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A review by literautres
Amina's Voice by Hena Khan
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars
this book is lovely.
i went into this without so much expectation because the book i'm currently reading is making me so sad so i am taking a break by picking this one. safe to say i am not disappointed but also not really impressed. it is light, heart-warming, and hopeful. at first i actually disliked the main character, amina, because she was rather judgmental to a emily, a girl who's trying hard to make up for her mistakes despite amina being someone who has treated unfairly before, and was pretty whiny. but my view to her got better when i actually placed myself as amina. she was 12 years old, a child. and when you are a child friendship is everything and i wish all of us are soojin, but too bad we're not. when you think about it, her feelings were valid and amina did make up her own insensitivity and owning her mistakes in the end.
amina's struggle of overcoming her anxiety of showing herself in front of many people was also delightful to read. it was hard, at that age, i know, because i had been there too and once there was this muslim children fashion competition and my mother put me up to it (i didn't even know why, she just really liked to dress me up back then) and i literally just walked on the stage with my head down because i was scared to death. i still remember the feeling until now lmao it was probably just this silly little thing that i should get over with but surprise! i did not. that's where the adults are wrong. they said when bad things happen to you when you are little, you have a whole lifetime to forget it. newsflash, we don't! hahahahahaahhahaahhahcry.
anyways. what bothers me actually the america-is-the-best-country-to-live sentiment. i agree that it means well, that there are good people everywhere and the community is also so lovely and i believe still exist in many places. but for me personally, the way it was written, well, less convincing for me and this is also why i hate reading as an adult. you read these horrible news everyday and you understand more than you can take so now you can't even read children book without scoffing (despite trying so hard not to).
still though, it was pretty good! the cover is so pretty and i like the general message and what it is trying to deliver. i am also happy with how warm the vibe is at the end. if you are looking for a light read, this is a good one. (less)
this book is lovely.
i went into this without so much expectation because the book i'm currently reading is making me so sad so i am taking a break by picking this one. safe to say i am not disappointed but also not really impressed. it is light, heart-warming, and hopeful. at first i actually disliked the main character, amina, because she was rather judgmental to a emily, a girl who's trying hard to make up for her mistakes despite amina being someone who has treated unfairly before, and was pretty whiny. but my view to her got better when i actually placed myself as amina. she was 12 years old, a child. and when you are a child friendship is everything and i wish all of us are soojin, but too bad we're not. when you think about it, her feelings were valid and amina did make up her own insensitivity and owning her mistakes in the end.
amina's struggle of overcoming her anxiety of showing herself in front of many people was also delightful to read. it was hard, at that age, i know, because i had been there too and once there was this muslim children fashion competition and my mother put me up to it (i didn't even know why, she just really liked to dress me up back then) and i literally just walked on the stage with my head down because i was scared to death. i still remember the feeling until now lmao it was probably just this silly little thing that i should get over with but surprise! i did not. that's where the adults are wrong. they said when bad things happen to you when you are little, you have a whole lifetime to forget it. newsflash, we don't! hahahahahaahhahaahhahcry.
anyways. what bothers me actually the america-is-the-best-country-to-live sentiment. i agree that it means well, that there are good people everywhere and the community is also so lovely and i believe still exist in many places. but for me personally, the way it was written, well, less convincing for me and this is also why i hate reading as an adult. you read these horrible news everyday and you understand more than you can take so now you can't even read children book without scoffing (despite trying so hard not to).
still though, it was pretty good! the cover is so pretty and i like the general message and what it is trying to deliver. i am also happy with how warm the vibe is at the end. if you are looking for a light read, this is a good one. (less)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Islamophobia and Hate crime