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This really hit me hard.
I found the first half hard to get through but we hit a point in the plot halfway through where I became much more invested in the story.
This is definitely a character-driven book and the author actually completed this book as part of his PhD. You can see more information about his process of writing this book and more about what this book is about and the themes and ideas it challenges: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/more_news_stories/the_lebs_challenging_literary_traditions_and_perceptions_of_australianess
The reason why I appreciate this book is because of its authentic voice. It reflects the complexity of identity and really touches on how it can feel to never fit in just one place or one community. In this novel, our main character Bani never feels like he fully belongs in his high school - Punchbowl Boys High - but as we follow his story, Bani realises that he does not belong in the Australian 'white' community either. He is stuck between two, vastly different worlds that seem to oppose each other at times. This struggle was shown really well and my heart was racing at a particular scene near the end of the book, where Bani comes to terms with how he is viewed by others outside the Lebanese Muslim community. The ending brought some tears to my eyes.
The author writes well. Several, vivid scenes come to mind.
This book shows that great novels can come from many different voices from many different communities, and that great literature is literature that reflects its time and reveals different human truths.
I found the first half hard to get through but we hit a point in the plot halfway through where I became much more invested in the story.
This is definitely a character-driven book and the author actually completed this book as part of his PhD. You can see more information about his process of writing this book and more about what this book is about and the themes and ideas it challenges: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/more_news_stories/the_lebs_challenging_literary_traditions_and_perceptions_of_australianess
The reason why I appreciate this book is because of its authentic voice. It reflects the complexity of identity and really touches on how it can feel to never fit in just one place or one community. In this novel, our main character Bani never feels like he fully belongs in his high school - Punchbowl Boys High - but as we follow his story, Bani realises that he does not belong in the Australian 'white' community either. He is stuck between two, vastly different worlds that seem to oppose each other at times. This struggle was shown really well and my heart was racing at a particular scene near the end of the book, where Bani comes to terms with how he is viewed by others outside the Lebanese Muslim community. The ending brought some tears to my eyes.
The author writes well. Several, vivid scenes come to mind.
This book shows that great novels can come from many different voices from many different communities, and that great literature is literature that reflects its time and reveals different human truths.