Reviews with content warning for Deportation - Hijab Butch Blues

I have a lot of respect and admiration for religious queer people. I think it requires a great deal of introspection and hope and trust in a higher power; I envy that kind of faith. And I think it can make your queerness more complicated and also more beautiful. And I think that’s a line that Lamya walks in this book. The format of her experiences intertwined with parables from the Quran worked really well for this. And for me it was interesting to see this aspect of religion. Since I was raised Christian, many of the stories were familiar, with additions, subtractions, and adjustments that occasionally changed the whole shape of the story. And Lamya’s interpretations turn them into something even more powerful. This too feels familiar. I remember shaping my own faith in a way that many other members of my religion did not relate to. It is such a holy act of love and self-love and I’m glad to see it recorded her.

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kawaii_rose's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book is both heart-wrenching and inspiring, and it has helped me embrace my identity as a queer Muslim.

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bashsbooks's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Hijab Butch Blues flawlessly demonstrates the complex interplay between religion, queerness, race, and immigration. It follows the life of the pseudonymous Lamya H, who is from an unnamed Southeastern Asian country, grew up in an unnamed Arab country, and eventually moved to the United States. I especially enjoyed the interweaving of the stories from the Quran and their application to Lamya's personal life and struggles.

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ka_cam's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

4.75

This book makes me want to read more memoirs! And also friend chase Lamya. A moving exploration of queerness, faith, belonging, immigration, and family (chosen and otherwise!). I really enjoyed her reflections - sometimes the jumping timeline was a little jarring and I wish she dug deeper into some elements/feelings but all in all really enjoyed it! Highly recommend for queer folks, people of faith, and everyone else!

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linluvsbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This will absolutely be one of my favorite reads this year. The pacing and narrative structure is superb. Oftentimes with memoirs I find there is plenty of interesting stories about the author’s life, but parts or the whole is light on introspection or taking their life and connecting it to the outside world - but this is where Lamya H really shines. I’ve been recommending this book to everyone since I started it and will continue to do so. Thank you to @Lupita.reads (IG) for bringing my attention to this beautiful book.

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fenemiestolovers's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

This is a book I didn’t know I could find but desperately needed. As someone who is often trying to reconcile my queerness with my Muslim-ness, I really appreciated the author’s interpretations of various stories from the Quran and how they relate to the queer Muslim experience. There is so much to relate to and yet so much to learn and appreciate from where our experiences differ. Deeply grateful for a book that is unapologetic and a reminder of what we’ve gained through this journey and what we are still fighting for.

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