 |
It’s 2002, a year after 9/11. It’s an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of being stereotyped.
Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. She’s tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments—even the physical violence—she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. So she’s built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons break-dancing with her brother.
But then she meets Ocean James. He’s the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin. It terrifies her—they seem to come from two irreconcilable worlds—and Shirin has had her guard up for so long that she’s not sure she’ll ever be able to let it down.
********
My Review: 5/5 Stars
Brilliant. Absolutely fantastic. I loved this book and the moment I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I was immediately drawn into the story and the characters. Loved Shirin. Loved Ocean. A favorite author of mine, Sabaa Tahir, read the book and reviewed it saying, "One of the best contemporary books I've ever read, and hands-down the best YA on what it means to be a Muslim American post 9/11. Tahereh Mafi pulls no punches, spares no feelings and tells the absolute truth and it is beautiful, rare and heartbreaking. If there's one book you read this year, make it this one." And I agree with her a hundred percent. Mafi is a fantastic writer. And her characters are always ones you can't help but feel drawn to. I can't even formulate the words to express how powerful this book was and how much I loved it. Blown away. Beautiful book. If you haven't read it, you need to.
No comments:
Post a Comment