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A review by hayleyjames24
Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I actually thoroughly enjoyed this! I picked it up because I like to read as many YA books as I can as I work in a high school library and this is one of my faves I’ve read this year.
The writing was very 2005 (as in lots of talk about being fat and weight when the character is literally a size 10 haha) but I can absolutely forgive the cringe because the story that it told and the themes that it delved into were so special. I feel like I actually learnt a lot but in a fun and silly way.
Themes: identity, friendship, relationships with parents, that end of school panic about what you’re gonna do with your life and how are you gonna live up to your parents expectations and self confidence
I loved how I depth it talked about Ramadan, the Muslim experience in Australia (I know this is only one characters perspective) immigration, wearing hijab. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Amal gain confidence and clarity in her decision to wear hijab full time and loved being in her mind when she was contemplating her decisions
I thought all of the characters were really fleshed out and I could see all of them clearly in my minds eye, this book kinda gave me the vibes of Jacqueline Wilson’s “Girls” series with the topics that were handled like boys, makeup, staying out late, eating disorders/weight issues, peer pressure but with a bunch of Muslim girls which was fun.
Loved Amals parents! They were super cute, and Leila’s storyline was very touching. Amals storyline with her next door neighbour was very sweet too, loved her realisations in this space that everybody had a story.
Think this would be a great fit for a school library who wants to diversify their shelves a tad. But because of the classic 2005 writing style (very cosmo, girlfriend magazine) I would say watch out for the writing feeling a tad behind the times.
The writing was very 2005 (as in lots of talk about being fat and weight when the character is literally a size 10 haha) but I can absolutely forgive the cringe because the story that it told and the themes that it delved into were so special. I feel like I actually learnt a lot but in a fun and silly way.
Themes: identity, friendship, relationships with parents, that end of school panic about what you’re gonna do with your life and how are you gonna live up to your parents expectations and self confidence
I loved how I depth it talked about Ramadan, the Muslim experience in Australia (I know this is only one characters perspective) immigration, wearing hijab. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Amal gain confidence and clarity in her decision to wear hijab full time and loved being in her mind when she was contemplating her decisions
I thought all of the characters were really fleshed out and I could see all of them clearly in my minds eye, this book kinda gave me the vibes of Jacqueline Wilson’s “Girls” series with the topics that were handled like boys, makeup, staying out late, eating disorders/weight issues, peer pressure but with a bunch of Muslim girls which was fun.
Loved Amals parents! They were super cute, and Leila’s storyline was very touching. Amals storyline with her next door neighbour was very sweet too, loved her realisations in this space that everybody had a story.
Think this would be a great fit for a school library who wants to diversify their shelves a tad. But because of the classic 2005 writing style (very cosmo, girlfriend magazine) I would say watch out for the writing feeling a tad behind the times.