War Drama; Coming-of-Age; Young Adult Literature
So you're not up to snuff on what went down in the Armenian genocide? Worry not—this book will solve that problem in no time. From start to finish, this story is driven by the Turkish-Armenian war (and World War I in general, which rages the whole time too), which means that to its very core, it's a war drama.
Forgotten Fire tracks Vahan's life through this terrible war-torn terrain, and as he loses his family and finds himself forced to find his own way in the world time and again, he goes from innocent little kid to world-weary teen. So while he's not an adult proper by the end, he's seen so much—and been forced to confront so many terrible truths (rape, prejudice, loss of family) that it would be pretty insulting not to say he's done some serious coming of age. Because of this, the book is also in the coming of age genre.
Add how straightforward the storytelling is, and how simple the language, and we've definitely got ourselves a book that young adult readers should have no trouble devouring. That there's a young adult at the heart of the story only adds to the reasons why this one can also be found in the young adult lit section of your local library.