A review by marywahlmeierbracciano
Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Hollow Fires has arrived in the wake of the Trump era, in an environment of rampant misinformation and media bias, of white supremacist violence and “affluenza.”  This story follows Safiya, a Desi Muslim scholarship student and journalist-in-training at a private Chicago high school.  As editor-in-chief, she writes a social justice column for the school newspaper, but, as part of the school’s attempts to cover up a series of racist incidents in the community, she is being censored by the administration.  When a neighborhood Muslim boy goes missing, Safiya must race to piece together enough evidence to connect the dots and convince the police to do something, putting her own safety at risk.  Ahmed’s thriller illustrates diversity within Muslim communities, portrays the reality of police incompetence, and explores the nuances of modern white supremacy and hate crimes, for which there is no justice. 
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