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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is such a sweet and important book. I'm so glad it exists. I'm obviously not the youth it's targeted for, but it seems realistic in its themes and writing to the youth experience. And it has a lot to teach about a culture that is not my own and I'm always interested in that. Not to mention the power of community and people coming together, celebrating their differences, even after hardship.
This was an easy read, just felt like it was lacking something. Didn't hate it but didn't love it.
A sweet, quick, middle-grade story with great diverse characters. I am glad I read it, but it left me wanting a lot more!
I think this is the first book that I added to my TBR and I finally read it which was interesting since I didn't know what this book would be about. I'm not exactly sure why I wanted to read it, I think it was because of the cover since it's so pretty and it was a fast read so I never removed it from my TBR. Also, I would say to take my review lightly since the representation in this book isn't my culture and I can't critique whether the representation is done well or not since I'm not well versed in it.
The story itself was very interesting to me since you can tell this was about Amina trying to figure out who she is. There's also a great storytelling and balance between Amina's life in school with her friends and the changes they're going through with her religious life as we see that she's not feeling secure or mostly learning what it is to be Muslim, and also the tragedies that they experience in America. There's no doubt that Amina goes through racism and microaggressions since the destruction of her mosque is one of the biggest plots and then she goes through the same in school where she witnesses her best friend, Soojin (she's Korean), get made fun of for the food she brings. I will say that Emily, who was their bully turned friend, took a lot for me to get use to since I didn't like her at first since she bullied Amina and Soojin and never truly apologized from it, she just started talking to them as if they were her friends. I understand why Amina was more protective, not jealous, about Emily and Soojin being friends since there was never really a moment that Amina felt that she could trust Emily.
I won't lie but it did take me awhile for me to enjoy the book and I would say that the last half or moments where it was about Amina and her family is what intrigued me the most. I understand that this is a children's book and having the scenes in school are important since that's what takes up most of their lives. However, moments with the family is what interested me the most since I got to learn a bit about Amina's Pakistani culture and the teachings of being Muslim.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and encourage everyone to read this book. The story was written so beautifully and something that I really enjoyed reading. I didn't know that it was a duology but I'll definitely be reading the second book.
The story itself was very interesting to me since you can tell this was about Amina trying to figure out who she is. There's also a great storytelling and balance between Amina's life in school with her friends and the changes they're going through with her religious life as we see that she's not feeling secure or mostly learning what it is to be Muslim, and also the tragedies that they experience in America. There's no doubt that Amina goes through racism and microaggressions since the destruction of her mosque is one of the biggest plots and then she goes through the same in school where she witnesses her best friend, Soojin (she's Korean), get made fun of for the food she brings. I will say that Emily, who was their bully turned friend, took a lot for me to get use to since I didn't like her at first since she bullied Amina and Soojin and never truly apologized from it, she just started talking to them as if they were her friends. I understand why Amina was more protective, not jealous, about Emily and Soojin being friends since there was never really a moment that Amina felt that she could trust Emily.
I won't lie but it did take me awhile for me to enjoy the book and I would say that the last half or moments where it was about Amina and her family is what intrigued me the most. I understand that this is a children's book and having the scenes in school are important since that's what takes up most of their lives. However, moments with the family is what interested me the most since I got to learn a bit about Amina's Pakistani culture and the teachings of being Muslim.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and encourage everyone to read this book. The story was written so beautifully and something that I really enjoyed reading. I didn't know that it was a duology but I'll definitely be reading the second book.
For all those shy children. For all those who feel as if they just can't do anything right. For all those who think they are losing friends... this one's for you. Amina, Soojin, Emily, and Amina's family will be some students' windows, and some students' mirrors, for sure. I learned a lot, and will research some more, thanks to this book!
A sweet middle grade story about friendship, keeping promises, family, and faith. Through the trials and tribulations of sixth grade, Amina learns how to make new friends, growth in her understanding of her faith, and find the words she needs to right her wrongs and express herself.
I really liked this one! It's a cute middle grade contemporary, and I don't read a lot of middle grade (or children's books) but I think this is a good one to read.
I really liked Amina, and how she had a fear of performing in public. It was really easy to relate to, and I am not a fan of public speaking, so I liked that Amina overcame it. I also liked her friendship with Soojin, and how Amina starts questioning if she needs to change because Soojin starts talking about changing her name to something more American.
Amina is such a great character, and I dare you to not like her, because she's thoughtful and caring. She has a great friend in Soojin, and Khan captures what it's like to be 12, when you're unsure of who you are and where things stand. You really see how things change between Amina and Soojin, but I really liked their friendship. I feel like I'm a broken record on that one, but it's true.
I also liked Amina's relationship with her family, and I just liked seeing them together. I really liked the family dynamic and that we see slightly differing opinions on things within one family (particularly in regards to music).
One thing I didn't like was when a particular plot point was introduced. We don't see the local mosque being vandalized until the end of the book, and for some reason, I thought it would have been introduced a lot earlier. I wish it had, because I really liked how the whole community came together after it happened. I know it's middle grade, so it's not going to be very long (or very in-depth) but it would have been nice to have it be more of a focal point.
It didn't stop me from really liking it. I think it's perfect for everyone- whether you read middle grade or not, this book did a great job at showing how we deal with faith and culture. It's also great for the intended age group, but regardless of how old you are, it's one to read.
My Rating: 4 stars. I really liked Amina's Voice, and while I wish the vandalization of Amina's mosque hadn't been introduced so late in the book, I still really enjoyed Amina's story.
I really liked Amina, and how she had a fear of performing in public. It was really easy to relate to, and I am not a fan of public speaking, so I liked that Amina overcame it. I also liked her friendship with Soojin, and how Amina starts questioning if she needs to change because Soojin starts talking about changing her name to something more American.
Amina is such a great character, and I dare you to not like her, because she's thoughtful and caring. She has a great friend in Soojin, and Khan captures what it's like to be 12, when you're unsure of who you are and where things stand. You really see how things change between Amina and Soojin, but I really liked their friendship. I feel like I'm a broken record on that one, but it's true.
I also liked Amina's relationship with her family, and I just liked seeing them together. I really liked the family dynamic and that we see slightly differing opinions on things within one family (particularly in regards to music).
One thing I didn't like was when a particular plot point was introduced. We don't see the local mosque being vandalized until the end of the book, and for some reason, I thought it would have been introduced a lot earlier. I wish it had, because I really liked how the whole community came together after it happened. I know it's middle grade, so it's not going to be very long (or very in-depth) but it would have been nice to have it be more of a focal point.
It didn't stop me from really liking it. I think it's perfect for everyone- whether you read middle grade or not, this book did a great job at showing how we deal with faith and culture. It's also great for the intended age group, but regardless of how old you are, it's one to read.
My Rating: 4 stars. I really liked Amina's Voice, and while I wish the vandalization of Amina's mosque hadn't been introduced so late in the book, I still really enjoyed Amina's story.
A great story about a girl trying to figure out who she is, while her best friend befriends a former enemy. She not only finds her singing voice, but she also finds her public speaking voice, overcoming a longtime phobia. She spills a secret, there is an attack on her mosque, and she is trying to figure out how to be a good daughter and a good friend.
I couldn’t really get into this one. It’s obviously good as a mirror/window into the Muslim community, and the issues the main character deals with seem very realistic for a tween, but as an adult I found her whiny and self-centered. I feel like it might be a good read for tweens (the target audience), but throughout MOST of the book she feels entitled and that her best friend “belongs” to her, it’s pretty annoying.