Official Review: White Smoke by Itamar S.N

Nzube Chizoba Okeke · Post by **Nzube Chizoba Okeke** » 10 May 2021, 08:06

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "White Smoke" by Itamar S.N.]

4 out of 4 stars

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White Smoke tells the story of hope in a supposedly helpless situation. It also tells the story of love and patriotism. When one loves his country so much, they will do everything possible to protect it. A merger between Israel and Palestine forms a new country, Isratine. The Prime Minister is at the forefront to see that the coalition survives and the unified country stays peaceful. Yonatan, the Prime Minister's son, is willing to do everything for the love of his country. What if that comes at a stiff price? Will he pay that price?

Itamar S. N, though an aspiring author, sure has power over words. As an avid reader, I've come across a lot of books and voraciously read them. However, only a few have had the kind of effect White Smoke had on me. The book's genre is other fiction, but I didn't feel any form of fiction in the write-up. Everything in the story felt real, and that's a contributing factor in how the book affected me. Another factor was in the unexpected ending. Following the story, I had seemingly bonded with most of the characters, as they all felt natural to me. Yonatan's fate broke me; I didn't see it coming. Like I earlier stated, only a few books have affected me this way.

I was captivated by White Smoke, as the storyline was fascinating and relatable. I live in a country with similar descriptions as Isratine. Therefore, reading about something similar was intriguing. That was only a part of what had me captivated. While reading, I could feel emotions pouring from practically every sentence. Take, for instance, this sentence quoted from the book. "Amal had a home. Beyond it was only emptiness." From the quoted sentence, I got emotional thinking that the only thing the character felt connected to was just a home. Imagine if it were taken from her, her world would be empty. The events played out like a movie as I read through the book's pages. It would suffice to say that descriptive writing is the author's forte.

One trivial issue I had with the book was the use of abbreviations without explanations. Take, for instance, this sentence: "I was a single, bisexual playboy at heart, who had somehow become married to another man and was now a father of twins. WTF!!." I supposed the author thought it's a sentence that anyone would easily understand in today's world of social media, where most sentences are abbreviated. But not every reader follows social media trends and wouldn't know what WTF means. I wouldn't also assume the author wasn't trying to sound profane, as there were other profane words in the read. I wouldn't be deducting a point for this. However, I'd hope the author takes note of it for subsequent publications.

White Smoke deserves 4 out of 4 stars. The errors aren't distracting, and the issue I raised is a minor one. I recommend it to people interested in activism and stories of the Middle East. Parental guidance is advised for readers younger than 13, as there is an avalanche of profane words in the book.

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White Smoke
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sharon titus · Post by **sharon titus** » 13 May 2021, 23:58

Great informative review. I am looking forward to read this amazing book. Thank you for your hard work.

Kanchan Sharma · Post by **Kanchan Sharma** » 14 May 2021, 04:19

It seems to be very interesting book of political drama. I would definitely like to read it. A good review.

Angel_gaze · Post by **Angel_gaze** » 09 Nov 2021, 08:17

This sounds like a very challenging storyline. Thanks for a comprehensive and informative review.

Sou Hi · Post by **Sou Hi** » 09 Nov 2021, 08:18

Thanks for your review. It seems this book features many kinds of love that Yonatan harbors, such as same-sex love, family love, and the love for his country.

Aan Granados · Post by **Aan Granados** » 09 Nov 2021, 08:31

The fact that Israel and Palestine have merged is intriguing and interesting but I think far-fetched. I am intrigued by this. Thanks for your review.

Michelle Menezes · Post by **Michelle Menezes** » 09 Nov 2021, 08:32

I like books with LGBTQ+ characters, but I'm not fond of books with politics and patriotism, so I'm on the fence about reading this one. Yonatan's struggles as a bisexual man seem interesting. I also want to know more about Amal. Thank you for the detailed review.

Satwik Mohanty · Post by **Satwik Mohanty** » 09 Nov 2021, 08:33

Fiction that has a chance to occur in reality is the best kind of fiction. And the plot of merging two nations has to be one of the most interesting stories I've come across. Thanks for the detailed review!

vitalisvicky · Post by **vitalisvicky** » 09 Nov 2021, 08:34

The concept of patriotism and hope are realy intruiging. The cover of this intersting book is stuning and portrays the content of the book. Thanks for the review.

Stephen Ikimi · Post by **Stephen Ikimi** » 09 Nov 2021, 08:38

The book sounds like an amazing storyline. the review is very comprehensive. I look forward to reading this book very soon. From the intriguing cover page to the description in this review, it must be an amazing book for reading. congratulations

Shivansh_007 · Post by **Shivansh_007** » 09 Nov 2021, 08:42

The book seems quite interesting and difficult both at the same time. Thanks for writing a simple review explaining it thoroughly.

Asma Aisha Ansari · Post by **Asma Aisha Ansari** » 09 Nov 2021, 08:57

Wouldn't it be amazing if Israel and Palestine came together to form a single country and everyone lived there peacefully! I would love to know more about this book which has dared to discuss this possibility.
Thanks for this amazing review.

J_odoyo · Post by **J_odoyo** » 09 Nov 2021, 09:00

A book that "tells the story of hope in a supposedly helpless situation" is definitely a worthy read. I like that the storyline is fascinating and relatable. However, I'm not a fan of this genre. Otherwise, congrats on the BOTD!