Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - You Truly Assumed

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Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen

24 reviews

kayden__reads's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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

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makeminemonsters's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

4.0

I thought this book was really well-written, I loved the three main characters and how their stories intersected and developed.

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erin_362's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

I really liked this and I’m glad I picked it up because I think reading about different experiences is really important (and something I need to do a bit more). It was a good short read that I could have knocked out in a day or two (except I was lazy and sick and doing schoolwork) but it was really good and a good viewpoint for me to understand more about being Muslim and black in America. There were a lot of lines in the book that I felt like even I understood even though I’m a white non-religious woman

, and I think my favorite line of the book was “But if our being is politicized, does that mean everything that's an extension of ourselves is politicized too?” or “‘There's nothing wrong with anger. Wallow in it if you need to, and let it push us forward. I think anger can be converted to hope through action…’”

.
I really think this is an important book that touches on a lot of things and it should really be read by more people.

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anonymous_traveller's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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? It's complicated

5.0

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maple_dusk's review

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

You Truly Assumed has three MC's, and they're all Black, Muslim, and female, which make them targets for bigots. This book is set right when the 9/11 attacks happened, although the settings are away from any of the targeted locations. However, the destruction affected the girls, the environments they were in, and everywhere else in the United States. "When threatening comments and emails try to silence them, the three must decide: shut things down and stay safe . . . or risk it all and let their voices be heard."

What I Liked:

I was really able to relate to the feelings of hopelessness, fear, and despair in this book, feelings that often accompany many people when faced with bigotry
Discussions surrounding bigotry
And more which I cannot grasp from the top of my head

I-I don't know how to round up this review. 😅

Quotes:

CW: Mentions of: Racism, Islamophobia, Homophobia

It's gross that people get to have racist, Islamophobic, or homophobic or any of the other countless "phases" that get written off as them simply being children. Especially without any regard as to how what they said or did during their "phase" hurt others. (pg. 59)

Even though growing up, Inglethorne was mostly just Black and Latinx, with gentrification happening now, more and more white people are buying up the property and putting up Black Lives Matter signs on their lawns without realizing the irony of the fact that Black and Latinx people were forced out because they couldn't pay the rent anymore. (pg. 74)

TW: Mention of death

"Can I come with you?" Ally asks. "One of my friends goes to the mosque that got attacked. She's really sad about what happened, and I want to support her."
I smile. "Yeah, of course you can come with me."
It's just walking, so I don't mind Ally coming with me to support her friend. As long as she sticks with me and doesn't get lost, us going together shouldn't be a problem. Plus, I like Ally and Samson so far, and stepping into a big sister role doesn't seem to be as overwhelming as I thought it would be.
Jess's fork slips from her fingers, the metal clattering against her plate. "No, Ally, absolutely not. It'll be too dangerous. There's been talk about threats at vigil, and I don't want you to be in an environment like that." She turns to me, her expression sharp. "Please don't talk about the vigil anymore."
I pause, not exactly sure how I should respond. For starters, I'm pretty sure that Ally's thirteen and would be fine going to the vigil with me. I haven't heard any speculations about threats, and even though I won't write them off completely, I think if Ally wants to stand up for her friend and for what's right, then Jess should support her instead of trying to shield her. Not everyone gets the privilege of being shielded. But hey, what do I know? (pg. 216)

CW: mention of racial slur

"As much as I feel bad about what happened to Khadijiah, my main concern is keeping Ally safe," Jess says, once the kids leave the room. "She's still young. There are some things that she isn't ready to see yet."
I blink in shock. The fact that Jess thinks that she can hide Ally from seeing hate and injustice reminds me of the white mom who was walking with her son the day I was called the N-word in elementary school. She had looked at the car the slur had been hurled from, at me, and then she tugged on her son's hand and kept walking. Maybe Jess has the privilege to look way, but she shouldn't make Ally do the same. (pg. 217)

"Look, I've lived in Kirby since I was your age, and nothing like this has ever happened here. I want you and Ally to have a relationship, but I don't think that the vigil needs to be a part of that. In fact, you might want to reconsider going to the event yourself, Farah."
I look at Tommy, waiting to see if he'll disagree with her. But his silence is the only answer I get.
"You two really don't get it," I say. (Pg. 217)

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bookswithlee's review

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informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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aishallnot's review against another edition

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inspiring lighthearted sad 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? Yes

4.25

4.25

This was one of my most anticipated releases for this year I honestly really liked you truly assumed! Three Black Muslim girls run a blog on being vulnerable about their identities and I believe this is a good example showing how Black people (specifically black women) are portrayed as strong but w/ the characters, i can read their emotions as they're coping with the terrorist attack as well as their personal lives. The same goes w/ being Muslim and showcasing to a public platform their honest feelings about being Muslim in the US.

The author also doesn't shy away from the fact that these girls are proud of their faith (one of the characters is from an interfaith family) and I loved seeing that especially in a ya book. If there was book like this 10 years ago when I was so afraid of what people would think about me, a Black Muslim, I would take chance and pick it up to read. And I'm glad yta for the young Black Muslim girls bc I know would've have loved this in high school. I definitely related to all of the girls personality wise, but I'd say I saw myself in zakat the most! I feel as if she broke out of her shell by advocating for herself and wanting to change for a better life and her character inspired me a lot 🥺. I'm so proud of Laila and I can't wait to see what she writes next!

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anniereads221's review

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challenging emotional hopeful 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

5.0

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theautumnflower's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

4.5

This book is gorgeous, and inspires change on a level that is, easy for regular people to do. However, it felt like a very slow starting intro. Despite this, it’s an amazing read and I truly recommend it!!!

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cielo_reads's review

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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? No

5.0

First Impressions: Loving the intersectionality of this writing.

Three Black Muslim girls start a blog that goes viral after a recent terrosist attack was assumed to be Muslim by his name. Sabriya (who goes by Bri on the blog) begins You Truly Assumed (YTA) As a private online journal to express her feelings after the recent rise in islamophobic things happening after the attack. After she realizes it was accidentally public and other Muslim girls of color resonate with her words. Soon Zakat (who goes by Kat on the blog) is working on the icon & drawings for the blog & Farah (who goes by Rose on the blog) works on the coding & website design. I really loved this book and how clearly and seamlessly Sabreen is able to express intersectionality. All three MC’s are Black, Muslim & Girls none of those identities can be seperated but that doesn’t stop society from trying. I also really appreciated the realistic way Sabreen talks about Islam; Americans/ non Muslims tend to think of islam as an “unchanging and oppressive”. However just with all religions the interpretation of the holy texts change slightly over time. As more women and non male scholars gain respect in the field, changes can be and are made. For example when Zakat’s Masjid removed the gendered entrances as it alienated a part of their community and they even added a third prayer room for people who don’t find themselves fitting into binary genders. That truly warmed my heart to read and I’ve only read about things like this in college as an outsider of the religion.

Also the first time I've ever read any mention of the way those colleges have predatory loans targeted at low income people of color in a fiction book. Like the realness is so appreciated Sabreen!!

This is an amazing book for Black Muslim Representation & and introduction to intersectional oppression and how difficult it is to experience Anti-Blackness/ Racism, Islamophobia & Misogyny all at once.

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