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quirkybibliophile's review against another edition
emotional
informative
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? It's complicated
4.0
CW: Poverty, Classism, Chronic Illness (Diabetes), theft, breaking and entering, absent father
Thoughts and Themes: I picked this one up at the library but it was taking a while for me to get into it so I tried it as an audiobook and really enjoyed it. I like that the audiobook has two distinct voices for each of the girls which makes it easier to tell them apart.
There was a lot that I really enjoyed about this book but my favorite are the scenes in which Sakina and Mimi are teaching each other about their culture. I love how Sakina is hesitant at first to allow Mimi into her world and how Mimi doesn’t understand why Sakina responded to her in a way she deemed rude. I liked when Sakina would ask Mimi things about America and Mimi got to explain what was familiar to her and felt like she belonged somewhere.
I also really enjoyed the moments in which Mimi realized how different Sakina’s life was from her and the different expectations that were put on each of them. I also like that both of the girls are keeping things from their families and they trust each other with this information. It was nice getting to see them talk each other through things that they were struggling with.
Characters: This book centers around our two main characters, Sakina and Mimi, and through them you get to meet several other characters in this book. You get to meet both of their families as well as some other people they interact with while they are both navigating Pakistan.
I really liked getting to know both of our main characters and liked reading as their friendship develops. I thought it was great that at first they both needed something from each other which is why they were speaking to each other but that develops into more. I thought it was great that Mimi felt like she could open up to Sakina and share her feelings with her.
I also do enjoy getting to know each of the girls apart from each other and getting to see them act their age when they are with each other. There are times in which the girls are interacting with adults that you forget that they are still kids because they have been forced to grow up quickly because of the struggles their families are going through. I liked getting to see them react like children though and get to see them allow each other feelings that were messy and complicated.
Writing Style: This book is told in the first person through the dual perspectives of Sakina and Mimi. Sakina is a girl who works for Mimi’s mother’s family in Pakistan and lives in poverty, and Mimi is an American girl who is visiting her rich grandparents in Pakistan. I really enjoyed getting the chance to see this story unfold through both of their perspectives because when you first start reading you think that they are so different from each other and come from two different worlds. It isn’t until you keep reading and get to see them interact that you realize that they have some things in common.
Thoughts and Themes: I picked this one up at the library but it was taking a while for me to get into it so I tried it as an audiobook and really enjoyed it. I like that the audiobook has two distinct voices for each of the girls which makes it easier to tell them apart.
There was a lot that I really enjoyed about this book but my favorite are the scenes in which Sakina and Mimi are teaching each other about their culture. I love how Sakina is hesitant at first to allow Mimi into her world and how Mimi doesn’t understand why Sakina responded to her in a way she deemed rude. I liked when Sakina would ask Mimi things about America and Mimi got to explain what was familiar to her and felt like she belonged somewhere.
I also really enjoyed the moments in which Mimi realized how different Sakina’s life was from her and the different expectations that were put on each of them. I also like that both of the girls are keeping things from their families and they trust each other with this information. It was nice getting to see them talk each other through things that they were struggling with.
Characters: This book centers around our two main characters, Sakina and Mimi, and through them you get to meet several other characters in this book. You get to meet both of their families as well as some other people they interact with while they are both navigating Pakistan.
I really liked getting to know both of our main characters and liked reading as their friendship develops. I thought it was great that at first they both needed something from each other which is why they were speaking to each other but that develops into more. I thought it was great that Mimi felt like she could open up to Sakina and share her feelings with her.
I also do enjoy getting to know each of the girls apart from each other and getting to see them act their age when they are with each other. There are times in which the girls are interacting with adults that you forget that they are still kids because they have been forced to grow up quickly because of the struggles their families are going through. I liked getting to see them react like children though and get to see them allow each other feelings that were messy and complicated.
Writing Style: This book is told in the first person through the dual perspectives of Sakina and Mimi. Sakina is a girl who works for Mimi’s mother’s family in Pakistan and lives in poverty, and Mimi is an American girl who is visiting her rich grandparents in Pakistan. I really enjoyed getting the chance to see this story unfold through both of their perspectives because when you first start reading you think that they are so different from each other and come from two different worlds. It isn’t until you keep reading and get to see them interact that you realize that they have some things in common.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Chronic illness
nadjatiktinsky's review
Mimi is less than enthusiastic about spending her summer in Karachi, Pakistan, living with wealthy grandparents she's never met. Pakistan is different from America - boiling hot, with too-spicy food and confusing rules about how to treat servants versus the upper class. But when she befriends Sakina, the daughter of her grandparents' cook, things start to get interesting. Sakina needs to learn better English to pass school entrance exams, and Mimi needs to track down her estranged father to convince him to come back and put her life back to normal. This is a fun adventure story with a hint of mystery and an emotional undercurrent.
thebooknerdmom's review
5.0
I received a free e-ARC of this book thanks to Edelweiss and Quill Tree Books in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
In this story we are following a young girl, Mimi, who travels with her mother to spend summer vacation in Pakistan at her grandparent’s house. There she befriends the cook’s daughter, Sakina, and agrees to teach her English. In exchange, Sakina agrees to help Mimi search for her long-lost father who Mimi discovers is in Karachi.
This story was written in dual perspectives; we read from Mimi’s perspective, an American on vacation in Pakistan, and Sakina’s perspective, a young Pakistani servant who has never been to school but dreams of going. I liked the dual perspectives as we are able to see how different things are for those with money vs those who don’t have it. One glimpse of this is when it comes to Sakina’s father and his diabetes. Dual perspectives also let us read the story as a native's perspective vs an outsider's perspective, so we as readers get a unique viewpoint.
Faruqi did a great job of showing the growth of the characters. We can see the change in how they view other cultures and in how they carry and present themselves.
I loved the descriptions of Karachi. From the food, to the clothes, to the traffic, we get vivid descriptions of the city. I loved being able to picture what the girls were eating or wearing.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. It tells an important message about acceptance and learning to open your eyes to other’s cultures without prejudices.
In this story we are following a young girl, Mimi, who travels with her mother to spend summer vacation in Pakistan at her grandparent’s house. There she befriends the cook’s daughter, Sakina, and agrees to teach her English. In exchange, Sakina agrees to help Mimi search for her long-lost father who Mimi discovers is in Karachi.
This story was written in dual perspectives; we read from Mimi’s perspective, an American on vacation in Pakistan, and Sakina’s perspective, a young Pakistani servant who has never been to school but dreams of going. I liked the dual perspectives as we are able to see how different things are for those with money vs those who don’t have it. One glimpse of this is when it comes to Sakina’s father and his diabetes. Dual perspectives also let us read the story as a native's perspective vs an outsider's perspective, so we as readers get a unique viewpoint.
Faruqi did a great job of showing the growth of the characters. We can see the change in how they view other cultures and in how they carry and present themselves.
I loved the descriptions of Karachi. From the food, to the clothes, to the traffic, we get vivid descriptions of the city. I loved being able to picture what the girls were eating or wearing.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. It tells an important message about acceptance and learning to open your eyes to other’s cultures without prejudices.
wordnerd153's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully written and engrossing story about two girls who form an unlikely friendship and the ways their lives change over the course of a few weeks.
aforestofbooks's review
4.0
What do I even say? I wish I had this book when I was a little girl. It perfectly captures so much of my life. Being a Pakistani immigrant, growing up in Western society, visiting Pakistan and experiencing the culture shock... It was just SO GOOD.
I mainly picked up this book because one of the main characters is named Sakina. This is the second book I've read this year with a character who has the same name as me. I never thought the day would come that I'd get to experience that. Sakina's story absolutely broke my heart. I might be biased, but she also quickly became my favourite character. She's so selfless and kindhearted. She always puts others before herself, and the guilt she feels at trying to follow her dreams and disappointing her parents in the process was waay too relatable.
There are so many good family and friendship moments. It made my normally cold heart so happy, and I almost cried multiple times. I loved following Mimi on her journey of trying to find her father, and watching as it strained her relationship with her mom. I will admit, Mimi's grandmother annoyed me a lot, but I do like the character development we see with her character. The ending was so sweet and perfect and also bittersweet. I'm really glad we got a satisfying ending.
Overall, cannot recommend enough!
I mainly picked up this book because one of the main characters is named Sakina. This is the second book I've read this year with a character who has the same name as me. I never thought the day would come that I'd get to experience that. Sakina's story absolutely broke my heart. I might be biased, but she also quickly became my favourite character. She's so selfless and kindhearted. She always puts others before herself, and the guilt she feels at trying to follow her dreams and disappointing her parents in the process was waay too relatable.
There are so many good family and friendship moments. It made my normally cold heart so happy, and I almost cried multiple times. I loved following Mimi on her journey of trying to find her father, and watching as it strained her relationship with her mom. I will admit, Mimi's grandmother annoyed me a lot, but I do like the character development we see with her character. The ending was so sweet and perfect and also bittersweet. I'm really glad we got a satisfying ending.
Overall, cannot recommend enough!
roary47's review against another edition
3.0
This actually didn’t take me that long, but it felt like it did. I enjoyed it, but reading it as a Kindle was difficult in learning terms I didn’t know. The glossary is there I think I am just not confident enough to go back and forth without losing my place.
enne's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Saadia Faruqi is so good at writing friendships in middle grade!! I think I simply must read every middle grade she will ever write. No, but, genuinely, I adored the development of the friendship dynamic in this book. I thought it developed so naturally and I loved seeing it come to fruition. I also really loved the exploration of different family dynamics within this story!! I did find the plot to be a little anticlimactic, but I didn’t really mind it that much because I think the book more than made up for it with the character relationships and dynamics. I also really liked the fact that it was set in Pakistan! Overall, I think this was a very cute and very quick read and I think any middle-grade lover is bound to enjoy this one.
rep: Pakistani-American MC, Pakistani MC
Saadia Faruqi is so good at writing friendships in middle grade!! I think I simply must read every middle grade she will ever write. No, but, genuinely, I adored the development of the friendship dynamic in this book. I thought it developed so naturally and I loved seeing it come to fruition. I also really loved the exploration of different family dynamics within this story!! I did find the plot to be a little anticlimactic, but I didn’t really mind it that much because I think the book more than made up for it with the character relationships and dynamics. I also really liked the fact that it was set in Pakistan! Overall, I think this was a very cute and very quick read and I think any middle-grade lover is bound to enjoy this one.
rep: Pakistani-American MC, Pakistani MC
andeez's review against another edition
5.0
What an engaging, lovely, educational story about Mimi and Sakina; two girls who would never have been friends except in these circumstances.
Mimi travels to her mother's homeland, Pakistan, for the first time in her life to learn her grandparents are very wealthy. She befriends her grandparents' servant girl, Sakina. The two learn about each others' lives and see that the grass in not always greener on the other side. Mimi has a stable life, but without a father in her life. Sakina's poverty makes life unstable, but her father is her world. What do the two learn from each other as they spend the summer together?
A book of "own voices", diversity, class differences, and just a sweet book - I recommend this for grades 5 and up.
Mimi travels to her mother's homeland, Pakistan, for the first time in her life to learn her grandparents are very wealthy. She befriends her grandparents' servant girl, Sakina. The two learn about each others' lives and see that the grass in not always greener on the other side. Mimi has a stable life, but without a father in her life. Sakina's poverty makes life unstable, but her father is her world. What do the two learn from each other as they spend the summer together?
A book of "own voices", diversity, class differences, and just a sweet book - I recommend this for grades 5 and up.
goldenseeker97's review against another edition
4.0
Sakina and Mimi’s stories are both heartbreaking and touching at the same time. This book is perfect for fans of Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed!! Book from
Net galley.
Net galley.
nabiila's review
5.0
Ahh this is a very special book. What a gem.
A Thousand Questions explores a friendship between two girls from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Well, ‘different’ is an understatement. One is a girl from America, who upon visiting her homeland finds that her mother comes from money. Her grandparents live in a mansion and employ servants. One of those servants would then become her best friend.
There are many things I love about this. Firstly, I love that it’s set in Pakistan. As someone who doesn’t live in the West, I find stories set in other countries refreshing. As a Muslim, I enjoyed the cultural details as well.
Secondly, I’m in awe of how the author tackled difficult themes from the honest perspectives of children. That’s children for you. Brutally honest, brazen, complex. You’ll find this book to be straightforward, but very moving and heartwarming.
This book is unafraid in its approach toward classism, poverty, and politics. That’s the third thing I love about it. You’ll notice the disparity between the life of a Begum Sahiba and the life of her servants. From the POV of Sakina, we see a little girl grapple with feelings of jealousy toward her wealthier friend, and all the ways her friend’s life is easier than hers. There are also dialogues about the corruptness of politicians and how that ties with poverty issues in the country. (A good lesson to teach children: that poverty is systemic.)
On a more personal note, I was not prepared to be so struck by the important figures in this book: the dads! I found myself relating to Mimi, feeling distant from a father who wasn’t always in her life. I empathized with Sakina. I know what it’s like to worry about a father with diabetes, as mine passed away from that same illness.
I hold this story close to my heart. Thank you Saadia Faruqi!
A Thousand Questions explores a friendship between two girls from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Well, ‘different’ is an understatement. One is a girl from America, who upon visiting her homeland finds that her mother comes from money. Her grandparents live in a mansion and employ servants. One of those servants would then become her best friend.
There are many things I love about this. Firstly, I love that it’s set in Pakistan. As someone who doesn’t live in the West, I find stories set in other countries refreshing. As a Muslim, I enjoyed the cultural details as well.
Secondly, I’m in awe of how the author tackled difficult themes from the honest perspectives of children. That’s children for you. Brutally honest, brazen, complex. You’ll find this book to be straightforward, but very moving and heartwarming.
This book is unafraid in its approach toward classism, poverty, and politics. That’s the third thing I love about it. You’ll notice the disparity between the life of a Begum Sahiba and the life of her servants. From the POV of Sakina, we see a little girl grapple with feelings of jealousy toward her wealthier friend, and all the ways her friend’s life is easier than hers. There are also dialogues about the corruptness of politicians and how that ties with poverty issues in the country. (A good lesson to teach children: that poverty is systemic.)
On a more personal note, I was not prepared to be so struck by the important figures in this book: the dads! I found myself relating to Mimi, feeling distant from a father who wasn’t always in her life. I empathized with Sakina. I know what it’s like to worry about a father with diabetes, as mine passed away from that same illness.
I hold this story close to my heart. Thank you Saadia Faruqi!