Where the Streets Had A Name

Where the Streets Had a Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah 2010 (2008-Australia, 2009-UK)
Scholastic

Rating: 3/5

IQ "I suddenly understand that there is dignity in being able to claim heritage, in being able to derive identity from a rocky hill, a winding mountain road. Sitti Zeynab's village has never stopped calling her, beckoning her to return home. Her soul is stamped into these hills, and I feel her presence as strongly as if she were standing on the peak of one of the mountains." Hayaat pg. 181

Hayaat is thirteen years old but she has a clear mission: to bring back some soil from her grandmother's (Sitti Zeynab) ancestral home in Jerusalem. Samy, her best friend, will accompany her. Their journey is hindered however, by the fact that they live with their families in Bethlehem and there are curfews and checkpoints to deal with. Not to mention, the Wall that divides the West Bank and the fact that they can't travel wherever they like since they are not Israeli citizens. Samy is loyal and has a good heart, but he's obstinate and trouble follows him and his lack of respect for authority. He may put the trip in jeopardy on his own or the security checkpoints could stop them. The journey starts off on a high-note since they have a curfew-free day to travel, but it's just a start....

This is going to sound so silly to people but I was quite bothered by all the mentions of 'farting' in the book. I know I'm persnickety but I just didn't think it continually needed to be mentioned. And I'm pretty sure someone farts and another character takes note of it in every single chapter. On a more serious note, this story moves at a snail's pace. Hayaat doesn't form the idea for heading for Jerusalem until we are more than a few chapters in which I thought was frustrating. What made it more irksome was that the 'grand finale' so to speak felt rushed and the book ended on a happy but anti-climatic note. The ending just seemed odd and after the climax, I didn't understand why the book just didn't end (with a simple epilogue in place of all the details in the ending). Also, Hayaat recalls certain memories at various points in the story but they appear out-of-the-blue and it's not quite clear when her memory fades and it's back to the present.

The descriptions of life in Bethlehem are what makes this book so impressive. It's impressive because the descriptions are so simple but suddenly seemingly-mundane tasks (such as going to the grocery store) become a big deal when there is a curfew to contend with. Friends may end up as overnight guests if a curfew is ordered (sometimes random, sometimes due to protests as a form of punishment) and big celebrations could end up becoming small celebrations if travel restrictions are imposed, thereby limiting the mobility of guests. It's a ridiculous and frustrating situation especially when it limits people's abilities to get to the hospital, or attend a family wedding, etc. It's even more unbearable to read about the destruction of Palestinian homes and/or the possession of Palestinian homes by Israeli families who believe they have a claim to the land. There's a lot of Arabic food for thought, imagine being forced to leave your home (much like a refugee I think) and then essentially imprisoned in your new home. The story never becomes depressing, there are moments of levity (and no for me they did not come from farting references) especially concerning Hayaat and her beloved grandmother, Sitti Zeynab (sitti means my grandmother). The author describes people in a plain manner but with a little spark/unique touch such as when describing Sitti Zeynab's eyes "bright and untouched, having never caught up with the wrinkling, shrinking curse of the clock" (pg. 233).

One thing I am absolutely positive about is that when you finish Where the Streets Had a Name you will question (if you hadn't already) the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians as well as America's policy towards Palestine. That's not to say there aren't sympathetic Israeli characters, as in real life, the characters are all human and Hayaat realizes that the Israeli soldiers have families, and that not all Israelis hate Palestinians. I think the author should have included an afterword explaining the situation because I was still curious/confused about quite a bit (for example: who orders curfews, the military or the government?). And obviously you can't make up your mind about such a complex issue after reading one or two or three books on the subject, after all this has been an issue since the '50s. Samy is an interesting best friend, I admired his spirit and obstinacy while at the same time it made me wince. I was glad that Hayaat had him at her side. A more concise ending, smoother transitions, and fewer mentions of bodily odors would have been nice. Hayaat's family is entertaining but mysterious since they aren't on the journey to Jerusalem with her, the reader learns little about them. Hayaat is a likable, genuine, brave main character but she wasn't particularly memorable in my mind. Furthermore, the glossary was strange to me because it didn't list definitions of every word mentioned (such as the 'curse' words or expressions). A good story with uncomplicated descriptions but complicated characters who needed to be more fleshed out, it moves slowly and while it took me some time to remember to go back to the story, I always remembered eventually. My favorite book by the author (and one I would recommend starting with if you want a hysterically funny read) is still Does My Head Look Big in This?

Disclosure: From the library

PS I really liked this quote from Sitti Zeynab "We Arabs say that the wound that bleeds inwardly is the most dangerous" (pg. 54). What an eloquent, interesting and accurate way of describing how hate can eat at your insides (so to speak).

Boy vs. Girl

Boy vs. Girl by Na'ima B. Robert 2010
Frances Lincoln Children's Books

Rating: 3/5

IQ "Why should I care what the girls at school think? she thought. Or my teachers? After school, they go back to their lives, to their kids. They're not living their lives thinking about me." Farhana pg. 30

Farhana and Faraz are twins with very different problems. Farhana wants to wear the hijab but she's afraid of what the other girls at her school will think. And even though she goes to an all girls school she worries about what other guys might think of her wearing the hijab. Especially one guy in particular, Malik, who broke her heart. Faraz has managed to get in trouble with some of the lads (due to being more of a peaceful guy who would rather draw than fight) and to protect himself he becomes friends with Skrooz. Skrooz is bad news, vengeful, involved with dealing drugs and an overall terrifying presence in the neighborhood. Skrooz protects Faraz from the bullies at school but his protection comes at a price.

Unfortunately this book has a very heavy message behind it. The author makes no effort to spread her message through a story, instead it reads as a 'Merits of Ramadan' book. I liked learning about the meaning behind Ramadan and the positive impact it has on those who participate in it. But at the same time, I quickly grew weary of the 'miraculous' transformation Faraz and Farhana underwent. Both of them became calmer and felt at peace. Perhaps it's the skeptic in me but I found that hard to believe. Do people change so quickly all of sudden because of religion? This is just one of many characteristics of the twins that contribute to their perfection. Both of them are gorgeous, obedient to their parents and talented. Faraz might not be an A student but he's a fantastic artist. Farhana is a genius. It was hard for me to see these main characters as flawed simply because Farhana asserts herself and wants to be allowed to attend nightly prayer (which only women are allowed to do) or because she had a crush on someone. The book also starts off very slowly and the dilemmas of Faraz and Farhana are merely hinted at for a large part of the book. I was expecting a bit of an introduction but then we would dive right into the story. That is not the case. The book is very short (256 pages, large print, short chapters) and it can't afford to get off to such a slow start. Plus the writing isn't anything special, it keeps the story moving but the descriptions and characterization are just....ordinary.

At the same time, I did like that this book offered a view of a religion (Islam) that I'm not very familiar with from a teen perspective. Gradually, Farhana and Faraz come off their religious high and start to battle with it. This made them both seem more authentic. Instead of blindly going along with their faith, they struggle with certain components of it. It's interesting because this book does an excellent job of pushing past Western stereotypes about Muslims. Farhana's mum DOES NOT want her to wear the hijab. Her mother believes it's too extreme and that it will give people the wrong idea, that Muslims are oppressive. And if we're honest with ourselves, many of us do think that way. I used to until I read Does My Head Look Big in This? Books like Boy vs. Girl go a long way towards helping people to be more understanding of Muslim culture. Then you have Farhana's young, 'hip' auntie Najma who wears a jilbab (long cloak) and a niqab (face veil) but she also has her nose pierced and wears jeans under her kurta tunics. While Farhana was too perfect, Faraz was easier to relate to. He ends up associating with people he probably shouldn't and hides the troubles he's going through from his family. Any teenager can understand that.

Boy vs. Girl is an engaging drama because there is a sense of foreboding. The book starts off at a snail's pace but I knew that there would have to be some kind of dramatic showdown and it didn't disappoint. The plot often gets buried under all the religion. Traditions and prayers are explained in a great deal of depth which is good for those like me who are still trying to learn about Islamic beliefs. Not so good if you (like me) were hoping the religion would only be a backdrop and make up one part of the story. I would have liked to hear less about Farhana and Faraz's new-found devotion and more about the difficulties of being a teenager in London who happens to be South Asian. There was one little plot line that disappeared completely (concerning Faraz and painting a mural). This book could use a bit more polishing but it works well as an introduction to what it's like being a Muslim teenager in the UK. There's some frustrating racism and some unexpected surprises (like see-through shalwar kameez that are supposed to cover all of you. There's some rebellion). There are many different perspectives on how to handle being Muslim in the 2st century and these perspectives will keep readers learning and the dramatic tension will have readers racing to finish the book.

Disclosure: Received from Tricia, thank you!!

Wanting Mor

Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan 2009
Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press

Rating: 3/5

IQ "Sometimes I wish I could just lie down and not wake up. Die while I'm still good, before I have a chance to go bad. Because if I go bad, everything I don't even let myself think now would come pouring out of me." Jameela pg. 71

Jameela is used to war, it's something she faces daily in her poor Afghanistan village. Jameela is happy, but she wishes she could learn to read and write. She also secretly wishes that she didn't have a cleft lip. She mourns the death of her father's relatives, a bomb went off and killed them all along with her father's kindness, now he is angry and withdrawn. Through it all, Mor (Pushto word for mother) has been by Jameela's side, guiding and loving her. Then Mor dies and Jameela's father decides to move to the big city of Kabul. Kabul is so different from the life Jameela knew in her village and she' not sure she'll ever be able to adjust. All she wants is to have Mor back.

This story is all about Jameela and that's good and bad. I didn't like that because I felt that the rest of the characters were ignored. I really wanted to learn more about the stories of the other girls at the orphanage where Jameela ends up. Well, not all the girls, but the ones who she mentions the most. That's all she does, briefly mention them but she never delves deeper into their stories (Zeba, Soraya, Arwa), yet they know her entire story. This didn't seem particularly fair to me. I also had an issue with the passing of time. I wasn't aware of how old Jameela was, or how much time had passed. Everything seemed to happen rather suddenly, the book seemed to be on fast-forward.

I was torn over how I felt about Jameela. At first I was annoyed by how religious and judgmental she seemed. But then I stepped back and tried to see life through her infamous-porani (a type of shawl that covers the head, Jameela chews on her porani when she gets nervous and she uses it to hide her cleft lip). If I had grown up in a small village and all I'd ever known was a more conservative (but not EXTREME. That distinction is important) version of Islam, I would have been just as shocked by Kabul as Jameela was. Once in Kabul, Jameela's father seems to change, doing things that are frowned upon in Islam. He gets drunk, ignores her completely and finally abandons her at a busy marketplace. From there with the help of kind strangers, Jameela goes to the orphanage and things seem to be looking up from her. Not many of the girls at the orphanage wear a porani but Jameela continues to wear it, not only because how she was raised, but because she wants to hide her cleft lip. Just when I grew tired of Jameela being SO Good (just because I understood it didn't mean I liked reading about it), she shows that she's not an angel, but a saint/human. She looks down on this little girl, Arwa because she is so dirty and clingy. It's sad to see sweet Jameela act so cruelly towards tiny Arwa, but as it becomes clear why Jameela acts this way, my heart went out to both Arwa AND Jameela.

Wanting Mor just is. As in, there's nothing I hated about this book, but there wasn't anything I loved about it either. My heart went out to Jameela, especially when her father begins acting so cruelly towards her and not following the ways of Islam (one of the worst experience in the world can be discovering that your parents make mistakes and this indeed turns out to be rather traumatic for Jameela). She faces one hardship after another and yet she always manages to keep her chin up, to forgive and be good. I wish the story had slowed down a bit more, infused with more details so that it didn't seem to go by so fast, leaving me feeling as though I'd missed something. At times, Jameela can be hard to relate to because she is so good, but she does have a few moments in which she falters and those help remind the reader that she's human. I just wish those moments had occurred more often because I closed this book feeling a sense of awe for Jameela combined with coldness, because she seemed so distant.

Disclosure: Overdue from the library ;)

PS If you celebrate Christmas, Happy Christmas! If you don't, have a spectacular holiday season/break!

The Dark Goddess

The Dark Goddess by Sarwat Chadda 2010
Penguin UK

U.S. Release Date: January 25, 2011 (Don't wait, order from the UK NOW)

Rating: 5/5

IQ "Billi shrugged. She could pray in Latin, Greek, English and Arabic. She knew the direction of Mecca and the psalms. Did God really care?" pg. 56


(So as not to spoil the first book for anyone, I will merely refer to certain events that happened in Devil's Kiss as 'the Incident')

Billi Sangreal is dealing with the Incident the only way she knows how, by devoting herself to the Knigths Templar. The Knights Templar are tracking down werewolves who are growing bolder and attacking more and more humans. There is a reason the werewolves feel emboldened, they are on a mission entrusted to them by the Dark Goddess. They need to find Vasilia, a young girl who is a powerful Oracle (not that she knows that) that can control the weather based on her emotions. Once they find her, they will sacrifice her and use her powers to end the world (naturally the Dark Goddess will save the werewolves). Billi must save Vasilia from the Dark Goddess, but she must also keep Vasilia from destroying the world.

I've now come to expect Sarwat Chadda's books to have intense openings. This one opens up with a dramatic scene and we are off running, following Billi as she chases after werewolves. Part of why I love these books is because the threat of danger these monsters present is real. They will hurt you if they want to. The author puts so much time and research into these books. We travel to Russia and learn not only about Russian culture but about werewolves and their feminst undertones. The werewolves are called the Polensity and they are amazing. Agile, fearless and clearly in charge. I don't know anything about werewolves really, but I do know that it was quite refreshing to read about fierce female werewolves (even if they were a tad touched in the head). Plus there's so much action occurring! The Templars are always on the run, running to save someone, running to kill a monster, etc.

Billi has changed significantly since Devil's Kiss. She's barely holding on. Oh sure she's keeping up appearances, working harder than ever, but she's emotionally dead. Billi refuses to get close to Vasilia, even though the little girl is scared out of her mind and just wants to go home to Russia. It's so sad to see Billi acting so unkindly toward this little girl and yet it's understandable. Speaking of understanding, that's also why I love this series. The author creates these villains who are clearly out of control and yet he makes the reader UNDERSTAND why they think the way they do. Baba Yaga (the Dark Goddess) wants to end the world and start all over again because Earth is sick. There is so much war, poverty, environmental disasters, etc, she wants to make everything better. And there is so much wrong with the world. But obviously ending it is not the answer. In addition to leaning about Russian culture, religion/mythology, we also get to meet some new characters (Lance!). It becomes clear as to who one of the villains will turn out to be, but half the fun is waiting for Billi to figure it out and take him/her down. Thank goodness Ivan is around because he keeps Billi from sinking further into depression, he tries to get her to lighten up. And he gives her a gun. And she saves him. And that is awesome.

Dark Goddess is a strong sequel. There were real world consequences to actions undertaken by these characters and there were no mysterious explanations that left me unsatisfied. I think that I got to know Billi even more than in the first book because we see her at some of her lowest points. I hope that there is a third book because I desperately want to know more about Billi's Muslim heritage (and I love armchair traveling!). Also, we are losing quite a few characters and I'm ready to meet some new ones. The fabulousness of these books lie in assertive heroine (who is more vulnerable this go round), the chilling (pun intended?) setting of Russia, the female dominated society of werewolves and the villains that you can kinda-sorta-agree with. Oh and there is the huge moral dilemma in which Billi is always between a rock and a hard place. Billi's father reminds her that 'the world's not black and white. The bad guys come bright and beautiful and the good guys might look like monsters.' (pg. 109). This is true but Billi doesn't need to be reminded of it, she knows and understands this. However she wants to save everyone or die trying. Is that not a heroine worth reading about? I wish more people would read the Billi Sangreal series, I can't recommend them enough!

Disclosure: Received from Book Fairy #3. It's autographed! From the UK! Thank you!

Devil's Kiss

Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda 2009

Penguin

Rating: 4.5/5

IQ "What else can we do but fight?" [Arthur]

"Even when it's hopeless?" [Billi]

"Especially when it's hopeless." Arthur pg. 249

Bilquis SanGreal is fifteen and facing a life of violence and protecting the weak. Her father is Master of the Knights Templar and it's Billi turn to join them, she's the first girl to become a member. She is the youngest member and she often feels alone in a world of older men especially since her own father could care less about her. When Billi's childhood friend, Kay, returns from Jerusalem she thinks things will get better. But Kay has changed. He looks better than ever but he is even more committed to the Knights Templar. Billi is thinking of leaving the Knights, so she can't understand why Kay wants to stick with the Knights. Then Billi meets Michael, he's gorgeous and understands her better than anyone else. However, there's no room for boys in Bili's life, especially if they don't know about the Order. On top of all the confusing boy drama, one of the fallen angels is determined to bring all the lost souls back to God, no matter how deadly the cost.

I'm really tempted to write a long and gushy review for this book. There are a few flaws but this book almost gave me a heart attack and I loved it every minute of it. I was disappointed at the Michael storyline, I thought it ran predictable but it doesn't really matter because once the truth about Michael is revealed, the plot quickly becomes unpredictable. The real world seemed to take a backseat to all the monsters and the work of the Templars. Billi comes to school with bruises from all her fights and her teachers wonder about the bruises, but they never press the issue. Also her father was so cruel and I thought the explanation was too convenient (I happily accepted it though in order to move on to more mystery supernatural stuff). The pacing could be a bit off as well, sudden bursts of violence and terror, than a lull of calm intermixed with a dash of real life. I wanted it to flow a little smoother.

This book has one of the best beginnings. It sucks you right in because it starts with Billi being assigned to murder a child. That's all I'll say about that. My favorite part of the book was probably the violent paranormal aspect of it. The author isn't trying to make nice, "sparkly" vampires or friendly monsters. Oh no, his monsters are more true to their original self; completely and utterly terrifying. There are vampires (called ghuls), werewolves, fallen angels, etc. and all of them are downright nasty. The author doesn't tell us about the wicked battles occurring, he shows us and it's INTENSE. Another part of the book that is extremely well done is how religion is handled. Billi is half Pakistani and her mother was Muslim, but when her mother died, her white Christan father raised her. The Knights Templar are Christians but the book draws upon myths and other religions. It makes several mentions of events that occurred in the Bible and the author uses his imagination to fill in conversations mentioned in the Bible (for example what Moses and the angel talked about after the unleashing of the ten plagues). It's an interesting take and provides quite a lot of food for thought.

And the ending :0 I sort of called it but I wanted so desperately to be wrong. You can't fully predict the whole ending, only bits and pieces. My heart was in my mouth and I was on the edge of my seat towards the end. Finally, you have Billi. All the characters were great (tie for second favorite character goes to Elaine or Percival), but Billi is amazing. She is spirited, the weight of the world is on her shoulders and she acts her age. Sometimes she whines a bit and makes some stupid decisions and then has to clean up the aftermath. But she's a fighter, honest and stubborn. One of my new favorite heroines. Elaine is a straightforward, loving Jewish woman who works with the Templars. She has some amusing lines and cool powers. I'm eager to learn more about her interesting backstory. Percival (Percy) replaced Billi's father, as someone for Billi to look up to. He was in charge of teaching her how to use weapons, but he was one of the few Templars (there are only nine) who remembers that Billi is HUMAN, not just a killing machine. He looks after her (sidenote: he's from Senegal) and we love him for it.

Devil's Kiss is a mesmerizing tale with a valiant and realistic main character at its heart. The monsters are scary, the battle scenes intense, the mythology and religious aspect will make you think and the romantic tension between characters is believable. Each character jumps off the page, a force to be reckoned with, unwilling to remain a background character. This is one of those special books where each time you re-read it, you will find something new to think about. Upon finishing this book, I sent out several Tweets, some to Twitter in general raving about this book and a few to the author. I then immediately looked up when the sequel was coming out. Dear readers it's coming out in 2011!!! *faints* BUT it's already out in the UK! The sequel is the Dark Goddess and I suggest that you order both books together because I'm having a hard time waiting to read the sequel. My hope is that this review does not sound completely garbled and that I have persuaded you to at least look up a summary and other reviews of Devil's Kiss.

Disclosure: Received from the wonderful Book Fairy #3. And it's autographed. Thank you so very much!

PS I own the UK cover which is cool but I love the U.S. cover. Billi looks so fierce with the sword and I love the guy in the background (is it a knight? Kaye? Michael?). Which cover do you like better, the U.S. or UK?

*I will be out of town (on a service trip!) from July 24-August 1. I have no Internet access but I look forward to reading your comments and emails when I get back.

Throwback Thursday: Ten Things I Hate About Me

Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah (UK version) 2007

Rating: 4.5/5

IQ "I wish I could talk in capital letters at school. Use exclamation marks and highlighter pens on all my sentences. Stand out bold, italicized, and underlined. At the moment I'm a rarely used font in a microscopic size with no shading of emphasis." Jamilah pg. 92

Jamilah (I will be referring to Jamie/Jamilah as Jamilah throughout the rest of the review) hates ten things about herself, they include her attraction to a guy who is a popular jerk, her "boring looks" and the fact that she hypothetically can't get a pilot's license or own a fertilizer without being blacklisted due to her Muslim Lebanese background. Not to mention she hates all the other stereotypes people have about Lebanese Muslims (to be perfectly honest I don't think many people know the difference between a Lebanese Muslim and an Iraqi Muslim so she should just say Muslims in general or Middle Eastern people), including that they all work for Osama Bin Laden and ride camels in the desert, etc. To avoid these stereotypes, Jamilah gives herself a makeover. She becomes Jamie, by dying her hair blonde and wearing blue contact lens. No one at her school knows she's a Lebanese Muslim and she intends to keep it that way. She can't handle the jokes and assumptions people make and she doesn't want sympathy for her strict father who insists she is home by sunset. But sooner or later her two worlds are going to collide.

With this second novel Randa Abdel-Fattah has become one of my favorite authors (thus the long review). I adored Does My Head Look Big in This? and her second novel did not disappoint. I do have one compliant though: the main character's romance interests. The situation is basically the exact same thing for both books and that annoyed me. *SPOILER Discussion (highlight to read) The author should just remove romantic obstacles since she clearly does not want her main characters to end up with nice guys. I understand that this happens in real life, but I think that the author should have switched it up from her first book instead of having similar reasons as to why her main character could not go out with the cute and sweet guy. I loved Timothy! So I was really disappointed with that ending. I can also understand people's complaints that these books are too preachy, the author throws a lot of facts about Muslim and Middle Eastern culture into the story and while it doesn't always flow, I like it. I think that these books are crucial in helping teenagers understand a culture that is so foreign to them and viewed so negatively, they highlight the positive of Middle Eastern/Muslim culture and hopefully will help stereotypes deteriorate. I do think some of the sub plots are predictable (you've been warned).

All that being said, the most endearing quality of the books is the humor. Jamilah's voice is fresh and quite dramatic, she does not hesitate to poke fun at herself (though only in private) and she is wonderfully sarcastic. Her family is eccentric as well and at times the reader will pity Jamilah due to how strict her single parent father is (her mother died of a heart attack when Jamilah was nine) but you will snap out of it because Jamilah does not want pity and the author prevents Jamilah or the reader from throwing a pity party by keeping you in stiches. Jamilah's family is unique to say the least. To quote Jamilah's father (talking about his children) "One thinks she's going to save the world by protesting about anything and everything and the other has the intelligence of a squashed falafel. And my Jamilah? All she does is watch this OP or OC rubbish programme, or whatever it is called, and dye her hair yellow." (pg. 24, I have no idea what a falafel is). Her older sister Shereen is twenty two and an activist. She wears the hijab (Jamilah does not) but she sews very interesting patterns on them, ranging from peace slogans to things like a ying and yang symbol or expressions such as "Don't go Burning Your Retina On My Account". She is quite a character, I loved her spirit and how she so fiercely believed in all her causes and she is the peacemaker of the family. Jamilah's brother Bilal is a high school drop out, an excellent mechanic and quite popular with the ladies. He goes to clubs, drinks and is always on the verge of giving his father a heart attack. He is the sweetest and most entertaining of older brothers. I don't want to talk about all the other characters but this book also has a Muslim Lebanese rap group and witty dialogue (or "burns". I'm not sure if they say that in Australia) between Peter and Timothy that is hilarious. Well it's witty on Timothy's part, Peter is an idiot.

Ten Things I Hate About Me will keep you laughing at the antics of Jamilah's family, friends and acquaintances. Her struggle to fit in at school and her decision to assimilate by completely ignoring her Muslim Lebanese culture is heartbreaking and a redeeming quality of the book is watching her grow up and become more comfortable with herself. The oddball characters keep this story from being weighed down with facts about Muslim Lebanese culture, but even these facts add value to the story and will be welcomed by many. Just ignore the romance aspect of it because it's upsetting ;) To top it all off, it's a lot of fun learning about Australian culture indirectly and reading the slang. The story has some fairly predictable moments so keep that in mind and read it for the humor, Australian and Lebanese Muslim content!

Disclosure: Received from Book Fairy #3 (my only UK Book Fairy) aka Kaz Mahoney. Thank you so much!

PS I have the UK version which was published in 2007 but the book was first published in Australia (where the author is from) in 2006, and it was published in the U.S. in 2010. The two covers are different, and the UK one has "Australian Jamie" on the front and "Muslim Lebanese Jamilah" on the back (which you can't see in this post).

PPSS (or whatever it is) Two more humorous tidbits that I must share;
Peter (talking to Timothy about who he can take to the school dance) "I don't think even a fat chick would lower her standards for you."
Timothy: "Really? Then why did your mum say yes?"
Peter: "You piece of s**t. Don't even go there."
Timothy: "I don't like going to a lot of places, Peter, but you're the one handing out the invitations." (pg. 279) BURN!

Bilal (talking about nightclubs) "'It's funk night too.' He starts singing one of his favorite songs.
'Bilal! Do not swear in this house!' my dad yells. [...]
'F-U-N-K,' Bilal says slowly and clearly."

Throwback Thursday is a meme I originally credited to Tashi at Taste Life Twice. But I have learned that an earlier version is hosted by Take Me Away. Since Tashi is no longer blogging :( I will begin crediting this meme to Take Me Away only. Same purpose though :)

Male Monday: Borderline

Borderline by Allan Stratton ARC

Release Date: March 9, 2010

Rating: 4/5

IQ "What does evil look like, Sami? If monsters looked like monsters, we'd know who to run from. But they don't. The scariest monsters look like family and friends. They're the ones that get you. The ones you trust. You let them into your heart, and then it's too late. They've got you." Sami (his thoughts) pg. 200

In Borderline, Sami Sabiri's father has been arrested because the police think he is involved with an international terrorist organization, based in Toronto (Sami and his family live in New York). There are few Muslims in Sami's town and he's the only Muslim at his private school and on top of all that, he's beginning to suspect that his father may in fact be a terrorist.

I picked the above quote to use for the IQ because the scene is a captivating one, it's when Sami really starts to question whether or not his father is innocent. Also, some of the worst monsters are the ones who hurt their families (abuse, robbery, murder, etc). The author does an excellent job in describing Sami and his pain. Sami is a sarcastic teenager who can be a bit of a jerk and he's an immature guy too. But when it really gets down to it, Sami steps up to protect his mom while the FBI and the news teams and paparazzi swarm their house and while his father is in jail.

The idea behind this novel is powerful, sometimes I think we live in a paranoid society that jumps to conclusions too quickly (i.e. all Muslims are terrorists so we must arrest them and keep them for further investigation). My heart broke when Sami suspects his father is a terrorist. The evidence does not look good and the author keeps you guessing as to whether Sami's father is innocent or guilty. I was not expecting the end result and I guarantee that no readers will predict the ending. Another great aspect of the novel was friendship. Sami has two friends but you are constantly questioning whether or not they are really Sami's friends. Sami's first name is Mohammed (his middle name is Sami) and his two friends, Andy and Marty call him "the Prophet." His parents think this is extremely disrespectful (I agree), so Sami asks his friends to call him Sami (which is Arabic). They settle on Sammy. "The day my name changed is the first time I realized that The Truth and The Whole Truth aren't necessarily the same. And how even a simple thing like a name can mean different things to different people." (pg.16) However, they do have their shining moments and they mature by the end of the novel as does Sami. I also liked that Sami's parents are nuanced characters, they don't just melt into the background. Obviously the father can't sink into oblivion but the mom has a presence as well and Sami's relationship with his parents is completely authentic.

The only thing I didn't really like was that I never got a feel for New York, Sami's home. I'm presuming he lived in a mostly white suburb since he's the only Muslim (obviously he couldn't be anywhere near NYC). Also and this is a minor quibble but Sami refers to the bathroom as "the can". (ETA: In the comments below it was explained to me that 'the can' is used in New Jersey and New York. So now I know!) I've never heard that expression so I'm wondering if it's a New York thing? Also Sami visits Toronto but I never got a real feel for the city either. (ETA: as pointed out by the author, he does talk about Little India and that was quite vivid and I liked learning about an ethnic neighborhood in Canada, Toronto specifically). I think the author could have given a few more details on the locations Sami visited since they are important. Finally, I'm a bit tired of the cliche one teacher who is so inspirational and is always there for his students and then something tragic happens to him/her (but the author did give him an interesting background that isn't key to the plot but it adds some diversity in a subtle way).

Borderline is enthralling. I read it one day, anxious to get to the bottom of the mystery. Sami's biting sense of humor will have you smiling in the tensest of moments and the author doesn't completely immerse you in Muslim culture, it's casual, information is slipped into conversations. The minor characters are never flat, we receive details about them that bring them to life and make them part of the bigger picture, the diversity of Muslim culture is shown here. Sami is an unlikely hero (he can't even stand up the bully at his school) and that's what makes him so endearing. I would definitely recommend this book, the story is an important one and it has some levity in the darkest of moments. 7th grade and up

Disclosure: Received from publisher. Thanks Jana!

PS Beware of people named Mary Louise Prescott (this incident made me laugh but it's also quite sad and ignorant). Sami explains certain events as "before Mary Luise Prescott" or "after Mary Louise Prescott." If you've read the book, did you laugh or were you saddened by the event? (I laughed)

Skunk Girl

Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim 2009
MacMillan/FSG

Rating: 5/5

IQ "But this is my body and this is who I am and feeling sorry for myself isn't going to change the situation, or make it any better. Why direct so much negative energy inward, at something you can't even help? I should reserve any negative energy for the things and people who really deserve it, like men who don't put the toilet seat seat down or people who drive on the shoulder to try to bypass bumper-to-bumper traffic. My name is Nina Khan, and I'm a skunk girl. [...] and this makes me a little different, yes, but not any less beautiful. Not one bit." Nina pg.12-213

Nina Khan is a sixteen year old skunk girl. She is a skunk girl because there's a line of hair running down her back. This is mortifying because her crush Asher Richelli has seen it and she's sure that he'll never like a skunk girl. Also she's not allowed to go to parties, sleepovers, dances and can't be friends with boys and dating is certainly out of the question. All Nina wants is to please her traditional family and fit in with her classmates.

Nina is an amazing main character, She's funny and awkward. She's the only Muslim and Pakistani in her small, predominately white town in New York. People are ignorant and while it annoys Nina she doesn't always speak up for herself. She makes fun of her world with a sharp tongue that she wishes she could use in real life, only in her head is she quick-witted. In real life she says awkward things that ruin sweet or light-hearted moments. Nina never gets too whiny or bogged down in self-pity she keeps (while not always a positive outlook) a funny perspective on everything. The romance between Nina and Asher is so cute. I wasn't expecting the ending between them, but I think it is realistic. Asher is pretty good guy although there were some things I didn't like about him, he's not one of my favorite YA love interests. Nina's two best friends are great; Bridget and Helena. They are complete opposites, Helena is bubbly and gorgeous, she always has a boyfriend and she believes in true love. Bridget is sarcastic, tall and clumsy. However she can ski quite well. Both of them are very understanding of the restrictions Nina has. And while they have boyfriends, they never make Nina feel like a third or fifth wheel. They mature as characters, Helena realizes that she doesn't always need a boy in her life and Bridget learns to take the initiative in relationships. Another growth in a relationship is the bond between Nina and her sister, Sonia. Sonia was a "supernerd" who had no life in high school. Nina wants Sonia's good grades but she also wants a life. They have no relationship to speak of and the gulf between them grows even longer when Sonia goes to college. Sonia does come back and visit and they grow to understand each other better and theirs is a realistic relationship (I think) between sisters.

Each section in the book has a title that ties into the content of the section, oftentimes it's a humorous title like "The Wrath of Khan" or "Next Stop: Street Hooker". Nina's narration if fast-paced we laugh and cringe as she has a series of first and new experiences. Nina's story is universal. While we may not all be skunk girls, every girl can empathize with Nina's story because we all have some body hair in some place or another body issue that we hate about ourselves. We all disagree with some rule or another that our parents have. I also liked how in Skunk Girl, we learn about the different ways Muslims practice their religion. Some pray all the time and some hardly ever. We get glimpses into the lives of Muslim families when Nina and her family go to parties of other Pakistani Muslims. Especially in the discussions between Nina and other Pakistani Muslim girls her age, they aren't very close but they bond over similar issues of trying to balance two worlds. They talk about the challenges of having coarse body hair and dating. Most of the girls are in their first or second year of college, but they accept Nina into their group. One girl's boyfriend has proposed to her, but he's not Muslim or Pakistani. Their mothers all want to arrange their marriages and they don't particularly care if the girls finish college or not as long as they are married. Nina's mom tells her daughters they can marry whomever they wish and they can go to college, but the girls know that she wants them to marry a doctor/lawyer/businessman/engineer Pakistani Muslim and she wouldn't care if they didn't finish college.

Skunk Girl is a fantastic read that everyone can relate to. You will laugh with her, root for everything to turn out well for her in the end and admire her optimism and fresh, humorous perspective. This book is perfect for every high school student who has ever felt left out and had a low self-esteem (I think that's every high school student!). The book isn't predictable, or slow to develop or boring. It's fresh, funny, and fast with some twists. High school and up.

Does My Head Look Big in This?

Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah 2005

Rating: 5/5

IQ "Because it's pretty hard to walk around with people staring at your "towel-head" and not feel kind of pleased with yourself-if you manage to get through the stares and comments with your head held high. That's when this warm feeling buzzes through you and you smile to yourself, knowing God's watching you, knowing that He knows you're trying to be strong to please Him. Like you're both in on a private joke and something special and warm and extraordinary is happening and nobody else in the world knows about it because it's your own experience, your own personal friendship with your Creator. I guess when I'm not wearing the hijab I feel like I'm missing out. I feel cheated out of that special bond." pg.7-8

Does My Head Look Big in This? is about Amal an Australian-Palestinian girl who decides to wear the hijab full-time. The hijab is a Muslim head-scarf and is only not worn around close family members. Amal's parents are worried that she isn't ready for the ignorance and prejudice she will face both at school and out in the world. The principal of her private high school doesn't understand her decision at all nor do her classmates.

What a fantastic book. I read this book as my first book in the read-a-thon, early in the morning. I was afraid I would wake up my entire family because of how hard I was laughing. Amal is hysterical. She has a very dry, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. She calls people out on their BS and I love her for it. She's definitely one of my new favorite heroines. I really admired Amal for making such a big decision when the consequences were so great.

Honestly, before reading this book, whenever I saw a Muslim girl wearing a hijab, I would have just assumed her parents were forcing her and she must be miserable. I think a majority of the Western world feels the same way, seeing the hijab as a form of oppression. After reading this book, I realized the error in my thinking. Yes, some Muslim parents do force their daughters to wear the hijab, but often times the girls themselves want to wear it, as an expression of their faith. It's no different from a Christian wearing a cross or crucifix, or a Jewish person wearing a Star of David. And yet it's frowned upon by Western society to see young women wearing a hijab. I'm so thankful for America (other countries, like Australia) where people can practice freedom of religion. Also, I admit to doing a double-take when I see a woman wearing a hijab. Not out of hatred or racism, more so because I'm curious. Why do they wear it? Now I know and I'm so glad that I do. Next time I pass a woman wearing a hijab, I'll smile like always, and treat her as I would anyone else.

Does My Head Look Big in This?, also does a good job if explaining aspects of Islamic culture. The hijab, the food, religious holidays (like Eid and Ramadan) and the beliefs. I figured Muslims can't have sex before marriage, but I didn't know they couldn't have any physical contact with a member of the opposite sex. This proves to be quite a problem between Amal and her crush, Adam. It also provides a good glimpse into Australian culture. I've never read any books set in Australia so I really enjoyed reading the expressions Australians use.

The prejudice made my blood boil. It was interesting reading this book, since it's set in Australia. I know that (sadly) the prejudice Amal faced would be the same regardless of the country she's in, whereever Muslims are the minority. People called her "towel-head", "scarf girl" and still viewed her and other Muslims as terrorists. These examples of ignorance make me so upset. Amal is so witty, always ready with a comeback. For example, when the school president (Lana) asks her to give a speech on the topic of Islam and terrorism, she responds that she will, only if the student president gives a speech on the Ku Klux Klan or IRA, since they claim they are Christians. Touche. She makes her point and Lana is even a bit ashamed.

All the characters are extremely well-developed and three dimensional. Amal's best friends are hilarious and super loyal. Leila and Yasmeen are Amal's two Muslim best friends and reading the way they interact is such fun. They make fun of their more traditional parents and joke about Muslim stereotypes. They are no different from any other girls and I think many people make the mistake of thinking that Muslims are way different from them, more serious and religious. This book really reiterates the point that, as humans we are all the same. Also, Leila wears the hijab, but Yasmeen doesn't and I liked reading about why they chose to wear/not to wear it. The girls friendship is also a sad one, because you grow frustrated with their parents, especially Leila's. Leila is brilliant and wants to go to college, but all her mother cares about is marrying her off and her father doesn't say much. This was an interesting relationship because in many cultures, boys and marriage are last, they should not be the focus. Education first. Amal also has two good friends from her private prep school, Simone and Eileen. They are both a riot. Simone struggles with her body (sees herself as fat) and it's great to see her grow. Eileen is Japanese and she's very determined, but she's also pushed very hard by her parents. The budding romance between Amal and Adam is realistic and refreshing and I didn't see the end result coming.

I loved Does My Head Look Big in This? The book had it all; faith, self-esteem, romance and humor. I highly recommend this book and I honestly think this book (along with a few others) provides a strong reason as to why YA literature should be included in the classroom. Students need to read more books like this (that are funny and poignant), to help them remove their prejudices and respect our differences.

This is the UK/Australian cover. Which do you like better? I like this one better because it's nice to see a female poc on a cover and I like how Amal's two best friends from school are in the background. I also like how it's a picture of Amal wrapping her hijab and you get to see the full headscarf whereas on the US cover you don't get a full view of the hijab.

Wow this was a pretty long review!