nuhafariha's reviews
1209 reviews

This Country: Searching for Home in (Very) Rural America by Navied Mahdavian

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.25

I enjoyed a lot about this graphic memoir - the pacing, the gentleness with which Navied treats his neighbors even though they are clearly racist, the gorgeous art form. The Country wrestles with questions many of us forgieners grapple with like the casual balance of kindness and violence in our neighbors, the "bless your heart", and the way they will bring you extra sugar and vote for policies that obliterate your existence. Felt the themes in this book heavy.

Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy

emotional funny lighthearted 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? Yes

4.75

 Thank you Allah for creating Huda and this beautiful comic book series. I hope all the young women who need to see this work, do (and a few adult teachers too!). It's just great storytelling. 

Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky

dark emotional funny lighthearted 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

3.5

 

In the near future, Sammie has to confront demons both literal (think mysterious sea creature gobbling up friends) and personal (think said friends who don't understand your gender and sexual identity). Lubchansky has a great control of plot and timing, never letting us linger too long into the logistics of El Campo or the mysterious Grey Hand, but I wish we got to spend more time with Sammie and Adam, or maybe even know about their backstory. The resolution felt a bit unbelievable because there's so few interactions between them. Adam served as Sammie's best man? How did that go??

 

A Different Pond by Bao Phi

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

5.0

Gorgeous illustrations & simple story

Blackward by Lawrence Lindell

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

A very QT POC book that follows a team of young Black Queers as they start their own book club. I wish I could go follow Lala, Lika, Amor and Tony on all the adventures

Huda F Cares? by Huda Fahmy

funny inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Tender hearted and realistic, looks at the experience of growing up Muslim in America, doesn't shy away from ugly realities. 

That Can Be Arranged: A Muslim Love Story by Huda Fahmy

emotional funny hopeful informative fast-paced

4.25

Hilarious and upbeat take on dating, love, and marriage in the 21st century as a Muslim woman.

Scorched Earth by Tiana Clark

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

Thank you Atria and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available March 2025.

Longing, lust, and libations abound in Tiana Clarke's Scorched Earth. Written in the aftermath of both personal and social upheaval, the poems contend with what is left behind and tries to make sense of residual damage. Travelling as far back as the 18th Century, Clark tackles both personal and historical legacies, grappling with the complexities of living as a Black queer woman in America. I loved the tenderness with which she treated herself, the way she revealed such great vulnerabilities with the reader, the jubilant celebration of so many other authors I hold dear, and the inward progression of the book. Scorched Earth crackles with life!

Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools by Mary Annette Pember

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available April 2025

Whst I loved the most about Mary Annette Pember's Medicine River is the way she was able to tell a story that was at once a personal ancedote and the story of Native people. Pember skillfully weaves in history, science, religion, and policy to demonstrate the complex legacies of Indian boarding schools in North America, using her own mother's experiences as an anchor. Have a box of tissues ready because you will cry and maybe even want to throw up at the grotesque violence young Native children face (much of which remains unacknowledged in American history books). A necessary read for all those living on Turtle Island.

A Living Remedy by Nicole Chung

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

Thank you to Ecco and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Now available.

Be prepared with your tissue boxes, this book is a bawler. Starting with Chung's childhood as an Asian adoptee to a white family in rural Oregon and going all the way to the present day, this is a beautiful exploration of loss, love, and family. Chung grapples with the death of her family members, never shying away from questioning the class disparities present in today's medical industry. The later half of the book is especially emotionally poignant as Chung experiences two losses back to back in the middle of the pandemic. Above all, this book will make you call your mom one more time.