always enjoy a book that is written from the perspective of multiple characters. Although, I do tend to prefer the same experience from different points of view this was also good with the same situation coming from completely differing backgrounds.

It was a great story, if a bit predictable (it was pretty obvious how this one was ending) but getting there was a nice journey.

The only disappointing part being that it doesn't end from the perspective of Abela. She had such a long and difficult journey and we never get to see how she feels in the end.