Reviews

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

malvalencia's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

4.0

kalikaykali's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

3.0

leasummer's review against another edition

3.0

Malala is an amazing girl. This book gives us a lot of history of Pakistan, up to when it was written - the politics and geopolitics, as well as the different regimes and what it was like to live under those. I was expecting it to be more of Malala's story and it really wasn't. She's telling the story, it is written in a young voice, but many (most?) of the stories aren't her experiences but that of her country and her family. The last section focused on her assassination attempt and her life afterward, which I found very fascinating. It's a good read, not what I expected but worthwhile.

devradevra's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Sometimes I think it's easier to be a Twilight vampire than a girl in Swat.

This book provides a fascinating description of something I know nothing about: modern Pashtun life. Malala Yousafzai describes growing up in Pakistan, the history and politics of Afghanistan and Pakistan (don’t know a lot about that either), and the rise of the Taliban from her and her family’s perspective.

She liked to read Twilight, listen to Justin Bieber, and watch Bollywood movies and Ugly Betty. Her father owned a school, and Malala was already a public figure advocating for education when the Taliban got on her school bus and shot her and two other girls. 

She describes in detail her hospital care (even the parts she has no memory of), the political reasons behind deciding which country to send her to for more medical care, what it was like being an ICU patient, and her rehab journey. 

There is no reason to dislike this book unless you hate learning new things, optimism, and education. 

emillly_b's review against another edition

4.0

So so so inspiring, I am in awe of her courage

pay10new10's review against another edition

4.0

I should have read this book a long time ago. Malala’s story was extremely eye opening to the events that take place in our world that aren’t discussed as they should be. Malala goes in depth about the history of her country, religion, and experiences. However, I almost wish she shared more of her feelings. Although she was open about her life, I felt she talked about it very objectively. Overall, a book that is a must read.

klbailey's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

nikireadsstuff's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

tidoublegarrr's review against another edition

4.0

Malala is truly a force of nature and her drive and her spirit come through in her writing. Reading her book, realized how little we know about the real Pakistan from what we hear in the news here in the US. Some of the things she mentioned about the War on Terror were eye-opening. The order of the chapters and timeline were a bit odd, but if you're looking for an inspiring read, this is it.

pinetrees's review against another edition

4.0

Beautiful story of a beautiful girl with a sharp and full mind. I give it a four star rating because the writing was a little inexperienced and made you feel less like you were involved and more like you were reading it on the New York Times website.