Teenage boys Hussam and Wassim are growing up on the streets of Syria during the 2003 American invasion of Iraq. Their lives are upended by secrets and tragedy. Ten years later, Wassim is living in Vancouver, lost, indulging in vice to numb his shame and guilt over his actions in Syria.

The narrative unfolds over alternating chapters as we see the consequences of past events played out in Vancouver and those events in Syria. There is a propulsive quality to Ramadan's prose, and I tore through this novel in one sitting. He draws Wassim with excellent skill, and you are in his head in no time, feeling all the rush of lust and loss and life as this troubled young man tries to find a way through his pain. That there is a tender love story playing out between the pain makes the story more tragic. And yet there is hope here too, so much hope.

This novel marks Danny Ramadan out as a voice to watch, and off its back I will be seeking out his first novel.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.