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sarahwren's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Islamophobia, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, and Racism
Moderate: Car accident
onthesamepage's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When she was nine years old, the girls in her Brownies troop told Azmia she was lucky she didn't look Muslim. She'd come home fighting tears and begging Afaf's permission to begin wearing hijab.
While this book isn't about the occupation and colonisation of Palestine, there are references to Afaf's family being forcibly removed from their home by settlers. Ultimately I think this book is about living somewhere and not feeling like you belong, and the different paths your life can end up taking, depending on how you deal with that. Afaf's mother was longing for her homeland, to the point that she could not continue to live away from it. Afaf forged a new home, with a new family, and a new community around her, despite the othering that she faced, from Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It's about the power of a hijab, which gives so much to the women wearing it, and also emboldens people with hate in their heart for a piece of cloth.
So this is what it's come down to? A piece of fabric? And yet what power it had held from the first time she'd slipped it on at Kowkab's house, a stranger in the mirror staring back at her. Her hijab had become a thing that attracted sheer hatred, fear. And yet where would she be without it?
There's a lot of commentary within the book about discrimination from outside the Muslim community, especially in the wake of 9/11, but also from within it, and how the community can sometimes hide the sins of some of its members, to the detriment of others. I really appreciated that the author decided to deal with this topic, because it's a difficult one to tackle.
Graphic: Racism, Mass/school shootings, Violence, Islamophobia, Bullying, and Gun violence
Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Colonisation and Genocide
hazelgirl21's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Islamophobia, Mass/school shootings, Racism, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, Mental illness, and Racial slurs
Minor: Vomit
bethsbookshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The writing in this novel is crisp, polished, yet lyrical. Each line flows from one to the next, each idea fluid as it weaves throughout her life, her mother's life, her father's, her sister's, and the school shooters. The author fills in every gap and every question you may have while still respecting the privacy of the characters when necessary. Ending on a poignant note, I don't think I have a bad word to say about this book.
Graphic: Abandonment, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Death, Murder, Blood, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Violence
mxsunflower's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Islamophobia, Racism, Gun violence, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Mental illness
borrowedbyaudrey's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Islamophobia, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Blood and Suicide attempt
discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Bullying, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Grief, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Racism, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, and Infidelity
Minor: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Vomit, and Pregnancy
joanagsilva's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Suicide attempt, and Islamophobia
readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, Religious bigotry, Mass/school shootings, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Infidelity, Child death, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, and Vomit
Minor: Infertility, Sexual assault, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Car accident, Classism, Colonisation, Dementia, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Terminal illness, War, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, and Xenophobia
Sandy hook mention, lynching mention, Nazis mention, 9/11, Vietnam, Battle of Karameh, dialysis.mcmontgomery's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Gun violence, Islamophobia, and Murder