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beths0103's review against another edition
3.0
Amal is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She loves fashion, TV-shows, and going shopping with her friends. But she is also committed to her faith and despite the difficulty she knows she will endure, has decided to start wearing the Islamic hijab full-time.
Randa Abdel-Fattah does a really great job educating her target audience that Islam in its purest form is not oppressive to women, but I thought story itself and the juxtaposition of educating her audience about Islam needed to be a little more seamless. The whole thing reeked of desperation at times. I never felt like I could relax into the story and just enjoy the characters because every scene felt like one big lesson for the ignorant non-Muslims out there who don't know any better.
Don't get me wrong, I appreciated the sentiment behind the story and I really think the author has done a service to non-Muslim teens by writing this book and helping to squash some huge misconceptions; I guess I just wish it hadn't been done in such an "in your face" manner.
Randa Abdel-Fattah does a really great job educating her target audience that Islam in its purest form is not oppressive to women, but I thought story itself and the juxtaposition of educating her audience about Islam needed to be a little more seamless. The whole thing reeked of desperation at times. I never felt like I could relax into the story and just enjoy the characters because every scene felt like one big lesson for the ignorant non-Muslims out there who don't know any better.
Don't get me wrong, I appreciated the sentiment behind the story and I really think the author has done a service to non-Muslim teens by writing this book and helping to squash some huge misconceptions; I guess I just wish it hadn't been done in such an "in your face" manner.
sarasofraz's review against another edition
4.0
The only thing I remember about reading this book was that I felt so much better about being a muslim and had a sense of rightfulness. Like it was okay to be swedish and pakistani and muslim and this was probably the first time i felt that in that age when i wasn't feeling too great about being the outsider.
rfanning97's review against another edition
4.0
This is the type of book I enjoyed but not loved. There was nothing wrong with it but it just seemed a little happy. What I mean by that is that there was no real badness and everything went according to plan. The characters were totally lovable and were the highlight of the story. I don't have many other thoughts on this book except that it was good enough to read but not good enough to re-read.
acrigger's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this book up from the library cause the cover caught my eye. Teaching teens has always been enough for me; I didn't think listening to a teen book would be so fun. Amal is an 11 year student in Australia. She's muslim and is trying to decide whether or not to wear the hijab full time. The book opens with her trying to decide and progresses through her parents ideas, her friends ideas, and others' ideas about what it means for her to wear it. She is a normal teen, but there are moments where she shows how adult she truly is. The book covers self-image, racism, and social prejudice as seen from a teenagers perspective. Well worth the read. I found myself laughing out loud sometimes and crying other times. I really enjoyed listening to this book.
hafsa97's review against another edition
4.0
I remember reading this as a child and finding it very quirky and funny! Being able to somewhat relate with Amal made me feel more included since I wasn't used to reading books that I could relate to on a personal level at that age. Re-reading this many years later I find myself remembering and laughing at the same parts that I did many years ago.
Overall, a fun and nostalgic book to start the new year with!
Overall, a fun and nostalgic book to start the new year with!
exlibris_emily's review against another edition
4.0
A quick and funny read about trying to fit in as a teenager in Australia, very much enjoyed the book and the message it offered.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this was a great book to help open the mind of some who have either 1) not thought about it or 2) some seriously messed up ideas or prejudices. I loved her determination and her devotion to her faith. Not many would have the same love to wear something with so much pride and love and understanding.
However, this was a little too "back to school special" for me. The kids, just a little too nice. The boys, totally unrealistic. While I want to think all of the kids at her rich prep school would be stunned and mostly silent and the perfect boy, just stunned speechless, we all know not everything works out all flowers and roses in real life.
However, this was a little too "back to school special" for me. The kids, just a little too nice. The boys, totally unrealistic. While I want to think all of the kids at her rich prep school would be stunned and mostly silent and the perfect boy, just stunned speechless, we all know not everything works out all flowers and roses in real life.
stephaniereads9b0f8's review against another edition
4.0
A teenage Muslim girl decides to wear the headscarf and finds there are consequences to her decision, both negative and positive. A nice treatment, not too heavyhanded.
beyalibooks's review against another edition
I adore this book. Truly. Amal and her friends and her problems are so relatable, and I just love the message this book sends out. This author kicks ass, ladies and gentlemen.
And Adam was adorbs that wasn’t the point ok stop
And Adam was adorbs that wasn’t the point ok stop