kawthar114's review
dark
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
lunatriestoread's review
5.0
Review: This book was incredible, I'd recommend it to anyone. This book has 3 strong women of color interested in fields where they are often still scrutinized (Ballet and Stem). It talks about Islam beautifully and although it discusses heavy topics, it's still fun and youthful. Sometimes it was a little too "stereotypical Gen-Z" for me because the main characters constantly said "no cap", "period" etc. but maybe it is normal, and I'm old. It also talks about the importance of community, family and friendship, but also how important it is to let go a little and leave your comfort zone. I also enjoyed the small LGBT+ representation, as there are some mentions of a non-Muslim lesbian couple, a Muslim lesbian couple and the inclusivity of the mosque for people that wouldn't feel comfortable with the strong gendered separation. I've been wrecking my brain if I should give 4 or 5 stars, because I always give 5 stars too easily. I'd say I give this book 4.5 stars but since I feel it's closer to 5 Stars, that's what I'll give, especially since the rating is so low.
!Spoilers!
Summary: You truly assumed is about 3 young Black Muslim girls, Sabriya, Zakat and Farah, who come together to create a blog after a spike in Islamophobia to talk about their experiences and create a safe space for their community. While the blog quickly gains popularity, it also receives a lot of hate, especially after being posted on an alt-right blog. The girls slowly learn to trust themselves. Sabriya is a ballet Dancer with a loving interfaith family who falls in love with a boy she previously disliked. Their relationship is really sweet and fans of enemies to lovers will probably enjoy that. Zakat is an artist who struggles to defy her strict but loving parents, who are at first against the blog and don't want her pursuing art. Farah is a girl interested in Computer Science, who shares a bedroom with her single mother and wants to test if long distance with her boyfriend will work by reluctantly visiting her biological father, his new wife and her step/half siblings in the summer break. Her relationship with her father and her siblings was beautiful and resonated with me a lot. They overcome many obstacles including racism and Islamophobia together and find hope. In the end, they find out who was responsible for multiple Islamophobic hate crimes in the city and expose an alt-right teacher, which was a good wrap up.
!Spoilers!
Summary: You truly assumed is about 3 young Black Muslim girls, Sabriya, Zakat and Farah, who come together to create a blog after a spike in Islamophobia to talk about their experiences and create a safe space for their community. While the blog quickly gains popularity, it also receives a lot of hate, especially after being posted on an alt-right blog. The girls slowly learn to trust themselves. Sabriya is a ballet Dancer with a loving interfaith family who falls in love with a boy she previously disliked. Their relationship is really sweet and fans of enemies to lovers will probably enjoy that. Zakat is an artist who struggles to defy her strict but loving parents, who are at first against the blog and don't want her pursuing art. Farah is a girl interested in Computer Science, who shares a bedroom with her single mother and wants to test if long distance with her boyfriend will work by reluctantly visiting her biological father, his new wife and her step/half siblings in the summer break. Her relationship with her father and her siblings was beautiful and resonated with me a lot. They overcome many obstacles including racism and Islamophobia together and find hope. In the end, they find out who was responsible for multiple Islamophobic hate crimes in the city and expose an alt-right teacher, which was a good wrap up.
thesempiternalreader's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating - 3.75★
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was beyond excited to read a story about three Black Muslim woman who bond and blog after a terrorist attack hits DC. The writing style was really good and I liked reading about the different experiences of Sabriya, Zakat, and Farah. It was very impactful but the characters didn't click for me. Their development and bonding was often told of but we don't see them actually unfold. Each character's voice was unique but didn't really mesh with the other characters. I did feel that I was reading three different stories at times but I liked reading about them embracing their identities. I would definitely be looking forward to reading more of Laila Sabreen's works in the future.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was beyond excited to read a story about three Black Muslim woman who bond and blog after a terrorist attack hits DC. The writing style was really good and I liked reading about the different experiences of Sabriya, Zakat, and Farah. It was very impactful but the characters didn't click for me. Their development and bonding was often told of but we don't see them actually unfold. Each character's voice was unique but didn't really mesh with the other characters. I did feel that I was reading three different stories at times but I liked reading about them embracing their identities. I would definitely be looking forward to reading more of Laila Sabreen's works in the future.
girlreading's review
4.0
An empowering story of bravery, friendship, community and the power of raising your voice and the strength it takes to do so.
Sabriya, Zakat and Farah were endearing characters to follow and I thought Sabreen did such a wonderful job of highlighting their unique perspectives, stories and experiences of being young Black Muslim women, whilst also not ignoring the common and universal oppression they face due to their shared identity.
I also adored the way that, despite the hardship and fear these young girls were facing, Sabreen also allowed joy into their stories. Yes, this was a story about oppression and racism and islamophobia, but it’s also a story of friendship, sisterhood, romance, family, using your voice and both finding and following your passion.
TW: racism, islamophobia
Sabriya, Zakat and Farah were endearing characters to follow and I thought Sabreen did such a wonderful job of highlighting their unique perspectives, stories and experiences of being young Black Muslim women, whilst also not ignoring the common and universal oppression they face due to their shared identity.
I also adored the way that, despite the hardship and fear these young girls were facing, Sabreen also allowed joy into their stories. Yes, this was a story about oppression and racism and islamophobia, but it’s also a story of friendship, sisterhood, romance, family, using your voice and both finding and following your passion.
TW: racism, islamophobia
dragonflyyzzi's review
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
3.0
missvillanelle's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ensara's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you NetGalley and Recorded Books for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy of You Truly Assumed in exchange for an honest review. Disclaimer: these are just my opinions, if you loved everything about this you are entitled to your opinion too, but I won’t argue with anyone in terms of representation or anything else. There might be minor spoilers in the following review.
I’m not sure where to start or where to end. This book was so overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time. It has been one of my most anticipated reads of 2022, however it was disappointing. Maybe it’s my fault for having expectations, but this book fell flat for me. I constantly wanted to DNF, but I kept pushing through and here we are. I am upset that I can’t give this a higher review, but this book was just not it. I’m sure there are people out there that loved it, but it was really really annoying.
My rating would have been lower if I hadn’t listened to the audiobook. It is so true that a narrator can make or break a book. The different voices brought the story to life.
There are parts to this story that made me feel seen and heard, but it was generally a big no. This book tried to cover so many issues in such a short time and it triggered a long list of sadness.
I loved how Mr. Smith was called out by Sabriya. He’s such a horrible person and reminds me of some disgusting people I’ve known. I appreciated the way one of the girls’ dad shared a favorite ayah from the Quran. I liked the friendship aspects. The sisterhood was amazing.
But let’s get into EVERYTHING else.
Now yes, I know there are sects out there that say they are Muslim but they are obviously not, and that’s an issue for another time, but Zakat never said she’s part of some sect and the way she “practices” is very concerning. Actually let’s take a look at how problematic and annoying Zakat is overall, maybe even more annoying than the characters in Af*er by An*a To*d. Here’s a few issues:
- She attends a mosque with a gender neutral section, a female-identifying one, and one for male-idnetifying in order to be “more inclusive”. Really not something to be brought up in a Muslim narrative book and not something that’s ok to be part of our mosques.
- Zakat holds a grudge against a girl who said something slightly Islamophobic when she was 10, even though the girl has shown no signs of Islamophobia since. In Islam we are taught to always give everyone the befit of the doubt. We are supposed to forgive and give second chances. I felt so bad for Lucy, because she was never given a chance, whether or not she was evil, she might have been better if she was not constantly doubted. Zakat just sounded very judgemental.
- Here’s a note I made: “FEMALE IMAM WITH AWESOME WINGED EYELINER -- girl what”. Female Imams are not a real thing. We have so many female scholars we love and respect of course, but a woman can’t be an imam – period. That's a whole different story.
- Overall Zakat was just super annoying and I couldn't stand her.
Next, even though Sabriya and Farah have haram relationships they didn’t really bother me as much as everything else, which tells you how much I didn’t enjoy 90% of this story. None of the characters even try to think whether or not what they’re doing is permissible.
Also, why is Farah so upset when her step-mom doesn’t want her kid going to a vigil – that is literally a child. If a parent is not comfortable with their child attending a vigil in honor of a girl that was shot. The child just turned 13, and her mom is looking out for her. IMO Farah was just finding another reason to be rude. + What was it with that muslim girl in the Comp-Sci class with a girlfriend????? And the whole Comp-Sci camp seemed like a plot hole.
I really wish I could’ve liked YTA more, but it was difficult to get through. I need to stop getting excited when I see Muslim Rep books until I finish reading the book. :/
I’m not sure where to start or where to end. This book was so overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time. It has been one of my most anticipated reads of 2022, however it was disappointing. Maybe it’s my fault for having expectations, but this book fell flat for me. I constantly wanted to DNF, but I kept pushing through and here we are. I am upset that I can’t give this a higher review, but this book was just not it. I’m sure there are people out there that loved it, but it was really really annoying.
My rating would have been lower if I hadn’t listened to the audiobook. It is so true that a narrator can make or break a book. The different voices brought the story to life.
There are parts to this story that made me feel seen and heard, but it was generally a big no. This book tried to cover so many issues in such a short time and it triggered a long list of sadness.
I loved how Mr. Smith was called out by Sabriya. He’s such a horrible person and reminds me of some disgusting people I’ve known. I appreciated the way one of the girls’ dad shared a favorite ayah from the Quran. I liked the friendship aspects. The sisterhood was amazing.
But let’s get into EVERYTHING else.
Now yes, I know there are sects out there that say they are Muslim but they are obviously not, and that’s an issue for another time, but Zakat never said she’s part of some sect and the way she “practices” is very concerning. Actually let’s take a look at how problematic and annoying Zakat is overall, maybe even more annoying than the characters in Af*er by An*a To*d. Here’s a few issues:
- She attends a mosque with a gender neutral section, a female-identifying one, and one for male-idnetifying in order to be “more inclusive”. Really not something to be brought up in a Muslim narrative book and not something that’s ok to be part of our mosques.
- Zakat holds a grudge against a girl who said something slightly Islamophobic when she was 10, even though the girl has shown no signs of Islamophobia since. In Islam we are taught to always give everyone the befit of the doubt. We are supposed to forgive and give second chances. I felt so bad for Lucy, because she was never given a chance, whether or not she was evil, she might have been better if she was not constantly doubted. Zakat just sounded very judgemental.
- Here’s a note I made: “FEMALE IMAM WITH AWESOME WINGED EYELINER -- girl what”. Female Imams are not a real thing. We have so many female scholars we love and respect of course, but a woman can’t be an imam – period. That's a whole different story.
- Overall Zakat was just super annoying and I couldn't stand her.
Next, even though Sabriya and Farah have haram relationships they didn’t really bother me as much as everything else, which tells you how much I didn’t enjoy 90% of this story. None of the characters even try to think whether or not what they’re doing is permissible.
Also, why is Farah so upset when her step-mom doesn’t want her kid going to a vigil – that is literally a child. If a parent is not comfortable with their child attending a vigil in honor of a girl that was shot. The child just turned 13, and her mom is looking out for her. IMO Farah was just finding another reason to be rude. + What was it with that muslim girl in the Comp-Sci class with a girlfriend????? And the whole Comp-Sci camp seemed like a plot hole.
I really wish I could’ve liked YTA more, but it was difficult to get through. I need to stop getting excited when I see Muslim Rep books until I finish reading the book. :/
mxemma's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
becandbooks's review
4.0
Trigger warnings:
You Truly Assumed is a hard-hitting story that explores and breaks down Islamophobia. But it is so much more than that. It explores community, intersectionality and virtual friendships making this a fantastic book for this day and age. Following the separate stories of three young black Muslim teenagers, living in a society wrought with hate crimes and prejudice, they come together to create something powerful and cathartic. Their blog, which the book itself is named after, is both a place of sharing and connection. This book depicts both the dangerous complexity and the sense of togetherness that youth can find online.
Despite this, I did feel as though there was a lack of depth to the plot and characters. While there is certainly a lot of important themes presented throughout the story, there were relationships and character dynamics that I wish had just been pushed a little bit more.
**Please note that I am not a Black, nor a Muslim reviewer. Therefore I can not comment on the representation depicted in this book. Please seek out #ownvoice reviewers for more pertinent thoughts on this publication.
Spoiler
racism, islamophobia, online harassment, hate crimes, terrorist attack, explosivesYou Truly Assumed is a hard-hitting story that explores and breaks down Islamophobia. But it is so much more than that. It explores community, intersectionality and virtual friendships making this a fantastic book for this day and age. Following the separate stories of three young black Muslim teenagers, living in a society wrought with hate crimes and prejudice, they come together to create something powerful and cathartic. Their blog, which the book itself is named after, is both a place of sharing and connection. This book depicts both the dangerous complexity and the sense of togetherness that youth can find online.
Despite this, I did feel as though there was a lack of depth to the plot and characters. While there is certainly a lot of important themes presented throughout the story, there were relationships and character dynamics that I wish had just been pushed a little bit more.
**Please note that I am not a Black, nor a Muslim reviewer. Therefore I can not comment on the representation depicted in this book. Please seek out #ownvoice reviewers for more pertinent thoughts on this publication.
Note: Review copy received from NetGalley. This does not impact opinions within this review.
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