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abookwanderer's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The Search for Us is the second book by Susan Azim Boyer, and after enjoying her debut last year, I quickly added her next one to my list. I’m so very happy I did, because I think Boyer may have surpassed her sparkling debut. Refreshingly honest, timely, and so full of heart, I adored this young adult novel about two half-siblings finding each other and themselves as they search for their biological father.
Boyer tapped into her own history to write her debut, Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win, and The Search for Us is inspired by her husband’s discovery of a sister when he did a DNA test. There’s something about knowing a book is inspired by real life that makes it even sweeter. It’s clear the author has a true connection with the material.
The story is told from our two half-siblings, Samira and Henry, both high school seniors, both struggling with problems at home that can be mostly attributed to their absent biological father. When they both set out to find him, they find each other, as well. I adored Samira and Henry. They were both kind, but flawed in different ways. It was rewarding to see them grow and learn through their joined experiences.
Along the way, they discover surprising things about their father and their families, and I appreciated how the author took characters that might seem unforgivable and made me sympathize with them, even understand them.
DNA matching is such a timely and fascinating subject. I would have thought discovering an unknown sibling is a rare event, until it happened in my own family. My mother discovered she had an older half-brother less than ten years ago through DNA matching. While discovering a new sibling can be shocking, for my mother it was a happy occasion. Both her parents had already passed and she’d only ever had one sister, so she was happy to expand her family. I think Boyer does a wonderful job of capturing this strange dichotomy.
The Search for Us is a special book, touching on a sensitive subject with grace and honesty, giving us two characters we desperately hope will find their way. It had me smiling, as well as misty-eyed, and deserves all the love and attention!
Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an advanced reader’s copy.
Check out my reviews and book playlists at A Book Wanderer
Boyer tapped into her own history to write her debut, Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win, and The Search for Us is inspired by her husband’s discovery of a sister when he did a DNA test. There’s something about knowing a book is inspired by real life that makes it even sweeter. It’s clear the author has a true connection with the material.
The story is told from our two half-siblings, Samira and Henry, both high school seniors, both struggling with problems at home that can be mostly attributed to their absent biological father. When they both set out to find him, they find each other, as well. I adored Samira and Henry. They were both kind, but flawed in different ways. It was rewarding to see them grow and learn through their joined experiences.
Along the way, they discover surprising things about their father and their families, and I appreciated how the author took characters that might seem unforgivable and made me sympathize with them, even understand them.
DNA matching is such a timely and fascinating subject. I would have thought discovering an unknown sibling is a rare event, until it happened in my own family. My mother discovered she had an older half-brother less than ten years ago through DNA matching. While discovering a new sibling can be shocking, for my mother it was a happy occasion. Both her parents had already passed and she’d only ever had one sister, so she was happy to expand her family. I think Boyer does a wonderful job of capturing this strange dichotomy.
The Search for Us is a special book, touching on a sensitive subject with grace and honesty, giving us two characters we desperately hope will find their way. It had me smiling, as well as misty-eyed, and deserves all the love and attention!
Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an advanced reader’s copy.
Check out my reviews and book playlists at A Book Wanderer
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Chronic illness
Minor: Bullying, Child death, Car accident, Racism, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and War
jkneebone's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Search for Us is told in the alternating perspectives of half-siblings Samira Murphy and Henry Owen, both of whom are seniors in high school. Samira is an "over-functioner" who lives with her grandmother and older brother Kamron. Her grandfather recently passed away, and her mother lives in a different state; since her grandfather's death, Samira has taken on the responsibility of helping her grandmother pay the bills and trying to keep Kamron, who is an alcoholic, on the path to recovery. Henry is an ice hockey player who plays a balancing game with the adults in the life - he lives with his aunt and uncle, who are his adoptive parents, but his bio-mom is still in the picture, and there is a lot of tension between her and her sister (Henry's adoptive mom).
At the beginning of the story, Samira and Henry have no idea that the other exists, but both feel the loss of not having their father, Mohammed Safavi, in their lives. None of the adults in their lives know (or are willing to share) anything about Mohammed's whereabouts. Samira wants to get in contact with her dad so he can pay the back child support he owes their mother, allowing her to pay for a treatment program for Kamron and her tuition to her dream school. Henry wants to know more about where he comes from, especially as he prepares to play hockey in college, something he isn't sure he wants to do. With the goal of finding their dad, both Samira and Henry are encouraged to take DNA tests (Samira by her best friend Tara, and Henry by his girlfriend Linh). They don't find their father, but they do connect with each other, which is the start of an intense journey to find out what happened to Mohammed Safavi.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I don't want to say too much for fear of spoiling anything, but I thought Henry and Samira were both interesting, well-developed characters. I loved how quickly they fell into closeness upon discovering that they were half-siblings (although as an only child, there may have been some envy involved on my part there). I thought Azim Boyer did a great job of crafting interesting worlds around each of the characters - they dynamics between Henry and his parents, Henry and Linh, as well as Samira and her family (especially Kamron) and Tara. My main complaint, and the reason I gave the book 3.5 stars instead of 4, was that it felt like everything was tied up too neatly in the end, to the point that certain things seemed to have been swept under the rug. I understand that this is a YA book, which probably made the author more inclined to wrap things up neatly instead of leaving the reader hanging, but there was an aspect of the story that to me would have felt more authentic if it had ended a little more messily.
That being said, I thought this was a great read. It kept my attention the whole way through, and I loved that it focused on friendship and familial relationships instead of romance. It dealt with heavy topics in a thoughtful way, and I'm sure it could inspire lots of good discussion. Definitely recommend.
(Thanks to NetGalley for access to the ARC!)
At the beginning of the story, Samira and Henry have no idea that the other exists, but both feel the loss of not having their father, Mohammed Safavi, in their lives. None of the adults in their lives know (or are willing to share) anything about Mohammed's whereabouts. Samira wants to get in contact with her dad so he can pay the back child support he owes their mother, allowing her to pay for a treatment program for Kamron and her tuition to her dream school. Henry wants to know more about where he comes from, especially as he prepares to play hockey in college, something he isn't sure he wants to do. With the goal of finding their dad, both Samira and Henry are encouraged to take DNA tests (Samira by her best friend Tara, and Henry by his girlfriend Linh). They don't find their father, but they do connect with each other, which is the start of an intense journey to find out what happened to Mohammed Safavi.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I don't want to say too much for fear of spoiling anything, but I thought Henry and Samira were both interesting, well-developed characters. I loved how quickly they fell into closeness upon discovering that they were half-siblings (although as an only child, there may have been some envy involved on my part there). I thought Azim Boyer did a great job of crafting interesting worlds around each of the characters - they dynamics between Henry and his parents, Henry and Linh, as well as Samira and her family (especially Kamron) and Tara. My main complaint, and the reason I gave the book 3.5 stars instead of 4, was that it felt like everything was tied up too neatly in the end, to the point that certain things seemed to have been swept under the rug. I understand that this is a YA book, which probably made the author more inclined to wrap things up neatly instead of leaving the reader hanging, but there was an aspect of the story that to me would have felt more authentic if it had ended a little more messily.
That being said, I thought this was a great read. It kept my attention the whole way through, and I loved that it focused on friendship and familial relationships instead of romance. It dealt with heavy topics in a thoughtful way, and I'm sure it could inspire lots of good discussion. Definitely recommend.
(Thanks to NetGalley for access to the ARC!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Islamophobia
Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, Abandonment, and Mental illness
Minor: Death, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders
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