This was a tough read, especially toward the end. 

This book is a thriller memoir...but there wasn't much of a thrill. While there were certainly stakes, it feels like they weren't shown so much as the reader is constantly reminded that "The clock was ticking." 

The dialogue was painfully stilted. There were so many unnecessary dialogue tags that slowed things down too. 

Daniel has been tasked with tracking down a missing American in Syria who is of no importance to the American government. Again, huge stakes, but they're never really at play in any powerful way except to be briefly mentioned. 

During his search, we meet some colorful characters who could be vibrant with a different writing style. The most impactful person (remember this is actually a memoir) is a trafficked 17 year old sex worker and this story should entirely be about her. 

All in all I'm disappointed in this book. It does paint a pretty clear picture of the horror and atrocities in Syria and some of the "subtleties" of the situation that are often missed by those of us in the west. I'm glad for the exposure to this information but it could have been so much more impactful.