A review by  Elke Engelhardt, for Fixpoetry, September 17, 2015. Below are translated excerpts.
Regarding Syria, there is a tragic mismatch in the perception of the situation in that country, and the needs of the people there. On the one hand there are people like Samar Yazbek, who expose themselves to great risks in order to repeatedly report on the situation on the ground, give a voice to the people there that no one listens to, and on the other hand, there is persistent policy of turning a blind eye for over four years (…)

This interview was conducted by Ruth René for Der Standard, and published on September 13th, 2015. Below are translated excerpts.
STANDARD: Ms. Yazbek, in your book you despair at the fact that no one wants to know what is happening in Syria. Has the world abandoned Syria?

 Yazbek: The world knows what is happening in Syria. All documents and evidence of the war crimes of the Assad regime were submitted to the United Nations, even before the advent of ISIS and similar groups. But the powerful countries, including the United States, ignored all the massacres perpetrated by Assad …

This interview was conducted by Susanne Lenz, for the Berliner Zeitung, and published on September 14th, 2015.
A few excerpts of the interview below (approximate translation!)
In your book you describe how you got controlled at checkpoints by Iraqis, Yemenis, Chechens, etc.. It sounds as if Syria is not the Syrians’ anymore.
That is perfectly true: Assad has sold the country. Because of him, foreign fighters dominate. And also because of Iran and Russia. Assad is responsible, but so is the world and the regional states…

This collection of texts was commissioned and published by The Guardian, on September 12th 2015. Photo credit: Ed Alcock, MYOP Diffusion, The Guardian,
The refugee crisis, though long in the news, has suddenly captured the world’s attention. But what are the underlying causes, and what should individuals and governments do to help? Samar Yazbek responded (below) – along with Orhan Pamuk, Arundhati Roy, Elif Shafak, Ahdaf Soueif, Pankaj Mishra,

By Barry Andrews, for Irish Times, August 2, 2015
Barry Andrews of Goal salutes an eloquent, gripping and harrowing account by an incredibly brave Syrian of her country’s decline into barbarism.
The war in Syria is in its fifth year and it is estimated that 230,000 people have died in the conflict. This book is an eloquent, gripping and harrowing account of the country’s decline into barbarism by an incredibly brave Syrian.

Review by The Press & Journal, July 29th, 2015
The Crossing documents [Yazbek’s] three return visits to Syria between 2012 and 2013. This was a period during which the Syrian people were desperately fighting for survival, both against the Assad regime and the brutal and unforgiving force of emerging Jihadist groups.