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bookph1le's review against another edition
3.0
I have mixed feelings about this. I could relate to a lot of it because I was also a teenager in the 90s, so a lot of what Saedi writes about resonates with my own experience, but this wasn't quite what I expected it to be. Since this is a memoir, I'm not sure that a spoiler warning makes sense, but I will talk at some length about this book's specifics.
I think one of my main problems with this book is that it feels awkward at times. I could feel Saedi reaching from the page and wanting to grab me or her presumed teen audience by using colloquialisms or coming across as irreverent, but those parts felt stilted to me. I didn't see the need to try so hard when there were elements of her story that could more than stand on their own two legs. I wish she would have trusted that rather than practically grabbing her readers by the collar and shouting, "See? I can relate to the kids of today!"
Another thing I didn't much like was how heavy-handed this book felt at times, which is awkward for me to say. Since I'm not a PoC, I'm not comfortable evaluating a book by a PoC on those grounds, but I think that element tries into the whole trying too hard bit. I didn't need Saedi to outright say, "While regular teenagers were doing x, I had to worry because I was an illegal immigrant." I could already feel the difficulty there. I think what I didn't like about her sometimes overt approach was that it pulled me out of the narrative, which didn't work for me because when I was immersed in the narrative I was walking in Saedi's shoes and feeling plenty sympathetic for her plight.
I have to admit, the casual references to pot in this book also gave me pause, since the science about the effect of pot on teen brains isn't very solid but does indicate some areas for concern. On the one hand, I did think it was valuable that Saedi didn't try to "clean" things up for her readers, and that she was upfront about things like recreational drug use, drinking, and sex, but I also wish there'd been some more nuance here. I mean, she casually mentions family members getting her drunk when she was only 13 and I...just wasn't okay with that.
Now, that aside, there are also some very strong aspects to this book that I very much admired. As I said, when I was walking in Saedi's shoes, I felt a great deal of empathy for her and her family. There's a section in the book where she talks about a blow up she had with her parents that was born of frustration on both sides with the immigration process. Saedi does a nice job of showing how the stress was affecting her differently from her parents and how that resulted in a big misunderstanding that ended up in her gaining insight into her parents. I mean, what teen doesn't fail to recognize their own parents as human beings from time to time? Yet as strong as this passage was, I was a little confused by it as well because she mentions a screaming fight yet no fight takes place. Instead, she's describing the aftermath. I'm not saying I needed to see the fight on the page, I just found the narrative setup confusing. Why not just say that she had a fight with her parents that made her see things from a different point of view, rather than making it sound like the chapter was going to be about that fight?
Equally strong were the sections exploring her family background, especially with regard to her grandparents. Saedi interrogates her grandmother's life, showing her unconventional a woman her grandmother was, and exploring its impact on the way it shaped her family on down the line. There's probably a whole book there, in just that story alone. Saedi also talks candidly about how sorry she is that she didn't try to find more common ground with her grandmother while she was still alive, and I think this is a valuable lesson for people of all ages. Our family members are living examples of both our family and cultural histories, and I share some of Saedi's regret at not having appreciated that in my own life when I still had the option.
The book lost me when it delved a lot into Saedi's typical teen angst, even though I found myself in a lot of those passages as well. I think those sections might resonate more with young people who are in the midst of the same dramas, but they didn't work as well for me, who has the benefit of decades of hindsight with regard to those particular episodes.
In the end, this book ended up being a mixed bag for me. I'd been really drawn in to certain chapters, invested in Saedi's family background and their plight as immigrants, and then get to a chapter where she'd talk at length about her teenage romance problems, which would make me lose interest. Like I said, I don't fault the book for this because I do think those sections would resonate more with teenagers, who would see that even as Saedi was dealing with her family's precarious situation, she still had to deal with the same stuff every teenager does. Since this book isn't targeted at people my age, I think it's good those parts have been woven into the book. But to me the really strong parts are when Saedi sits back and lets her story take precedence without trying to be quippy about it, and I think if the whole book had been like that, it would have been stronger.
I think one of my main problems with this book is that it feels awkward at times. I could feel Saedi reaching from the page and wanting to grab me or her presumed teen audience by using colloquialisms or coming across as irreverent, but those parts felt stilted to me. I didn't see the need to try so hard when there were elements of her story that could more than stand on their own two legs. I wish she would have trusted that rather than practically grabbing her readers by the collar and shouting, "See? I can relate to the kids of today!"
Another thing I didn't much like was how heavy-handed this book felt at times, which is awkward for me to say. Since I'm not a PoC, I'm not comfortable evaluating a book by a PoC on those grounds, but I think that element tries into the whole trying too hard bit. I didn't need Saedi to outright say, "While regular teenagers were doing x, I had to worry because I was an illegal immigrant." I could already feel the difficulty there. I think what I didn't like about her sometimes overt approach was that it pulled me out of the narrative, which didn't work for me because when I was immersed in the narrative I was walking in Saedi's shoes and feeling plenty sympathetic for her plight.
I have to admit, the casual references to pot in this book also gave me pause, since the science about the effect of pot on teen brains isn't very solid but does indicate some areas for concern. On the one hand, I did think it was valuable that Saedi didn't try to "clean" things up for her readers, and that she was upfront about things like recreational drug use, drinking, and sex, but I also wish there'd been some more nuance here. I mean, she casually mentions family members getting her drunk when she was only 13 and I...just wasn't okay with that.
Now, that aside, there are also some very strong aspects to this book that I very much admired. As I said, when I was walking in Saedi's shoes, I felt a great deal of empathy for her and her family. There's a section in the book where she talks about a blow up she had with her parents that was born of frustration on both sides with the immigration process. Saedi does a nice job of showing how the stress was affecting her differently from her parents and how that resulted in a big misunderstanding that ended up in her gaining insight into her parents. I mean, what teen doesn't fail to recognize their own parents as human beings from time to time? Yet as strong as this passage was, I was a little confused by it as well because she mentions a screaming fight yet no fight takes place. Instead, she's describing the aftermath. I'm not saying I needed to see the fight on the page, I just found the narrative setup confusing. Why not just say that she had a fight with her parents that made her see things from a different point of view, rather than making it sound like the chapter was going to be about that fight?
Equally strong were the sections exploring her family background, especially with regard to her grandparents. Saedi interrogates her grandmother's life, showing her unconventional a woman her grandmother was, and exploring its impact on the way it shaped her family on down the line. There's probably a whole book there, in just that story alone. Saedi also talks candidly about how sorry she is that she didn't try to find more common ground with her grandmother while she was still alive, and I think this is a valuable lesson for people of all ages. Our family members are living examples of both our family and cultural histories, and I share some of Saedi's regret at not having appreciated that in my own life when I still had the option.
The book lost me when it delved a lot into Saedi's typical teen angst, even though I found myself in a lot of those passages as well. I think those sections might resonate more with young people who are in the midst of the same dramas, but they didn't work as well for me, who has the benefit of decades of hindsight with regard to those particular episodes.
In the end, this book ended up being a mixed bag for me. I'd been really drawn in to certain chapters, invested in Saedi's family background and their plight as immigrants, and then get to a chapter where she'd talk at length about her teenage romance problems, which would make me lose interest. Like I said, I don't fault the book for this because I do think those sections would resonate more with teenagers, who would see that even as Saedi was dealing with her family's precarious situation, she still had to deal with the same stuff every teenager does. Since this book isn't targeted at people my age, I think it's good those parts have been woven into the book. But to me the really strong parts are when Saedi sits back and lets her story take precedence without trying to be quippy about it, and I think if the whole book had been like that, it would have been stronger.
samabenamer's review against another edition
5.0
i absolutely loved this book!! i was hooked the entire time
themahtin's review against another edition
4.0
A sweet story that is peppered with information about immigration as well as the author's own experiences from growing up as an undocumented immigrant in the US. At the end of the book, there's info about Trump administration immigration policies as of approximately 2018.
shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
Due out in Feb. 2018, this fun memoir for teens describes what it is like to grow up as an immigrant from Iran to the United States. The process of applying for permanent status dragged out for more than 23 years - age 2 to 26 for Sara. She straddled the line of rebellious American teenager and dutiful immigrant child with plenty of spice. And it was all complicated by the fact that green cards kept not materializing. At the end she includes a "illegal immigrant refresher course" to help young people (and not so young) understand all the permutations and complications of our current system.
basilkumquat's review against another edition
3.0
Quick, lighthearted read that illustrates the difficulty of growing up between cultures and being undocumented in the US.
hayleybeale's review against another edition
4.0
41/2 stars. This breezy memoir about growing up Iranian American in Northern California is shot through with Sara’s family’s struggles to secure legal status. See my full review here.
rae_2009's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
solocupofearlgrey's review against another edition
Was reading this for a book club, but I’ve decided to DNF it today because I don’t see myself picking it back up after book club (it’s a great book, I really liked it from the amount I’ve read [got to page 58]). If you’re considering reading this, do it because you will enjoy it.
kelsie17's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.25