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z_reads4's review
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
3.0
A sweet collection of stories. Nothing particularly groundbreaking in its emotion, but important nonetheless. My favorite stories were the ones by Bianca Elmir, Randa Abdel-Fatteh, Alyena Mohummadally, and Tasneem Chopra. However, all stories held a unique perspective and different wisdom.
jaclyn_sixminutesforme's review against another edition
4.0
“We recognized that young adult literature hadn’t yet captured the diversity of the Australian Muslim coming-of-age experience. We decided to gather stories from Muslims, both well known and not so well known, for a mainstream readership. In particular, we hoped to show how richly diverse their backgrounds are, given that Australian Muslims come from 70 different countries.”
For those looking for a diverse essay collection that speaks to growing up as a Muslim in Australia, and how this intersects with so many other ways people identify, this is the collection for you!
The collection (edited by Amra Pajalic and Demet Divaroren) includes a variety of male and female contributors that talk about their own personal experiences growing up, including those born in Australia and those who moved from various parts of the world. The essays look at confronting issues like gender, language barriers, sexuality, class and more, all alongside finding a place within both their own branch of Islam and the Australian community more broadly. The essays are so well written and so personal to each contributor, I appreciated the insight into their lives that each shared. I definitely recommend this collection - I think international readers will see many parallels in the experiences to those in their own countries, and I’m looking forward to reading more reviews as this book is read more widely!
If you’re participating in the @thereadingwomen challenge, this may satisfy prompt 11, a book featuring a religion other than your own.
For those looking for a diverse essay collection that speaks to growing up as a Muslim in Australia, and how this intersects with so many other ways people identify, this is the collection for you!
The collection (edited by Amra Pajalic and Demet Divaroren) includes a variety of male and female contributors that talk about their own personal experiences growing up, including those born in Australia and those who moved from various parts of the world. The essays look at confronting issues like gender, language barriers, sexuality, class and more, all alongside finding a place within both their own branch of Islam and the Australian community more broadly. The essays are so well written and so personal to each contributor, I appreciated the insight into their lives that each shared. I definitely recommend this collection - I think international readers will see many parallels in the experiences to those in their own countries, and I’m looking forward to reading more reviews as this book is read more widely!
If you’re participating in the @thereadingwomen challenge, this may satisfy prompt 11, a book featuring a religion other than your own.
carleesi's review against another edition
3.5
An interesting and insightful essay collection.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Islamophobia, and Racism
There is a bit of fatphobia in the essays, but the chapter by Randa Abdel-Fattah could be very triggering for anyone with body dysmorphia or ED.gillyreads's review
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I really enjoy anthologies such as this one, that show you the diverse range of experiences people have within a common group. This book explores the experiences of young muslims growing in Australia over past decades and the ways various moments impacted the kind of racism they faced.
archytas's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.75
This book has been out for awhile, and since its release, Black Inc have been releasing anthologies with similar titles, but a slightly different format. It was impossible not to compare these differences - in particular, the recent releases contain far more contributions. I missed the extra diversity - not only in experience but also in writing style and approach to the brief.
Having said that, the twelve contributions here are all very strong. Most memorable for me was perhaps xxx's account of growing up in a multiplicity of communities, each of which is flattened into a single identity in our public narratives: the contrast between the richness of her world, and the inability of stereotypes to accommodate it. I also appreciated the window into Michael Muhammad Ahmad's life, having long been a fan of his work.
Having said that, the twelve contributions here are all very strong. Most memorable for me was perhaps xxx's account of growing up in a multiplicity of communities, each of which is flattened into a single identity in our public narratives: the contrast between the richness of her world, and the inability of stereotypes to accommodate it. I also appreciated the window into Michael Muhammad Ahmad's life, having long been a fan of his work.
patchy_at_best's review
3.0
This collection of short memoirs shares the challenges of growing up Muslim in Australia. I love that the focus of Coming of Age is on the struggles of being a young person, irrespective of religion. This makes the authors relatable to junior readers everywhere.
Coming of Age features “mishmash” Muslims who migrated from all over the globe, or who, despite being born in Australia, are still viewed as “Other”. Instead of focusing on religion – risking alienating many readers – this book is about being a teen, making friends, and fitting in.
I love how these stories encourage us to let go of preconceived ideas. They prove how often our generalisations are wrong. These authors describe growing up in a range of contexts. I think the strong sporting feature is perfect for Australian junior readers, as sport is ingrained in Australian culture and is a crucial melting pot for social acceptance amongst school kids. Reading about boys and girls from Muslim backgrounds in these contexts reminds us that everyone should be allowed to be and do whatever they dream.
Some of the stories focus on body image, rebelling against parents, and not knowing what direction to take after school. In these stories, being Muslim has little or nothing to do with the author’s struggles. Reading these experiences shows us that they share our journey and are the same as us.
I strongly feel Coming of Age has the power to create change in the attitudes of young people. In Australia, we’re surrounded by people with different backgrounds and beliefs, but who share our struggles and have incredible stories to tell. I hope this book can help young readers stop seeing Muslim people as “Other”, and accept them as friends who are on the same journey.
This review can also be found on my blog Paige's Pages.
I wondered if there were going to be girls like me from the Middle East. Would there be any Muslim students in my class? And how many of them would have just arrived in Australia as I had? Would they speak Arabic like me? Would I be able to keep up with the schoolwork? Would I make friends? – Muslim Footprint by Arwa El Masri page 84
Coming of Age features “mishmash” Muslims who migrated from all over the globe, or who, despite being born in Australia, are still viewed as “Other”. Instead of focusing on religion – risking alienating many readers – this book is about being a teen, making friends, and fitting in.
I love how these stories encourage us to let go of preconceived ideas. They prove how often our generalisations are wrong. These authors describe growing up in a range of contexts. I think the strong sporting feature is perfect for Australian junior readers, as sport is ingrained in Australian culture and is a crucial melting pot for social acceptance amongst school kids. Reading about boys and girls from Muslim backgrounds in these contexts reminds us that everyone should be allowed to be and do whatever they dream.
I didn’t know what the right path was for me; I didn’t know what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I felt I should have all the answers and it scared me that I didn’t. I was always trying to please others before pleasing myself. I wanted to be accepted but I didn’t known how to accept myself – Fighting Spirit by Bianca Elmir page 35
Some of the stories focus on body image, rebelling against parents, and not knowing what direction to take after school. In these stories, being Muslim has little or nothing to do with the author’s struggles. Reading these experiences shows us that they share our journey and are the same as us.
I wasn’t strong enough to face a society that would judge me because of what I was wearing without knowing me – Muslim Footprint by Arwa El Masri page 88
I strongly feel Coming of Age has the power to create change in the attitudes of young people. In Australia, we’re surrounded by people with different backgrounds and beliefs, but who share our struggles and have incredible stories to tell. I hope this book can help young readers stop seeing Muslim people as “Other”, and accept them as friends who are on the same journey.
This review can also be found on my blog Paige's Pages.
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