Book Review: "Zara Hossain is Here" by Sabina Khan

Zara Hossain Is Here, Sabina Khan's newest YA novel, is a poignant, powerful story about the racism and prejudice faced by immigrants, even within their own religions and cultures.

“My presentation in class today has reminded me that I exist in a sort of no-man’s-land. I wasn’t born here, but I don’t remember much of Pakistan and I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I still lived there. But I know how a lot of people here feel about immigrants. So...where do I belong?”

As the only Muslim in her conservative Texas Catholic high school, Zara Hossain stands out—and not for the reasons she wants to. Every day she faces abuse—vicious stares and comments about terrorism, especially from football player Tyler Benson and his friends. But when she dares to challenge him in front of his friends, he vandalizes her locker, which sets off a chain of events that leads to tragedy and upheaval.

Zara’s parents contemplate moving back to Pakistan, but that will upend Zara’s life. She won’t be able to get as good of a college education there, and being bisexual, she’ll face even more prejudice from her own people. But how can she stay in the U.S. if her parents go?

I thought Zara Hossain Is Here was a really good, thought-provoking read about an all-too-familiar experience immigrants face. It’s also particularly timely given the recent rise in violence against Asians.

This is the first book of Sabina Khan’s I’ve read, although her first book, The Love and Lives of Rukhsana Ali, is on my TBR as well. I love how she captured both the racial prejudice immigrants face and the judgment faced in their own communities for things like not being “devout enough.”

It was great to be part of the tour for this book. Storygram Tours, IReadYA, and Sabina Khan provided me with complimentary copies of both of Khan's books in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making them available!

Book Review: "How It All Blew Up" by Arvin Ahmadi

How It All Blew Up, Arvin Ahmadi's newest book, is a lovely, poignant, even funny story about finding yourself in the midst of emotional upheaval.

Amir always knew he was gay, but he also knew his Muslim family would never accept it. So he kept that part of him hidden, hoping that he can just coast until he can go away to college, where he can finally be himself.

At a new high school, when he meets a fellow student who’s also hiding his true self, he falls hard. But faced with blackmail and his parents discovering his secret, he does the only thing he can think of—he runs away. On the day of his high school graduation. To Rome. (Because of gelato, of course.)

Soon he finds himself with a group of friends in Rome, including some American expatriates. They accept him for the person he really is—or at least what he tells them—and he discovers what it’s like to feel free for the first time, to feel as if you had the opportunity to choose your family rather than be born into one. But amidst late nights drinking and kisses in the Sistine Chapel, he can’t ignore his family or the truth they all most confront.

When everything comes to a head in a messy altercation on an airplane, Amir and his family tell their story in the most unlikely of places—in airport interrogation rooms. Alternately heartbreaking and hopeful, funny and emotional, How It All Blew Up was such a great story.

Although he was a little naive at times, Amir was a terrific character, caught between his fears and his desire to be his authentic self. His family’s reactions weren’t always what I wanted but they seemed authentic.

I really loved this!

Book Review: "A Meeting of Two Prophets" by Judah Tasa

Judah Tasa's A Meeting of Two Prophets is a beautifully written, poignant story of a connection between two young men who recognize that beyond their vast differences they share some real similarities.

Moishe is an 18-year-old Hasidic Jew from London. He dreams of a lifetime of study, of marrying and being a good father and provider. But there’s also a part of him that has feelings he’s fought to ignore, feelings he doesn’t quite understand.

Mo (short for Muhammad) is a young Muslim man living in Manchester with his family. He is smart, devout, and has been struggling with depression. He, too, can’t seem to reconcile the feelings he has with the commandments and customs of his religion.

The two young men meet on a plane to Jerusalem, where Moishe plans to spend the summer studying and Mo will be visiting his grandmother, in the hopes a change of scenery might help with his depression. Another chance encounter encourages their friendship despite their differences.

“Moishe, the greatest prophet in Judaism, and Muhammad the greatest prophet in Islam are our namesakes. Looking out the window, I wonder what my neighbors would think about this scandalous meeting of two prophets.”

The more time they spend with one another, the more their feelings deepen and yet still worry and confuse them. They talk about everything—their religions, their families, the political climate toward both Muslims and Jews—except how they feel.

A short vacation helps both crystallize and confuse things further. Ultimately, both have to decide whether they can reconcile their hearts with their family and their religion, or whether they should follow the path they’ve always been expected to.

I really enjoyed this emotional story. To find a book like A Meeting of Two Prophets, which confronts issues like homosexuality and depression against a backdrop of Judaism and Muslim customs is so rare, and even rarer is that Tasa never forces you to take a side or confront some of the more dramatic issues I expected to arise in a book like this.

This was a find, a sweet story I won’t soon forget. I loved this kind of representation and can’t wait to see what Tasa does next!

Book Review: "Yes No Maybe So" by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed

Becky Albertalli's latest collaboration, Yes No Maybe So (this time with Aisha Saeed), is a lighthearted love story which deals with weighty issues, yet it is endearing and sweet.

"Some people are meant to change history. And some people are meant to change out of their vomity interview clothes."

Jamie Goldberg has political aspirations but knows he’ll never achieve them since he doesn’t do well under pressure. That’s not an understatement—he once referred to Jimmy Carter as a “penis farmer” rather than a peanut farmer, and he once threw up on a politician during an interview.

With his entire family focusing attention on a special state congressional election in their district, Jamie is pressed into action as a volunteer.

After serving as a de-facto errand boy for some time, as well as providing tech support to his social-media savvy grandmother (aka InstaGramm), his newest responsibility is to knock on doors and encourage people up vote. Much to his pleasure he is joined on this task by Maya, a childhood family friend whom he hasn’t seen in a while, but who seems to turn his insides to jelly. For her part, Maya thinks Jamie is cute and funny, but she’s far too preoccupied with the crises in her own life to think about anything else. Plus, her parents don't want her to date anyone she's not serious about, especially someone who isn't a Muslim.

The canvassing teaches them about political action, how the smallest action can have a ripple effect. It also teaches them about each other—how the anti-Semitic actions of the opponent’s supporters affect Jamie, who is Jewish, and how a bill forbidding people from wearing head coverings affects Maya and her family. They throw their all into campaigning for their candidate as they find themselves increasingly drawn to each other. But Maya has already told Jamie she's not allowed to date, and Jamie is nervous of screwing up their friendship, so what should they do?

Is this book fairly predictable? Sure, but it’s tremendously enjoyable, charming, and romantic. Albertalli's books tend to balance the emotional angst with an equal dose of positivity, and I really like that.

What I also enjoyed about Yes No Maybe So is how it made me feel seen. Growing up Jewish I rarely saw (and still don’t often see) characters like me, and books where actual Jewish holidays are celebrated rather than mentioned, and dealt with authentically. To see a character say an actual Hebrew prayer in this book was a wonderful thing.

I devoured this book in just a few hours. So now I wait for Albertalli's next one...