A review by c3rem0nials
The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf

challenging dark emotional informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

i don't usually venture into YA, because they're never really up my alley, even when i was a teen. but i was really blown away reading this book. the backdrop of racial riots sets a tone that is so deeply urgent, and so in the present--in spite of it being inherently historic. melati is everything in a 16 year old southeast asian character you could hope for--she is, in her essence, just a teen trying to navigate moral dilemmas in a rocky period of malaysian society. i did side eye the idea of a "djinn" being the reason why she possibly has ocd/generalised anxiety disorder, but i guess it also makes sense contextually. but i read this book from its authors note, and i wish the author anchored down a decision properly in reference to the mental illness. it does something new by taking symptoms of ocd seriously, you feel it so presently, but somehow it sets itself back when u remember it in a religious context. however, hanna also takes her reader seriously. i am way past the age recommendation but the writing is so easily enjoyed, with beautiful prose and a gripping storyline (but with a rather flat ending, which i am still trying to justify) that it really transcends the idea of "YA". a very solid debut from a talented author!