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utopiastateofmind's review
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I kind of knew Hollow Fires would break my heart from the premise alone. And then within the book, my heart got broken about 5 or 6 times. Hollow Fires is heart wrenching, but don't let that discourage you. This book deserves to be read. It's an examination of radicalization, islamaphobia, and fuels rage, but also provides hope. From the beginning, Ahmed explores not only explicit hate crimes, but also the implicit way people give perpetrators "second chances". Or the way they are unwilling to speak against them, to see their own biases.
Being dual POV with Safiya and Jawad was going to wreck me. Spoiler alert, it did. Hollow Fires balances this chilling mystery and suspense - where is Jawad - with an examination of hatred and ignorance. Full of moments of fear in the pit of your stomach and rage in your heart, it's also has moments of levity and happiness, of romance and family moments. Piece of interviews sprinkled throughout the book heighten the suspense and atmosphere, while also looking at the events differently.
I kind of knew Hollow Fires would break my heart from the premise alone. And then within the book, my heart got broken about 5 or 6 times. Hollow Fires is heart wrenching, but don't let that discourage you. This book deserves to be read. It's an examination of radicalization, islamaphobia, and fuels rage, but also provides hope. From the beginning, Ahmed explores not only explicit hate crimes, but also the implicit way people give perpetrators "second chances". Or the way they are unwilling to speak against them, to see their own biases.
Being dual POV with Safiya and Jawad was going to wreck me. Spoiler alert, it did. Hollow Fires balances this chilling mystery and suspense - where is Jawad - with an examination of hatred and ignorance. Full of moments of fear in the pit of your stomach and rage in your heart, it's also has moments of levity and happiness, of romance and family moments. Piece of interviews sprinkled throughout the book heighten the suspense and atmosphere, while also looking at the events differently.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Hate crime, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Racism
fictionaladventures's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
3.5
This book was really hard to read but definitely important. I was FURIOUS 90% of the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Racism, Bullying, and Child death
megdye487's review
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia
Moderate: Child death
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Honestly, the main reason this book is so heartbreaking is because 1) it's based on a true story, and 2) it's something you could see happening today. In fact, it's something you see happen in news a lot. Ahmed's writing is lyrical, descriptive, and emotional. It lends itself to this story, and Safiya's and Jawad's voices just make it all the more haunting.
I think the additional of the facts, lies, and alternative facts at the beginning of each chapter added that journalism element to the story and emphasized the main themes. This is definitely a heavy book, so know that going in. It's not something you read to escape, but something you read to help make these voices heard.
The only reason this isn't getting 5 stars is because I do think the big reveal was easy to spot about halfway through the story. I'm not sure if that was intended or not, and there are definitely some readers who might not see it coming. All in all, if you're looking for a dark thriller about getting justice for those without voices, I'd definitely recommend this one!
I think the additional of the facts, lies, and alternative facts at the beginning of each chapter added that journalism element to the story and emphasized the main themes. This is definitely a heavy book, so know that going in. It's not something you read to escape, but something you read to help make these voices heard.
The only reason this isn't getting 5 stars is because I do think the big reveal was easy to spot about halfway through the story. I'm not sure if that was intended or not, and there are definitely some readers who might not see it coming. All in all, if you're looking for a dark thriller about getting justice for those without voices, I'd definitely recommend this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Hate crime, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Kidnapping, and Child death
Minor: Blood, Misogyny, and Racial slurs
lettuce_read's review
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Child death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Murder, Racism, Grief, Islamophobia, and Racial slurs
onthesamepage's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
One giant, endless conflict with a lot of nameless dead civilians. Killed by drones, which somehow made Americans feel less responsible, because drones aren’t people. But only a person can issue a kill command.
This is my first book by the author, and one thing is very clear to me: she has something to say. She doesn't shy away from harsh truths, whether it's related to the politics within the US that cause suffering in other countries, Islamophobia, racism, and double standards, or the discrimination between Muslims based on what sect they belong to. That's something I can definitely appreciate.
One thing I learned by being invisible: People see what they want to see and decide it’s the truth. But it’s not. Let me show you. Here are some things people thought were bombs:
A backpack.
A sack lunch.
A loaf of bread in a brown bag.
A camera.
An e‑cigarette.
A science project about circuits.
A clock.
The story is told through two perspectives: Safiya, an aspiring journalist determined to get to the truth behind the string of threats and attacks on Muslims within her community, and Jawad, a young Iraqi boy who was murdered. Jawad's chapters, while shorter, almost always landed like a punch. Reading his perspective was honestly heartbreaking, and not only because we discover early on that he is dead, long before anyone thinks of his disappearance as more than a possible kidnapping. The discrimination he faced made my blood boil, and I wish incidents like this were fiction. Unfortunately, this is reality for a lot of Muslims living in the supposed lands of the free.
The If a boy hits you, he probably likes you excuse. The If he calls you a bitch, maybe it’s because you rejected him line. Because it’s always, always the girl’s fault, right?
Safiya's perspective was focused more on trying to find the perpetrator behind the attacks, hampered by a school principal who staunchly denies that anything is wrong. The pacing of the mystery is pretty satisfying, and although I called the twist pretty early on, that didn't detract from the story.
There's a mixed media element here, where we get to see news articles and blog posts from different perspectives related to the Islamophobic attacks and Jawad's disappearance. I thought they were interesting until the very end; the last chapter is mostly written in this style, and it became too much for me to enjoy. Each chapter also starts with a mix of facts, truths, alternative facts, and lies. Unfortunately, this didn't work for me. Some of them were very vague, and others were too on the nose.
As is often the case when it comes to books with Muslim characters, I was left wanting more from the representation. There aren't a lot of references to the Muslim characters practicing their faith, and I've lost count of how many fictional Muslim girls end up dating a white, non-Muslim guy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Racism, and Murder
reneethebookbird's review
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Child death, Murder, and Hate crime
Moderate: Misogyny
patricia0227's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book blew me away. I got the ARC from a local bookstore and started reading not knowing anything about it. The novel was so well researched and well written, Ahmed expertly tied together current and past events into her story and the message was so powerful. I will say, I found the dates at the start of each section confusing, especially if there was a time jump, but I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and the way Ahmed incorporated texts and social media posts in their storytelling. The book is a heartbreaker, be prepared.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Islamophobia, Hate crime, and Murder
marywahlmeierbracciano's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Hollow Fires has arrived in the wake of the Trump era, in an environment of rampant misinformation and media bias, of white supremacist violence and “affluenza.” This story follows Safiya, a Desi Muslim scholarship student and journalist-in-training at a private Chicago high school. As editor-in-chief, she writes a social justice column for the school newspaper, but, as part of the school’s attempts to cover up a series of racist incidents in the community, she is being censored by the administration. When a neighborhood Muslim boy goes missing, Safiya must race to piece together enough evidence to connect the dots and convince the police to do something, putting her own safety at risk. Ahmed’s thriller illustrates diversity within Muslim communities, portrays the reality of police incompetence, and explores the nuances of modern white supremacy and hate crimes, for which there is no justice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Violence, Child death, Grief, and Kidnapping
Minor: Car accident, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Vomit, Murder, and Blood
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