A review by herstoryunlocs
Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense 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

5.0

“ever since i was small i’ve wanted to be loved” 

“here’s the story: in sixteen years my lips have never been kissed, but my name spends years kissed in every gossiping mouth, kissed with disapproving teeth, kissed by the threat of disgrace, of exile, my name kissed by every whisper, by shaken head while i sit inside it, untouched & full of wanting i cannot name, of something doused in gasoline & ready to catch” 

An impeccable story, written in verse! It journeys through the life of 16-year old Samira, whose Sudanese-American culture ultimately shapes her experience as a young woman yearning for love, some good & some not so great. With a mom that just doesn’t understand the desires of a young girl at her age or truly gives her the autonomy to explore life in America, she begins to feel suffocated and needs an outlet. This outlet becomes poetry and of course, a guy she meets online.  

This novel brings to light the ways young girls can be taken advantage of, objectified and their bodies hypersexualized all within the idea of “protectedness” by their own mothers, friends, community members, strangers, etc. While their thoughts and feelings could be seen as protective measures, it comes off extremely sexist and causes harmful stereotypes to be placed upon young girls at an early age. In this case, Samira feels forced to lie and keep things away from her loved ones in order to explore new places, people, and things. 

At risk of disgrace, exile from her family, & recognized as the supposed “fast girl”, she has never even experienced a first kiss?! Make it make sense. Her desire for love is valid, especially when feeling the lack from her only parent. No one talks about the grief of losing a parent who is still in your presence once you begin to develop in age and they don’t begin to develop with you. Samira isn’t the little girl that does everything her mom wants her to do or is exactly the way her mom wants her to be, yet she is a young adult who seeks love, and friendship without judgement. 

I found small facets of my younger self in Samira. Naive, very green, impressionable, easily manipulated. Yearning for love and not understanding how or what it looks like is a disaster waiting to happen. While her mom’s intention is to protect, she only ends up pushing her away into the very thing she’s trying to keep her away from. Oftentimes, parents feel the need to place all these rules on their kids, but it takes away from their experience of making mistakes and learning from them. With this neglect, it causes them to go through these experiences alone in a way where they feel it can only be done in a dishonest way. I remember feeling like I wanted to talk to my mom about things but because of the tabooness of the subject, I knew I wouldn’t be received or supported well. 

Moral of the story, allow young girls to be young girls. Allow them to grow up in a way that isn’t stifling. Allow them to desire things they may not have while also teaching them to enjoy the present now. Teach them to explore new people, places and things without fear. Teach them that making mistakes is a part of life and it’s how you recover that’s important. Teach them that friends, family, and community are equally important. Teach them about love, how to love, and how to be loved. In that order.