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graciffer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Racism, Physical abuse, Chronic illness, and Hate crime
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
lazygal's review
3.0
At times this was difficult to read because of the realness of the reactions of the characters to the "threat" posed by Salma and Amir, and the way in which white supremacists can appear relatively normal and can act less hate-filled than they are. And those schoolmates, with the points system, was very realistic. Not just ripped from the headlines, but ripped from the national moment in which we find ourselves. The ending however, fueled by Salma's hacker skills and a too convenient twist, wasn't as good as the start. It would have been a better conclusion without so much stuff going on (either no hospital, or no cab rides, or no EDS, etc.).
eARC provided by publisher.
eARC provided by publisher.
ajsterkel's review
4.0
I inhaled this book. It’s a “one more chapter” novel. I told myself I’d read one more chapter before bed, and then it was suddenly midnight, and I had no intention of putting the book down. Once the plot gets moving, it really takes off. You’re in for a wild ride.
The main character, Salma Bakkioui, is a fairly typical suburban teenager. She has a loving Muslim family; a shy, nerdy boyfriend; and a group of girlfriends who are always ready to party. Her life becomes more complicated when a new family moves in next door. The new neighbors are . . . creepy. The wife seems terrified of her husband, and the son brings Salma’s younger sisters lavish gifts. As the neighbors’ behavior gets weirder, Salma uses her (not completely legal) computer hacking skills to dig into their digital life. What she uncovers leads to difficult choices. Should she run before her neighbors can frame her for a terrorist attack, or should she risk her life to stop the bombing?
Salma is an easy character to love because she’s self-aware. She knows how to play to her strengths, and she understands her weaknesses. She’s always tempted to use her hacking skills for cruel purposes, but she’s aware of her mean streak and keeps it under control. It’s refreshing to see a teenage character who pauses to consider the consequences of her actions. Salma would be an excellent role model for real teenagers.
Salma has a strong relationship with her family. They’re a tight-knit group. They aren’t perfect, though. This isn’t a major plotline, but Salma lives with a chronic illness, and there are hints that her mother doesn’t understand what that’s like. Salma knows her mother is trying to help, but sometimes her help isn’t exactly helpful. I think that’s realistic. Her mother doesn’t have an illness, so she struggles to relate.
Speaking of important relationships, Salma has a sweet romance with Amir, her boyfriend. It’s uncomplicated and teen-angst-free. When Salma is upset, Amir shows up with coffee or takes her to the butterfly garden. They just love each other. All the drama happens when Salma and Amir are roped into the neighbors’ terrorist plot. Then they have to figure out how to save their own lives.
A teenager uncovering a terrorist scheme is probably far-fetched, but parts of this book are depressingly real. I’m not Muslim, but I have witnessed Islamaphobia. I was a teenager when 9/11 happened. A group of boys at my school suddenly became very loud about their desire to join the military so they could “murder all the Muslims.” One boy even talked openly about his murder plans during one of those stupid “introduce yourself” games. The teacher did nothing to stop the murder talk (or give the boy realistic ideas about military service). Similar events happen in No True Believers. The principal knows that Salma is being bullied, but he ignores it.
Luckily, Salma has a support system. She has parents and friends who will stand up for her. That’s one of my favorite aspects of the book. Even when she’s keeping secrets, Salma is never truly alone. There’s always somebody looking out for her.
I found this novel gripping, but I do have two complaints.
First, I think the secondary characters all need more development. Salma has a lot of friends, which makes sense because she’s likeable, but her friends are mostly just names to me. We don’t see much of their personalities. I feel the same about Salma’s sisters. I pretty much forgot they existed until they went missing. Salma barely interacts with them. I think more character development could have also answered some of my lingering “Why?” questions. Why did the weirdo neighbors choose Salma? They were acting creepy before they moved in, so did they buy the house to target her? Or was she just a convenient scapegoat? I don’t know. The reader doesn’t learn enough about the neighbors.
Second, the book is being compared to Courtney Summers’s Sadie. I think that could give readers the wrong impression. I wouldn’t call No True Believers a thriller because it’s paced like a contemporary until the last fourth of the book. Most of the story is about Salma trying to live her life while Islamaphobia consumes her town. It’s slow-burn. The book doesn’t become thriller-like until the end. I love contemporaries, so the pace didn’t bother me, but I want readers to have realistic expectations.
Despite my complaints, I enjoyed this book. It’s an engaging story about choosing love over cruelty and finding ways to make the truth heard.
Do you like opinions, giveaways, and bookish nonsense?
I have a blog for that.
The main character, Salma Bakkioui, is a fairly typical suburban teenager. She has a loving Muslim family; a shy, nerdy boyfriend; and a group of girlfriends who are always ready to party. Her life becomes more complicated when a new family moves in next door. The new neighbors are . . . creepy. The wife seems terrified of her husband, and the son brings Salma’s younger sisters lavish gifts. As the neighbors’ behavior gets weirder, Salma uses her (not completely legal) computer hacking skills to dig into their digital life. What she uncovers leads to difficult choices. Should she run before her neighbors can frame her for a terrorist attack, or should she risk her life to stop the bombing?
Salma is an easy character to love because she’s self-aware. She knows how to play to her strengths, and she understands her weaknesses. She’s always tempted to use her hacking skills for cruel purposes, but she’s aware of her mean streak and keeps it under control. It’s refreshing to see a teenage character who pauses to consider the consequences of her actions. Salma would be an excellent role model for real teenagers.
Salma has a strong relationship with her family. They’re a tight-knit group. They aren’t perfect, though. This isn’t a major plotline, but Salma lives with a chronic illness, and there are hints that her mother doesn’t understand what that’s like. Salma knows her mother is trying to help, but sometimes her help isn’t exactly helpful. I think that’s realistic. Her mother doesn’t have an illness, so she struggles to relate.
Speaking of important relationships, Salma has a sweet romance with Amir, her boyfriend. It’s uncomplicated and teen-angst-free. When Salma is upset, Amir shows up with coffee or takes her to the butterfly garden. They just love each other. All the drama happens when Salma and Amir are roped into the neighbors’ terrorist plot. Then they have to figure out how to save their own lives.
A teenager uncovering a terrorist scheme is probably far-fetched, but parts of this book are depressingly real. I’m not Muslim, but I have witnessed Islamaphobia. I was a teenager when 9/11 happened. A group of boys at my school suddenly became very loud about their desire to join the military so they could “murder all the Muslims.” One boy even talked openly about his murder plans during one of those stupid “introduce yourself” games. The teacher did nothing to stop the murder talk (or give the boy realistic ideas about military service). Similar events happen in No True Believers. The principal knows that Salma is being bullied, but he ignores it.
Luckily, Salma has a support system. She has parents and friends who will stand up for her. That’s one of my favorite aspects of the book. Even when she’s keeping secrets, Salma is never truly alone. There’s always somebody looking out for her.
I found this novel gripping, but I do have two complaints.
First, I think the secondary characters all need more development. Salma has a lot of friends, which makes sense because she’s likeable, but her friends are mostly just names to me. We don’t see much of their personalities. I feel the same about Salma’s sisters. I pretty much forgot they existed until they went missing. Salma barely interacts with them. I think more character development could have also answered some of my lingering “Why?” questions. Why did the weirdo neighbors choose Salma? They were acting creepy before they moved in, so did they buy the house to target her? Or was she just a convenient scapegoat? I don’t know. The reader doesn’t learn enough about the neighbors.
Second, the book is being compared to Courtney Summers’s Sadie. I think that could give readers the wrong impression. I wouldn’t call No True Believers a thriller because it’s paced like a contemporary until the last fourth of the book. Most of the story is about Salma trying to live her life while Islamaphobia consumes her town. It’s slow-burn. The book doesn’t become thriller-like until the end. I love contemporaries, so the pace didn’t bother me, but I want readers to have realistic expectations.
Despite my complaints, I enjoyed this book. It’s an engaging story about choosing love over cruelty and finding ways to make the truth heard.
“In the religion of love there are no true believers. Everyone is welcome.” – Rumi quoted in No True Believers
Do you like opinions, giveaways, and bookish nonsense?
I have a blog for that.
rknuttel's review
4.0
Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for a review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.
NO TRUE BELIEVERS is out on FEBRUARY 11, 2020!
Whew. This book was quite the ride! Let’s do this in list form.
Things I Loved:
- The cover - it is sooooo gorgeous and powerful! Definitely catches your attention right away.
- The blurb. It is super intriguing and it made me request this book with no prior knowledge, which I rarely do. HOWEVER, the blurb is also a big part of my critique below. Stay tuned haha.
- Salma. Salma B. Girl kicks some serious butt and I love her. She is strong and sassy but vulnerable and scared all at the same time, which is very real. She loves powerfully and rages against injustice. She turns away from the opportunity to be cruel even when presented with easy and deserved opportunities. She uses her powers for good!
- Salma and Amir I love Amir! Amir is adorable! Amir can do no wrong. I love their relationship and how strong it is. I love that there is no drama about the relationship and that we fall into it when it is already strong.
- Family dynamics. The force is strong with this one, and I’m a sucker for good family dynamics in YA.
- Mysteries! Thrills! Questions! Answers! Secret societies. Scary plots. This story has it all, and once the plot picks up, man does it fly. However...see below.
- This story deals with some very relevant and important topics. It is so vital to hear from these marginalized voices and learn how to be an ally.
Critiques!
- The blurb is a bit misleading. Most of what it discusses does not happen until the end of the book or does not happen the way it leads you to expect. Which sometimes can be good but this time left me hanging.
- Pacing. This story is definitely a slow burn with loooots if set up. Most of the action happens in the last, like, quarter. Once we got to that last quarter, it was fantastic and heart pounding! However, because of what the blurb teases about the story, you spend a long time waiting for all of the action.
- I would have loved a glossary in the back to define frequently used Arabic words/phrases so that I wouldn’t forget what they meant!
- We never feet closure with some of the characters who give Salma trouble at the beginning. That’s life, but I would have liked it haha.
I was planning on giving this a 3, but the ending definitely brings it up to a 4. This story is for sure worth reading! It’s gritty and heavy and intense, but that’s what makes it great!
NO TRUE BELIEVERS is out on FEBRUARY 11, 2020!
Whew. This book was quite the ride! Let’s do this in list form.
Things I Loved:
- The cover - it is sooooo gorgeous and powerful! Definitely catches your attention right away.
- The blurb. It is super intriguing and it made me request this book with no prior knowledge, which I rarely do. HOWEVER, the blurb is also a big part of my critique below. Stay tuned haha.
- Salma. Salma B. Girl kicks some serious butt and I love her. She is strong and sassy but vulnerable and scared all at the same time, which is very real. She loves powerfully and rages against injustice. She turns away from the opportunity to be cruel even when presented with easy and deserved opportunities. She uses her powers for good!
- Salma and Amir I love Amir! Amir is adorable! Amir can do no wrong. I love their relationship and how strong it is. I love that there is no drama about the relationship and that we fall into it when it is already strong.
- Family dynamics. The force is strong with this one, and I’m a sucker for good family dynamics in YA.
- Mysteries! Thrills! Questions! Answers! Secret societies. Scary plots. This story has it all, and once the plot picks up, man does it fly. However...see below.
- This story deals with some very relevant and important topics. It is so vital to hear from these marginalized voices and learn how to be an ally.
Critiques!
- The blurb is a bit misleading. Most of what it discusses does not happen until the end of the book or does not happen the way it leads you to expect. Which sometimes can be good but this time left me hanging.
- Pacing. This story is definitely a slow burn with loooots if set up. Most of the action happens in the last, like, quarter. Once we got to that last quarter, it was fantastic and heart pounding! However, because of what the blurb teases about the story, you spend a long time waiting for all of the action.
- I would have loved a glossary in the back to define frequently used Arabic words/phrases so that I wouldn’t forget what they meant!
- We never feet closure with some of the characters who give Salma trouble at the beginning. That’s life, but I would have liked it haha.
I was planning on giving this a 3, but the ending definitely brings it up to a 4. This story is for sure worth reading! It’s gritty and heavy and intense, but that’s what makes it great!
isweedan's review
3.0
Solid and compelling, though the cover gives entirely the wrong vibes, I think.
z_brarian's review
5.0
This book had me hooked from the beginning. Hackers? Check. Edge of your seatness? Check. Didn’t want it to end? Check. An amazing story of one who fights for her rights and fights back to save her family. Salma’s detective skills were amazingly written. The scenes at school, when Salma was being bullied, not just by students but by educators and administrators had me squirming and wanting to slap these people for treating her so badly, just because of her religion. To point fingers without understanding and knowing the facts angered me. The love story between Salma and Amir was one of true love, not a typical teenager romance. Definitely a solid read for YA.
maycho's review
2.0
Mulling over thoughts. Felt like the themes were important, but the story a bit rough.
teddancin's review against another edition
3.0
I'm having trouble wrapping my thoughts and feelings into words, but I didn't like the way EDS was presented. I wanted so badly to relate to Salma, but I didn't have a diagnosis as a teen, and it wasn't nearly as widely known back then as it is now. I guess it's the idea that EDS was just a part of her life that everyone understood and accepted that is foreign to me.
abby_bartlett05's review
adventurous
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5