Reviews

Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed

aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

4.5

Really enjoyed it. This made me tear up a little towards the end a few times. 

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cvl_1103's review

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0


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_haven_'s review

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

really cool layout, important topic, and overall a good read!

gena1203's review

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5.0

This book angered my soul very much like Angie Thomas' "The Hate U Give." It was skillfully crafted, and oh-so-timely! While this book is deemed YA, the jarring and relevant topics of Islamophobia and white supremacy are powerful. The book left me empathizing with the helplessness that Safiya and many of the other characters face throughout the book, yet hopeful and empowered to continue to disrupt the all-too-common vicious cycles of silence and inaction. Extraordinary and emotional book!

mmotleyu's review

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4.0

This was my favorite of her books that I have read. I liked how the issues of racism and classism were woven into a mystery. I think this book will have great appeal to my students. I also enjoyed the note at the end that told the Leopold and Loeb story.

deaton9's review

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5.0

Amazing book! Impressive writing and connections, engaging Chicago mystery, and strong characters.

alhead32's review

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5.0

I have recommended this book to everyone that will listen. It challenges many points of view in our country and the assumptions we make toward each other in our day-to-day lives. I saw someone else comment that they were not pleased by being able to some of the plot but it's YA and I think it showcases that being an adult on the outside of a situation is very different than being a high schooler in one. No hate to the person that commented that, I thought it was an interesting point and wanted to share my perspective on having the same thing happen while I read it.

P.S. I love that time is not linear in this book!

aravenclawlibraryx's review

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4.0

Title: Hollow Fires
Author: Samira Ahmed
Genre: YA mystery
Format: paperback library book
Series: NA
Star Rating: 4 stars

tw: dead body, xenophobia, bullying, racism, death, assault, racist slurs, attempted murder

I’m going to start by saying I truly enjoyed this book. One of the best things about this book was its readability. This book tackled the hard topic of xenophobia in a way that was easy to digest. I still felt incredibly angry about what Safiya went through but it was put in a way that helps you to understand just what Safiya goes through. As a white woman, I couldn’t even begin to understand how xenophobia affects others. This book made sure that you understood exactly what it was like to experience xenophobia. I was truly astounded that Safiya dealt with xenophobia simply by going to school. 

Another one of my favorite things about this book was the use of different multimedia. It had podcast transcripts, emails, interviews, etc. It helped to break up the heaviness of the plot, which is Safiya trying to find out who murdered a boy. It had some podcast transcripts that made me so mad but it was good to have all those different viewpoints so we could truly understand everything.

I’ll mention one last thing about one of my favorite things about this book. I appreciate that Safiya and her friends still acted like teenagers. Sure, they wanted to do what they could to bring the murders to justice and bring awareness to xenophobia but they also got excited about cute boys, shopping, etc. It was quite refreshing because oftentimes when teenagers are trying to figure out mysteries, they forget to be high schoolers. It was honestly one of my favorite parts of the book. 

Overall, this was a very good book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m so glad my YA Not Club chose this book. Here’s a little fun fact for you. This book was based on a trial that happened in the 30s, which I didn’t realize until we discussed the book at our meeting. If you want to know what the case is about, search for Leopold and Loeb. The case happened in 1092’s Chicago. But overall, I highly recommend this book. 

ang000reads's review

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Had to return it to the library!

lzprsn's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5