Abstract of the book "Where the Grass is Greener"
February 24 turned the lives of all Ukrainians upside down. A full-scale invasion, an unclear future, fear, despair and denial of harsh reality. All this also affected Yulia Callaghan, born in Mariupol, who moved to Irpin in 2014. Escape from the combat zone, volunteering in western Ukraine and going abroad in search of a better fate - all this awaits our heroine. What and who she will lose on this path, and what and who she will find, you will learn from this book. And Yulia will also help readers answer the question: "Is it true that the grass is greener on the other side?"
21 comments
dana-n20.08.2025, 17:13I gave it a star. The first chapters vividly brought me back to the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, as if I relived some moments anew... I liked the author’s style – without excessive pathos, but many moments are conveyed very accurately. That shock of the first days, when it seemed like it couldn’t last long, that it would end any moment now... As for a drawback, honestly, in the first chapters – "a trash bucket, around which, as if in a circle of unity, a few more people gathered" – it’s clear that it’s about friendly vegetable peeling, but there’s a bit too much emphasis on the bucket, as if it’s the main point) Overall – it’s written in an interesting way. Thank you.
dana-n21.08.2025, 12:53Newbie Writer, )
valentina-ushaeva18.04.2024, 06:14Very beautifully written about the harsh reality, about our country, and about our girls abroad. It's hard to read and understand what our people have to go through abroad. Thank you for your creativity, and I wish you success.
niubi-raiter19.04.2024, 10:38Valentina Ushaeva, Thank you very much for the warm feedback!
lyudmila-bondareva12.04.2024, 10:34I can't finish reading because it's too painful, but I will definitely do it! Thank you!
niubi-raiter12.04.2024, 19:02Lyudmila Bondareva, thank you for reading! I know the topic is heavy, but I think the book will still be useful to many.
evgenia-persienko12.02.2023, 16:15Very wonderful text, I will be waiting for the continuation!
niubi-raiter12.02.2023, 18:43Evgenia Persienko, Thank you for the positive feedback!!
selene-evance06.02.2023, 19:38Hello from the marathon! I just saw you in the comments under the marathon blog, remembered your books, and right away I got to finish reading this wonderful work. Overall, life for the heroines is not easy, but interesting! No one said it would be a walk in the park, after all, it’s a foreign country, different people, sometimes completely incomprehensible (I definitely share Vira’s concerns about Miguel!) Even though the sunny city, the ocean, and the calm grow on you, the soul still keeps returning home. I’m especially worried about Serhiy, because if he doesn’t respond, anything could have happened... But the girls don’t give up, so life goes on, it doesn’t stop, you have to work everywhere, build a new home for yourself, so you need to gather strength. Wishing you inspiration for new chapters!
niubi-raiter07.02.2023, 08:55Selene Evance, Thank you for the wonderful feedback!!
kseniia-demidenko03.02.2023, 19:44Hello! This is a heavy work because the topic is alive, it bleeds. The fate of the main heroine, as well as the numerous fates of those she encounters, is pain. You write vividly, it’s interesting to read. But I can imagine how hard it must be for you to write this. Key stages of the war. The drawing of the boy whose parents DIDN’T HAVE TIME to teach him to write brought tears to my eyes. Poor children. The life of refugees abroad is no picnic either. Ukrainians have been scattered around the world. And the fact that the heroine ended up in Portugal almost by chance is no coincidence. I hope you’ll give the girl at least a little happiness. At least one of her parents will remain alive, right? You write beautifully, dynamically, and engagingly. Sometimes there are inconsistencies in tense, like “…lowered his eyes to the ground and only occasionally glances from under his brow.” The tense should be consistent: either past throughout or present. I’m reading on, though in small portions, because it’s like salt on a wound, everything feels so alive and bleeding. This work is necessary because not everyone knows the war in all its aspects. Losing a home is a tragedy, and not knowing what happened to your parents—God forbid. Wishing you luck! Inspiration, strength, time, and LIGHT!
niubi-raiter04.02.2023, 08:55Kseniya Demidenko, Thank you for the feedback!! I’ll pay attention to the tenses!!)
tetiana-gishhak04.02.2023, 08:24The raised topic is the most relevant. During the war, many people left abroad because they lost their homes and loved ones. When there is nothing holding you back at home, there is hope that you can start a new life in a foreign land. Especially since there is volunteer support, state support for refugees, help with language learning, and assistance from acquaintances. But it’s not for nothing that the word "foreign land" exists. Foreign language, foreign relationship dynamics, foreign customs and manners. At this point, after seven chapters, the girls haven’t yet had the chance to fully experience all the peculiarities of life abroad. Judging by the annotation, all of this is still ahead of them. Perhaps because the main events of the story are connected to Portugal, the first six chapters feel like a journalistic essay. By the seventh chapter, I understood why. It turns out that the first six chapters are a prologue. And that’s too much for a prologue. Everything that happened to Yulia before Portugal is our pain, yes, but the idea of the story is different. From the perspective of the author’s craft, all these painful moments from Yulia’s life would look more organic as memories. Again, considering certain rules of story structure, it should have started from the moment of crossing the border.
niubi-raiter04.02.2023, 08:53Tetyana Hyshchak, Thank you for your feedback. Indeed, I wanted to provide context first. After all, the work is being translated into English for foreigners who have not experienced the war, have not seen it from the inside. That's why the prologue dragged on a bit. However, from now on, it will only be about the life of refugees abroad. Thank you again!
- selene-evance12.12.2022, 09:03
Wow, a new chapter! In the morning! On a Monday! It all sounds so cool somehow, another country, everything beautiful, tasty, clean, problem-free, but so sad, because you're leaving not by your own will, but by the will of war. And you'll still remember home until you find another one.
niubi-raiter12.12.2022, 14:34Selene Evance, True.. And first good impressions can be deceptive. More about this later))
katerina-kolesnik15.11.2022, 11:15I've finished reading, thank you! Definitely, it should be translated into English so that foreigners can read it too. Everything reads very easily - no issues at all. The story, of course, is painful. At the moment of saying goodbye to Dmytro, I even got emotional( I can only imagine how much more fate has in store for the girl... I will definitely finish reading because I like your stories)
niubi-raiter15.11.2022, 17:08Kateryna Kolesnyk, Thank you very much for the feedback! I'm a bit busy right now, but I will definitely continue writing))
- katerina-kolesnik14.11.2022, 13:52
Hello) I finally got to your work. I already know how beautifully you write, so I'm confident about this book as well. I will definitely leave feedback once I finish reading. Inspiration to you!
niubi-raiter14.11.2022, 18:23Kateryna Kolesnyk, Many thanks, I also love your style))
lara-rosa12.11.2022, 15:45Hello! It's hard to read such things, despite the style, which is actually easy to perceive, but the memories... They immediately bring back the most terrifying days when the front line was just three kilometers away from you. When you hear it every day. Writing something like this must also be difficult, letting all those emotions pass through you, and there are many of them in the book, and they are painful. Real emotions, written realistically. You worry about the fate of the heroine and all those who were maimed by the war, scattered, whose destinies and lives were destroyed. Such books must exist so that people remember. So that there is no desire to "repeat." Wishing you inspiration in your future writing, because letting such emotions pass through you is not easy.
niubi-raiter13.11.2022, 07:30Lara Rosa, Thank you for the feedback!! Indeed, writing is very hard, but I understand that it is also important. However, we Ukrainians are strong, so I will keep writing. So as not to forget at what cost the victory was achieved.
tasia-volia12.11.2022, 11:01Hello! I'm from the marathon. I left your work for last because I realized it would be hard to evaluate. From the very first lines, I got flashbacks. I remember waking up to my mom's call saying it had started, and then the sounds of explosions outside the window, the long road home... It's hard to write about war, but you manage to convey all the emotions the main character experiences. Every word resonates inside, touches the soul. It even gives me goosebumps. All the events in the story unfold quite simply, logically: the news from the mother, staying in a bomb shelter, moving to another city... So many trials have fallen on Yulia's fate. But she is strong and will endure everything. The main thing is to believe in it. Inspiration and strength to you! ✨
niubi-raiter13.11.2022, 07:27Tasya Volya, Many thanks for the feedback! Together to victory!
iren-vasiljeva09.11.2022, 14:18Hello. I suggest we follow each other's pages. If you agree, feel free to follow.
niubi-raiter09.11.2022, 17:56Iren Vasylieva, hello, agreed
- selene-evance02.11.2022, 09:55
Oh, it's good that no one was home when I was reading... because they probably wouldn't understand why I'm drinking tea and sniffling, almost crying. My teacher always said that we are living history. And Yulia is an example of that. We all probably are, because we are all going through the terrible times of war. I hope this war will soon become just history. Your story really touches the heart, truly. Fortunately, I haven't experienced leaving the country, but I've always been curious if the grass is really greener on the other side. And also... this is an emotionally charged work. Andriy’s death, the separation from Dmytro (I thought I’d burst into tears from sadness when they hugged!), and now the separation from Serhiy and the loss of her parents. Poor Yulia. But she’s right when she says she’s strong, she’ll endure everything! The main thing is to hold on so she can return home. And we need to do everything to ensure there’s a home to return to. Thank you, I’m looking forward to the continuation!
selene-evance02.11.2022, 15:04Newbie Writer, life is life, meant to be complicated))
dmitro-jevtusenko02.11.2022, 08:43Congratulations on the marathon! It's quite difficult to evaluate a story when it feels more like a biography than fiction. And unfortunately, this biography could apply to a great number of people... I really liked the first chapter, especially in terms of conveying emotions. It gave me goosebumps. It was very hard to read because it's true... But that's a good thing; you managed to convey that moment very well! The story develops in a generally understandable way. I particularly liked the moment about collecting stories for a future book. As for the emotional connection... I think a bit more description is needed. I understand why Yulia cried so much when the grandmother came for her grandson, but I feel it would be nice to describe a bit more interaction between the girl and the boy. Overall, you managed to convey quite well the emotions that we all experienced in the first months of the war. And when a text resonates with readers and evokes any emotions, it means the author is doing everything right!))) Wishing the author inspiration and success!)
niubi-raiter02.11.2022, 14:46Dmytro Yevtushenko, Many thanks for the warm feedback! The book is still being written, there will be more emotions to come) I will take your comments into account!!
Where the Grass is Greener
About the book
February 24 turned the lives of all Ukrainians upside down. A full-scale invasion, an unclear future, fear, despair and denial of harsh reality. All this also affected Yulia Callaghan, born in Mariupol, who moved to Irpin in 2014. Escape from the combat zone, volunteering in western Ukraine and going abroad in search of a better fate - all this awaits our heroine. What and who she will lose on this path, and what and who she will find, you will learn from this book. And Yulia will also help readers answer the question: "Is it true that the grass is greener on the other side?"
21 comments
- dana-n20.08.2025, 17:13
I gave it a star. The first chapters vividly brought me back to the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, as if I relived some moments anew... I liked the author’s style – without excessive pathos, but many moments are conveyed very accurately. That shock of the first days, when it seemed like it couldn’t last long, that it would end any moment now... As for a drawback, honestly, in the first chapters – "a trash bucket, around which, as if in a circle of unity, a few more people gathered" – it’s clear that it’s about friendly vegetable peeling, but there’s a bit too much emphasis on the bucket, as if it’s the main point) Overall – it’s written in an interesting way. Thank you.
dana-n21.08.2025, 12:53Newbie Writer, )
- valentina-ushaeva18.04.2024, 06:14
Very beautifully written about the harsh reality, about our country, and about our girls abroad. It's hard to read and understand what our people have to go through abroad. Thank you for your creativity, and I wish you success.
niubi-raiter19.04.2024, 10:38Valentina Ushaeva, Thank you very much for the warm feedback!
- lyudmila-bondareva12.04.2024, 10:34
I can't finish reading because it's too painful, but I will definitely do it! Thank you!
niubi-raiter12.04.2024, 19:02Lyudmila Bondareva, thank you for reading! I know the topic is heavy, but I think the book will still be useful to many.
- evgenia-persienko12.02.2023, 16:15
Very wonderful text, I will be waiting for the continuation!
niubi-raiter12.02.2023, 18:43Evgenia Persienko, Thank you for the positive feedback!!
- selene-evance06.02.2023, 19:38
Hello from the marathon! I just saw you in the comments under the marathon blog, remembered your books, and right away I got to finish reading this wonderful work. Overall, life for the heroines is not easy, but interesting! No one said it would be a walk in the park, after all, it’s a foreign country, different people, sometimes completely incomprehensible (I definitely share Vira’s concerns about Miguel!) Even though the sunny city, the ocean, and the calm grow on you, the soul still keeps returning home. I’m especially worried about Serhiy, because if he doesn’t respond, anything could have happened... But the girls don’t give up, so life goes on, it doesn’t stop, you have to work everywhere, build a new home for yourself, so you need to gather strength. Wishing you inspiration for new chapters!
niubi-raiter07.02.2023, 08:55Selene Evance, Thank you for the wonderful feedback!!
- kseniia-demidenko03.02.2023, 19:44
Hello! This is a heavy work because the topic is alive, it bleeds. The fate of the main heroine, as well as the numerous fates of those she encounters, is pain. You write vividly, it’s interesting to read. But I can imagine how hard it must be for you to write this. Key stages of the war. The drawing of the boy whose parents DIDN’T HAVE TIME to teach him to write brought tears to my eyes. Poor children. The life of refugees abroad is no picnic either. Ukrainians have been scattered around the world. And the fact that the heroine ended up in Portugal almost by chance is no coincidence. I hope you’ll give the girl at least a little happiness. At least one of her parents will remain alive, right? You write beautifully, dynamically, and engagingly. Sometimes there are inconsistencies in tense, like “…lowered his eyes to the ground and only occasionally glances from under his brow.” The tense should be consistent: either past throughout or present. I’m reading on, though in small portions, because it’s like salt on a wound, everything feels so alive and bleeding. This work is necessary because not everyone knows the war in all its aspects. Losing a home is a tragedy, and not knowing what happened to your parents—God forbid. Wishing you luck! Inspiration, strength, time, and LIGHT!
niubi-raiter04.02.2023, 08:55Kseniya Demidenko, Thank you for the feedback!! I’ll pay attention to the tenses!!)
- tetiana-gishhak04.02.2023, 08:24
The raised topic is the most relevant. During the war, many people left abroad because they lost their homes and loved ones. When there is nothing holding you back at home, there is hope that you can start a new life in a foreign land. Especially since there is volunteer support, state support for refugees, help with language learning, and assistance from acquaintances. But it’s not for nothing that the word "foreign land" exists. Foreign language, foreign relationship dynamics, foreign customs and manners. At this point, after seven chapters, the girls haven’t yet had the chance to fully experience all the peculiarities of life abroad. Judging by the annotation, all of this is still ahead of them. Perhaps because the main events of the story are connected to Portugal, the first six chapters feel like a journalistic essay. By the seventh chapter, I understood why. It turns out that the first six chapters are a prologue. And that’s too much for a prologue. Everything that happened to Yulia before Portugal is our pain, yes, but the idea of the story is different. From the perspective of the author’s craft, all these painful moments from Yulia’s life would look more organic as memories. Again, considering certain rules of story structure, it should have started from the moment of crossing the border.
niubi-raiter04.02.2023, 08:53Tetyana Hyshchak, Thank you for your feedback. Indeed, I wanted to provide context first. After all, the work is being translated into English for foreigners who have not experienced the war, have not seen it from the inside. That's why the prologue dragged on a bit. However, from now on, it will only be about the life of refugees abroad. Thank you again!
- selene-evance12.12.2022, 09:03
Wow, a new chapter! In the morning! On a Monday! It all sounds so cool somehow, another country, everything beautiful, tasty, clean, problem-free, but so sad, because you're leaving not by your own will, but by the will of war. And you'll still remember home until you find another one.
niubi-raiter12.12.2022, 14:34Selene Evance, True.. And first good impressions can be deceptive. More about this later))
- katerina-kolesnik15.11.2022, 11:15
I've finished reading, thank you! Definitely, it should be translated into English so that foreigners can read it too. Everything reads very easily - no issues at all. The story, of course, is painful. At the moment of saying goodbye to Dmytro, I even got emotional( I can only imagine how much more fate has in store for the girl... I will definitely finish reading because I like your stories)
niubi-raiter15.11.2022, 17:08Kateryna Kolesnyk, Thank you very much for the feedback! I'm a bit busy right now, but I will definitely continue writing))
- katerina-kolesnik14.11.2022, 13:52
Hello) I finally got to your work. I already know how beautifully you write, so I'm confident about this book as well. I will definitely leave feedback once I finish reading. Inspiration to you!
niubi-raiter14.11.2022, 18:23Kateryna Kolesnyk, Many thanks, I also love your style))
- lara-rosa12.11.2022, 15:45
Hello! It's hard to read such things, despite the style, which is actually easy to perceive, but the memories... They immediately bring back the most terrifying days when the front line was just three kilometers away from you. When you hear it every day. Writing something like this must also be difficult, letting all those emotions pass through you, and there are many of them in the book, and they are painful. Real emotions, written realistically. You worry about the fate of the heroine and all those who were maimed by the war, scattered, whose destinies and lives were destroyed. Such books must exist so that people remember. So that there is no desire to "repeat." Wishing you inspiration in your future writing, because letting such emotions pass through you is not easy.
niubi-raiter13.11.2022, 07:30Lara Rosa, Thank you for the feedback!! Indeed, writing is very hard, but I understand that it is also important. However, we Ukrainians are strong, so I will keep writing. So as not to forget at what cost the victory was achieved.
- tasia-volia12.11.2022, 11:01
Hello! I'm from the marathon. I left your work for last because I realized it would be hard to evaluate. From the very first lines, I got flashbacks. I remember waking up to my mom's call saying it had started, and then the sounds of explosions outside the window, the long road home... It's hard to write about war, but you manage to convey all the emotions the main character experiences. Every word resonates inside, touches the soul. It even gives me goosebumps. All the events in the story unfold quite simply, logically: the news from the mother, staying in a bomb shelter, moving to another city... So many trials have fallen on Yulia's fate. But she is strong and will endure everything. The main thing is to believe in it. Inspiration and strength to you! ✨
niubi-raiter13.11.2022, 07:27Tasya Volya, Many thanks for the feedback! Together to victory!
- iren-vasiljeva09.11.2022, 14:18
Hello. I suggest we follow each other's pages. If you agree, feel free to follow.
niubi-raiter09.11.2022, 17:56Iren Vasylieva, hello, agreed
- selene-evance02.11.2022, 09:55
Oh, it's good that no one was home when I was reading... because they probably wouldn't understand why I'm drinking tea and sniffling, almost crying. My teacher always said that we are living history. And Yulia is an example of that. We all probably are, because we are all going through the terrible times of war. I hope this war will soon become just history. Your story really touches the heart, truly. Fortunately, I haven't experienced leaving the country, but I've always been curious if the grass is really greener on the other side. And also... this is an emotionally charged work. Andriy’s death, the separation from Dmytro (I thought I’d burst into tears from sadness when they hugged!), and now the separation from Serhiy and the loss of her parents. Poor Yulia. But she’s right when she says she’s strong, she’ll endure everything! The main thing is to hold on so she can return home. And we need to do everything to ensure there’s a home to return to. Thank you, I’m looking forward to the continuation!
selene-evance02.11.2022, 15:04Newbie Writer, life is life, meant to be complicated))
- dmitro-jevtusenko02.11.2022, 08:43
Congratulations on the marathon! It's quite difficult to evaluate a story when it feels more like a biography than fiction. And unfortunately, this biography could apply to a great number of people... I really liked the first chapter, especially in terms of conveying emotions. It gave me goosebumps. It was very hard to read because it's true... But that's a good thing; you managed to convey that moment very well! The story develops in a generally understandable way. I particularly liked the moment about collecting stories for a future book. As for the emotional connection... I think a bit more description is needed. I understand why Yulia cried so much when the grandmother came for her grandson, but I feel it would be nice to describe a bit more interaction between the girl and the boy. Overall, you managed to convey quite well the emotions that we all experienced in the first months of the war. And when a text resonates with readers and evokes any emotions, it means the author is doing everything right!))) Wishing the author inspiration and success!)
niubi-raiter02.11.2022, 14:46Dmytro Yevtushenko, Many thanks for the warm feedback! The book is still being written, there will be more emotions to come) I will take your comments into account!!