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wizardamit's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
dollhousebooks's review against another edition
4.0
I read this for a class I’m in, Multicultural Resources for Youth, in my Library & Information Science masters program. It was a compelling and poignant story aimed toward young readers that was also easy to read. I enjoyed learning about Jameela’s life, culture, and religion despite the tragedies she endures. 4.5 stars.
zquill's review against another edition
4.0
I appreciated the view into another culture, and there was something about the rhythm of this story that soothed even as Jameela faces challenge after challenge. On the one hand, I liked that this was not a story of her having to compromise her beliefs and what her mother taught her, but I was very frustrated by how her obsession with surface-level appearances, both in terms of denying her own split lip and how others wear their head coverings, remained. The part at the end where a passing boy gropes Zeba and Jameela thinks about how she deserves it for not covering up more disgusted me. The narrative almost seems to posit her lack of critical thinking as a virtue, so while I agree with the message that being a good person trumps pettiness and vanity, Jameela's constant judgement of how others look and passive aggressive delight in others being brought down a peg end up coming across as hypocritical. I don't want her to be a doormat, but I do want her to own up to her own foibles rather than retreat into an unrealistically simplistic worldview all the time.
thisisalexw's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? No
3.25
kariadams's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book because it showed the reality of a young girl in Afghanistan shortly after 9/11. I thought the vocabulary was a bit challenging, I found that I had to continually look at the dictionary in the back. I would give it a 3.5 if the option existed.
nakiacookauthor's review against another edition
5.0
Heart-wrenching. I had to put this down a couple of times because I felt anguish for Jameela. I finally became brave enough to continue and I'm glad that I did. The ending left me with hope.
tabularasablog's review against another edition
3.0
Yet another time that I will say - ratings are inadequate. This book was a great example of what it was. But I'm not built for realistic fiction and this was a little too simple for my taste. I picked it up at the school library though, and I believe it will and should get many happy readers there. A quick, straightforward read, but deeper than it looks with a lot of scope for reflection..
yana_26's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes