Reviews with content warning for Xenophobia - Hijab Butch Blues

Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

74 reviews

dianna_reads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

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linluvsbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This will absolutely be one of my favorite reads this year. The pacing and narrative structure is superb. Oftentimes with memoirs I find there is plenty of interesting stories about the author’s life, but parts or the whole is light on introspection or taking their life and connecting it to the outside world - but this is where Lamya H really shines. I’ve been recommending this book to everyone since I started it and will continue to do so. Thank you to @Lupita.reads (IG) for bringing my attention to this beautiful book.

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aflaine's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

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archiveofrasa's review

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hopeful informative reflective relaxing medium-paced

5.0

this bitch finished this in a day. as a queer South Asian Muslim: this memoir was for people like me.

the ending really bumped this up to 5 stars for me, it was stuck at 4-something but that interpretation of Surah Yunus – absolutely perfect. I loved all of the ways Lamya weaved stories of the Qu'ran into their experiences and really appreciated it as someone who hadn't gotten the chance to properly read the translations of those stories. of course, these are interpretations and no one is to say how "right" or "wrong" they are.

this book is so much more than the synopsis portrays. this memoir talks about queer discovery but also discusses being the "Good" version of either identity (the Good Muslim, the Good Queer Person), immigration, South Asian/Muslim views on marriage, intersectional racism and xenophobia, the contradictory beliefs our parents and elders hold, abandonment, self-reflection and activism. it discusses so many topics in ways that made me think and made me understand things I couldn't put into words.

it's also so important to me that this is a memoir and not fiction. it restores my hope in my environment and the people I'll encounter when I grow older. the faith that I will get a happy ending and have a good network of people that'll love and support me in their wonderful ways. honestly, all I can say is that I'm so grateful Lamya chose to share this.

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kirstym25's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

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sarahsbookstacks's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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kitaface's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

4.0

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notartgarfunkel's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

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lettuce_read's review against another edition

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5.0

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onmalsshelf's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring fast-paced

5.0

If you're considering picking this up, try out the audio. Narrated by the author, I think he conveys this epistolary novel well.

I'm a little confused on why all of the 1-2 star reviews think all scumbag dads deserve redemption arcs, because they don't. They can try to redeem themselves at the end of their lives, but it never works and that is what the author showed here.

This could've been five stars for me if there would've been a few chapters from Isaac's POV reading the letters from his father. Even just one at the very end.

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