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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
Wow, this book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. The main character, Shirin, faces obstacles such as racism and stereotypes. Growing up as a POC is so difficult because you don’t understand the reasons some people treat you the way they do. With that, comes a lot of anger, but there’s also so much love and genuineness when you find the right people that the two sides of the scale becomes overwhelming. Mafi did such an amazing job developing and evolving Shirin through everything she overcomes. She finds that there are some amazing people in this world, we just have to let them in. I will admit that I cried a lot reading this book, but I also felt such joy as Shirin grew. It was easy to connect with her and would love to read more of Mafi’s work!
Where to start? I wish I'd read this earlier in high school. I wish books like this could've been around forever, but... you know, better late than never. I'll even go as far as to say that at the very least, just the fact that this book, which touches on –dare I say it– sensitive and relatable topics, ones that the majority of people don't feel comfortable talking about either out of fear or ignorance, has been published at all... well, it honestly makes me hopeful about the human race.
This book makes me feel seen. I don't wear hijab myself, but I know all too well about the insecurity, the anger, the fear, the utter hopelessness Shirin feels throughout the whole story. It's all too relatable and hits close to home. I don't live in the US, but I can only imagine how it must be like as a Muslim to live there after 9/11, even now. To have a Muslim teenager being represented in this way, just like any other teenager really, who even – gasp – curses like a sailor and kisses (white) boys and enjoys it, is a breath of fresh air. To me, it is exceptionally compelling to see/read how fleshed out the characters are, even secondary ones like Navid and Coach Hart (frighteningly accurate representation of how hateful people can be when confronted with something they don't know, yet already assume it's bad for them).
Anyway, long story short, I devoured this in four days and loved it. Not to say it was absolutely perfect since the writing style bothers me at times, but I suppose that's how teenagers think and speak...? In the end, I'd absolutely recommend this to everyone. After seeing encouraging moves from the entertainment industry to make sure everyone gets represented (Asian, Black, Hispanic, etc etc) these last few years, I'm very glad this book came along to make sure that we also get our turn. So... thank you, Tahereh Mafi. Thank you for making me feel seen, heard, and understood.
This book makes me feel seen. I don't wear hijab myself, but I know all too well about the insecurity, the anger, the fear, the utter hopelessness Shirin feels throughout the whole story. It's all too relatable and hits close to home. I don't live in the US, but I can only imagine how it must be like as a Muslim to live there after 9/11, even now. To have a Muslim teenager being represented in this way, just like any other teenager really, who even – gasp – curses like a sailor and kisses (white) boys and enjoys it, is a breath of fresh air. To me, it is exceptionally compelling to see/read how fleshed out the characters are, even secondary ones like Navid and Coach Hart (frighteningly accurate representation of how hateful people can be when confronted with something they don't know, yet already assume it's bad for them).
Anyway, long story short, I devoured this in four days and loved it. Not to say it was absolutely perfect since the writing style bothers me at times, but I suppose that's how teenagers think and speak...? In the end, I'd absolutely recommend this to everyone. After seeing encouraging moves from the entertainment industry to make sure everyone gets represented (Asian, Black, Hispanic, etc etc) these last few years, I'm very glad this book came along to make sure that we also get our turn. So... thank you, Tahereh Mafi. Thank you for making me feel seen, heard, and understood.
This was a great first read of the year that I finished yesterday. Love how Tahereh took inspiration from her own life as a Muslim breakdancer for this one. If you’re a fan of YA novels I definitely recommend this one.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
Would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys YA fiction! I’m also a fan of the main character and hope others will be too.
this particular book portrays how f**ked up our society is. srsly. I don't even know how else to put it. it deals with racism, stereotypes about certain religions and so much frigging more
4/5 stars.
It's been quite some time since I've been able to read a YA book all the way through. I have to admit, the premise of this book was very intriguing and unlike other books I've read recently, the actual novel stuck with the premise. Overall, I found this book to be very good. I think it's an important story and one that needed to be told. Perhaps the most striking thing of all is, during various moments in the book I kept forgetting this was nearly 17 years ago. The raw emotions and situations that the protagonist, Shirin faces, is things we see echoed in one way or another nearly every news cycle.
There was one negative review of this book that was so clearly racist, it made me want to report the reviewer. They noted, that "not everything is racist" truly, spoken like a white person. The sentiment is true, but we have no hold or view over what life was like for people of color, more particularly hijabis, post 9/11. Another thing, Shirin is a fucking teenager. She's bound to be angry, and bitter, and not make sense. Like ANY other teenager in the world.
I think this book meant well in several places, but it fell short in others. For example, I never want to hear the word "wow" in my life ever again. I would've loved to know more about Shirin and Navid's parents, as odd as that may sound. In terms of crafting Shirin's world, she does admittedly have a whole sleuth of hobbies, but only those who haven't had many friends in life can attest to this. So yeah, it seems like she's all over the place. BECAUSE SHE IS. She's a Muslim teenager post 9/11 who is attacked daily, not just by racists, but also by her own people. Is she the most pleasant of characters? No. But in my opinion, she's warranted the hard shell she has around her heart.
Obviously, a big role of this book is the fact that she wears a hijab. I think her reasoning behind it is shallow, at best, but not invalid entirely. There are lots of religious reasons a hijab is worn, and I wish those would've been added as an explanation.
One thing I extremely disliked (because I love my happy endings) is how the book ended. It was happy in its own way, and I know it's naive considering they're teenagers, but I was rooting for them. Nonetheless, I think Ocean was really important for Shirin, to let her heart open up, to begin to live her life again despite all that happens. I wonder, if those two were to meet now, what would happen?
I think the majority of people complaining about this book all share the same sentiment, it's all over the place. But honestly... that's kind of the nature of YA books, isn't it? The characters are supposed to be angry and bitter and not sure of how to handle anything that happens in their lives, let alone something on the grand scale of racism. I know I personally stopped reading YA for that reason exactly. But this book, in definite need of some more character development, wasn't bad. It was good. It told a good story. It just needed a bit more development and understanding from the readers.
It's been quite some time since I've been able to read a YA book all the way through. I have to admit, the premise of this book was very intriguing and unlike other books I've read recently, the actual novel stuck with the premise. Overall, I found this book to be very good. I think it's an important story and one that needed to be told. Perhaps the most striking thing of all is, during various moments in the book I kept forgetting this was nearly 17 years ago. The raw emotions and situations that the protagonist, Shirin faces, is things we see echoed in one way or another nearly every news cycle.
There was one negative review of this book that was so clearly racist, it made me want to report the reviewer. They noted, that "not everything is racist" truly, spoken like a white person. The sentiment is true, but we have no hold or view over what life was like for people of color, more particularly hijabis, post 9/11. Another thing, Shirin is a fucking teenager. She's bound to be angry, and bitter, and not make sense. Like ANY other teenager in the world.
I think this book meant well in several places, but it fell short in others. For example, I never want to hear the word "wow" in my life ever again. I would've loved to know more about Shirin and Navid's parents, as odd as that may sound. In terms of crafting Shirin's world, she does admittedly have a whole sleuth of hobbies, but only those who haven't had many friends in life can attest to this. So yeah, it seems like she's all over the place. BECAUSE SHE IS. She's a Muslim teenager post 9/11 who is attacked daily, not just by racists, but also by her own people. Is she the most pleasant of characters? No. But in my opinion, she's warranted the hard shell she has around her heart.
Obviously, a big role of this book is the fact that she wears a hijab. I think her reasoning behind it is shallow, at best, but not invalid entirely. There are lots of religious reasons a hijab is worn, and I wish those would've been added as an explanation.
One thing I extremely disliked (because I love my happy endings) is how the book ended. It was happy in its own way, and I know it's naive considering they're teenagers, but I was rooting for them. Nonetheless, I think Ocean was really important for Shirin, to let her heart open up, to begin to live her life again despite all that happens. I wonder, if those two were to meet now, what would happen?
I think the majority of people complaining about this book all share the same sentiment, it's all over the place. But honestly... that's kind of the nature of YA books, isn't it? The characters are supposed to be angry and bitter and not sure of how to handle anything that happens in their lives, let alone something on the grand scale of racism. I know I personally stopped reading YA for that reason exactly. But this book, in definite need of some more character development, wasn't bad. It was good. It told a good story. It just needed a bit more development and understanding from the readers.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes