Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - Hijab Butch Blues

Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

64 reviews

sglance9's review against another edition

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challenging inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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rmyd42's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

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dragonlilly's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

3.0

This is a brave memoir about a multitude of things, addressing existence, racism, islamophobia, love and dating, family, queerness, the choice to wear hijab, the desire to fight for what is right, among smaller subtopics. I thought the comparison between the author's situations and stories from the Quran was interesting and extremely well done, and is a good example for others who are religious and use the word to connect with God and make better sense of their situation without feeling alone. It was also interesting seeing the differences between the Bible and Quran, mostly with the story of Mary/Maryam. I was unsure about the author's specific interpretations of these stories at times, mainly with the author saying Mary must not have an attraction to men at all when it was probably more so her devotion to God that overpowered any feelings she would have for the angel that appeared to her. I really did enjoy the Quran comparisons, but was also somehow expecting more from them as well as a discussion of other sections. There was however a very explicit scene of self-harm that is not performed, if I am remembering it correctly, but imagined by the author's younger self who in a way idealized death as a way to disappear. This scene happened so suddenly and I am surprised I got through some of it on the audiobook before hurriedly skipping it.

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danaslitlist's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

I can't really form a coherent review about this memoir for a couple reasons, one of which is that I tend to avoid reviewing people's personal lives, the other being that I have a lot to reflect upon in terms of how Lamya has just influenced how I view religion, God, and queerness. I think for me, this memoir really hit a nerve in a good way. It addressed a lot of my own questions and concerns and feelings about growing up despite Lamya and I having very different backgrounds. I love the way that she discusses White Queerness and how so many queer spaces are not safe or inviting or actually open to everyone if you do not fit the prescribed ideal of queerness (white, cis, "attractive" and most importantly to many: loud and out about your queerness). She is critical of herself and others and real and raw about all areas of her life and it makes me respect her work even more.

I'll be thinking about this book for a long time and I think that says enough about my experience reading it.

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amina_writes_books's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.0

this books written narrative style is not at all unique from a literary point of view. There's allot of harsh transitions initially from the writers early days to present day at the start of the narrative, then this drops off entirely. The focus on the various prophets is unique, however Ill executed. And as the author "radicalizes" in her journey, her interpretations of the Quran become more and more abstract, and less and less backed by the tasfirs she supposedly has read. As someone who was raised a practicing Muslim and who is also queer, this book only highlights the abusive and oppressive nature of Islam as a whole. Very let down by this read as it had so much promise for many like me.

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

4.5

Hijab Butch Blues is a memoir exploring the author's identity as a person of colour, a Muslim, a Queer person, and a migrant twice over. She was born in South Asia, moved to the Middle East with her parents when she was a child, and then moved to the United States for university studies. Needless to say they often felt out-of place, as if they didn't belong. What makes this memoir unique, at least among those I've read, is the way they turned to their religion's sacred text , the Quran, and were able to find connections between their life and Quranic verses and prophets, and that they did so in a way that did not attempt to preach to nor convert the reader. Not all readers will agree with or approve of the connections made - if Maryam had not been touched by a man could she be attracted to women the way teenager Lamya was?, if Allah was neither male nor female they must be non-binary like Lamya - but I loved seeing a queer person able to reconcile their gender and sexuality with their religion, to show that such readings are possible, that being queer doesn't have to result in a person being alienated from their religious faith. A thought-provoking, reflective, and ultimately uplifting read, albeit one that didn't shy away from difficult topics.

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starduststyx's review

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hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0

This was an absolutely beautiful book and I'm so grateful to have gotten to read it through libby. The way Lamya's queerness and the stories from the Quran tie together is absolutely perfectly ( and I learned sooo many stories are similar in the bible because I grew up Christian haha )

This memoir was so hopeful and just inspired me to be more kind especially towards myself. We don't all need to make ourselves indispensable.

I'm so excited to get to hear from them this May because they're doing a talk for OIT's bookclub!! And for the fiction work when it eventually comes out 💖

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puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition

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hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0

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raysreads's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I loved this book and how it approaches finding your own place in the world and your own community and how challenging that can be. Not being religious myself, I found Lamya's experience of finding queer meaning in religious text very captivating.

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wanderlust_romance's review against another edition

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hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

4.25

I really enjoyed this. I want to be completely forthright and say that if you are the sort of reader who is put off by discussion of organized religion, reflection on religious texts, or recounting of any religious stories, this memoir is not going to be your cup of tea.

Hijab Butch Blues examines a bevy of intersections: immigrant, South Asian, Muslim, queer, feminist, and gender nonconformity, to name just a few. It was absolutely fascinating to read the parallels between the stories of the Quran, their teachings, interpretations, and moral questions, and see those interwoven with anecdotes of the author's own life. The memoir is a reflection on what it has meant to live as a queer, gender non-conforming, and in their own description a "visible Muslim" (ie. hijab wearing) immigrant both within and outside of the United States. They enumerate the specific challenges in navigating relationships with the queer community, being made to feel "not gay enough," being critiqued for adhering to an organized religion. They discuss their struggles to come out, how their coming out is received, how it can change or sever relationships. They relate with openness and vulnerability their racist experiences within the United States (New York in particular) as a brown skinned visibly Muslim person. They relay the challenges of navigating immigration, unceasing bureaucracy, ridiculous medical examinations required by their visa reapplications, and how early on they were explicitly instructed on what documents to carry and how to comport themself when faced with questioning from authorities. Most profoundly, Hijab Butch Blues reinforces that there is no set timeline for any of these reflections. That they are all a meaningful part of learning, unlearning, growth, and maturity. There is no perfect path. There is the one we take; the one we learn from; the bonds we form along the way.

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