A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERIn this unforgettable debut novel, an Indian-American Muslim teen copes with Islamophobia, cultural divides among peers and parents, and a reality she can neither explain nor escape. Seventeen-year-old Maya Aziz is torn between worlds. There’s the proper one her parents expect for their good Indian daughter: attending a college close to their suburban Chicago home and … to their suburban Chicago home and being paired off with an older Muslim boy her mom deems “suitable.” And then there is the world of her dreams: going to film school and living in New York City—and pursuing a boy she’s known from afar since grade school.
But in the aftermath of a horrific crime perpetrated hundreds of miles away, her life is turned upside down. The community she’s known since birth becomes unrecognizable; neighbors and classmates are consumed with fear, bigotry, and hatred. Ultimately, Maya must find the strength within to determine where she truly belongs.
more
Maya is a great character who isn’t afraid to chase her dreams. Not only was this a wonderful coming of age YA book, but it offered me a glimpse into the world of a Muslim, American-born teen growing up in an increasingly polarized America. I love how this was hopeful and optimistic and romantic while still bringing up some uncomfortable topics like racism and Islamophobia.
One of the best YA novels I’ve read in ages.
As I go through my TBR this year, I’m trying to expand my horizons, especially when it comes to authors of color and stories about different cultures. One thing I find to be true, is that no matter all of our cultural differences, matters of the heart and humanity remain the same.
This book, written by an Indian author, and focusing on an Indian family, was an excellent look into the workings of an Indian family. Not only did the author show what it is like to be Indian and Muslim in America, but she also spoke of how things were in India as well and how they differ. One thing I don’t think enough people are aware of, is the amount of racism that Indians and Muslims face on a regular basis. Maya and her parents are threatened and tormented by people based on their religion, the color of their skin and their last name. It was very eye-opening for me.
This book was also a coming of age story about choosing to walk your own path in a family where that might mean hurting people that you care for. Maya’s parents are set in their ways and don’t think that Maya should be making the choices she is making. I loved Maya’s aunt though and I think it was amazing that she had someone like that in her corner. One thing I truly loved about the book and Maya’s character, is that since she is so passionate about making movies, her inner monologue is often spoken in movie cliches. I found that to be so genuine, because we do tend to do that. I know my thoughts are often expressed (even if within my own head) in bookish ways because I am such a passionate reader. I thought it made so much sense that Maya’s thoughts would come across that way.
I definitely recommend this book. It’s thoughtful and makes you consider life from different points of view.
This book moved me so much. The characters are deep and thoughtful and so real. I could gush all day, but I just loved this book. Maya’s life — and her outlook on life — is so very different from mine, and it’s so important to read about different perspectives. I’ve never experienced the racist hatred she and her family live with, and I greatly respect the care and detail Ahmed put into her novel.
Samira Ahmed deftly explores identity, racism, Islamaphobia, and culture through the eyes of Maya, a 17 year old American Indian. The way Ahmed structured the novel was incredibly effective. While each chapter focuses on Maya, the chapters are separated by a page which centers on a crime, either still to come or the aftermath. The way she uses this to build up the tension is impeccable. Maya’s wry observations and snark often made me smile. She is most comfortable viewing the world by the lens of her video camera, a part of her surroundings, yet separate from them. Maya is caught between her parents’ expectations for her and her own desires. She’s also aware of how she’s different from her mostly white classmates by virtue of being brown-skinned and Muslim. Maya really has to wrestle with whether to go along with her parents’ dreams for her or forge her own path. My heart really went out to Maya as she was figuring out what she wanted and whether she had the courage to act on it.
i just love this book
A must-read.
Ahmed skillfully weaves the high school senior emotional experience–the family drama, the classmate drama, the big stuff, the little stuff, the romance, the friendships, the whole new future just a breath away–with the serious business of how a hate crime can ripple through lives, over and over again.
I swooned, laughed, related, cried, hoped. She brought out the layers we are made of from the parts that influence our decisions to those we try to ignore. The shoulds vs the wants. The sacrifices we weigh, accept, regret. So much is captured in this beauty of a novel that I will recommend it to anyone who will listen.
Did you already read THE HATE U GIVE and DEAR MARTIN? This should be your next pick.
Great book for 8th – 12th grade.