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BOOK TOUR STOP x Random Things Tours - The Shot by Sarah Sultoon

 


When Samira is finally given her big break in the cut-throat world of TV journalism, she leaps at the chance to get out there, make a name for herself, make a difference somewhere. 

Sam and recently injured star photographer Kris set off to report on the war ravaging the Middle East, but despite everything they see together, she starts to realise that no matter how hard they work nothing seems to make people wake up and pay attention to the disaster all around them.

Until that one photograph. 

One single image - a young Mother, brutally injured in a devastating raid. And now, everyone is listening, and all eyes are on Sami and Kris. But as they dig deeper and try to uncover the dark truths for all to hear, they realise there's plenty that could be hidden when nobody was looking. Only now, they're shining a spotlight through the darkness of a genocidal war that might just be the end of them if they look for too long. 

"Here, there is nothing left to live for. Only nightmares to dread."

If you were to look in the dictionary for 'hard-hitter', you'd find this book listed alongside with it. While fictional, this raw depiction of war journalism is not easy to read, but I just  couldn't put it down. Not only trying to capture the sheer brutality of war, this story delves into the dangers of journalists, translators and aid workers who travel through ravaged warzones to search for the truth and help where they can. 

The characterisation was masterful - Samira was a young girl with ambition who wanted to make a difference, and never anticipated how dark the world could really be. As for Kris, he was an intriguing presence - he had layers of brashness and bravado, but he is a man who's seen horror and pain, who cares deeply and has suffered for it all. 

Sultoons' writing style is mesmerising - jumping right into pulse-racing, horrific action and it never stops. She has a strange way of highlighting little details, whether it's how comfy an armchair is or the dust in the air that pulls the reader completely into a scene with vivid clarity without being overly descriptive.


About The Author

Sarah Sultoon is a journalist and writer, whose work as an international news executive at CNN has taken her all over the world, from the seats of power in both Westminster and Washington to the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan. She has extensive experience in conflict zones, winning three Peabody awards for her work on the war in Syria, an Emmy for her contribution to the coverage of Europe’s migrant crisis in 2015, and a number of Royal Television Society gongs. As passionate about fiction as nonfiction, she recently completed a Masters of Studies in Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge, adding to an undergraduate language degree in French and Spanish, and Masters of Philosophy in History, Film and Television. Follow her on Instagram: @sarahsultoon and Twitter: @SultoonSarah 


CW: racism, sexism, war, terrorism, violence, injury, alcohol.

Thank you to Karen at Orenda Books and Anne at Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part in this tour. I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title in return for an honest review. 

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