A review by laurenleigh
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

emotional funny informative inspiring reflective fast-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

5.0

I don’t normally expect to be blown away by a middle grade novel, but this was stunning. What an incredible portrayal of a Muslim immigrant girl in middle America. Warga has that beautiful quality to her writing where she can bring the plot along while simultaneously giving me poetic lines I want to ponder on for awhile. I was most struck by her description of being an ESL kid. Being a 12 year-old is already a LOT. But to do middle school in the Midwest, coming from Syria and not having a strong grasp on the language? Wow. That is next level strength. The other kids in the ESL class were so sweet, as was Jude’s relationship with them. Jude’s other relationships with her mother, her cousin, her other friends at school were all quite realistic and multi-layered. In Jude‘s culture, girls start wearing a hijab when they first get their period, and watching Jude’s experience of this was very enlightening. I learned and felt a lot during this short but impactful novel.
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