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kjlewis494's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Medical content, Xenophobia, War, Gun violence, Racism, and Religious bigotry
ellathelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Very informative read, with a historical/cultural focus. A very brave young woman.
melissa_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
This book was an amazing view of how education around the world is so different. I was fortunate enough to have been born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, countries which welcome and support education for both boys and girls. Malala brought us the story of her home of Swat, Pakistan where it is not so common for females to be educated. I found it quite enlightening to learn about the history of Pakistan, a country which is quite young as it was establish as independent in the 1940's, and finding out about its seemingly constant conflict.
Malala's father, I think, has given her such a fantastic role model during her upbringing as he was spokesperson for education & establishing a few schools of his own. Their combined passion is humbling. They fight for the basic rights which most people take for granted and this needs to be applauded.
It seems so strange that this sort of thing is happening in such a modern age. A young girl was shot at point blank range, but before that hundreds of school were bombed and normal citizens are intimidated by men with guns daily. The Taliban interpreted Islam & the Quran in a way which oppresses women, not allowing them to simply go to the market or get an education. Malala and her family are active muslim people, and they let us know that islam is a religion of peace but unfortunately some people like the taliban decide to twist the writings of the Quran to their own advantage.
This book was a fantastic perspective on education in the East. I hope that Malala gets all that she hopes for and one day she can return to Swat and can implement all the changes to the institution of education to create a more inclusive society.
Malala's father, I think, has given her such a fantastic role model during her upbringing as he was spokesperson for education & establishing a few schools of his own. Their combined passion is humbling. They fight for the basic rights which most people take for granted and this needs to be applauded.
It seems so strange that this sort of thing is happening in such a modern age. A young girl was shot at point blank range, but before that hundreds of school were bombed and normal citizens are intimidated by men with guns daily. The Taliban interpreted Islam & the Quran in a way which oppresses women, not allowing them to simply go to the market or get an education. Malala and her family are active muslim people, and they let us know that islam is a religion of peace but unfortunately some people like the taliban decide to twist the writings of the Quran to their own advantage.
This book was a fantastic perspective on education in the East. I hope that Malala gets all that she hopes for and one day she can return to Swat and can implement all the changes to the institution of education to create a more inclusive society.
dontstopreadin's review against another edition
5.0
Malala is a huge inspiration, and I am beyond glad to have finally read this book. While I knew a majority of her story and what happened thanks to interviews and news stories, I was still fascinated by hearing this story from her perspective. I highly recommend this as a feminist, pro-education, and pro-girl read!
hannahls98's review against another edition
5.0
A remarkable story of a remarkable person. Before reading this book, I had heard about Malala's story, but this book truly opened my eyes to how incredible her activism is for women's education. I recommend this book to every single person I know. Speechless.
deathbyspreadsheet's review against another edition
5.0
I look forward to reading her next book and all those that follow.
lindsey_gonzalez's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
I've been meaning to read this for such a long time, and I'm so glad that I was able to share it with my kids as they did Lit Circles. It's really an inspiring and very thought-provoking read. I learned so much about Malala's culture and religion in addition to her story, which made the text very engaging.
katelynnmilliken's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
5.0
I listened to this book using Audible. purchased it using one credit sometime in 2022 or 2023, and was finally able to spend the time listening to it... And I'm SO glad I did! Malala retells her early life as a young girl that wants an education. In the United States, this is common - but isn't so common in Pakistan. Luckily, her father was the principal of a school. She had educational privileges that many girls did not, and she recognized this. Her love for school turned into a love of advocating for women and children, boys and girls. "We need to encourage young girls that their voice matters. I think there are hundreds and thousands of Malalas out there." actually sobbed listening to the retelling of her hospital stay after being shot. She expressed her feelings from those moments so very well. She was "wise beyond her years,' as mentioned in the book. The feelings she had and the situations she faced as such a young child were horrifying. She explains the terrors of the Taliban and how it impacted every part of their life, but also gave us a look inside what it is like to be a child during war. This book is inspirational, motivational, and well worth the read (or listen).