That period of growth in our teens when we are at our most vulnerable. That stage where we are trying to find “Our SelfWe all go through it!
All of us.
That period of growth in our teens when we are at our most vulnerable. That stage where we are trying to find “Our Self” and our place in the world. But who are you meant to be when you are only fifteen? If you are lucky, it is the start of a journey with a few bumps on the road and eventually with light at the end of the tunnel, but for many, it is bumpier than most and this is where Muzna’s story starts.
Muzna Saleem is your typical fifteen-year-old. A young lady looking at equally beautiful girls of her age wishing she was as beautiful as them and finding many faults with her own physique. She is interested in boys, although culturally this is a no go area and for now it is pretty much at the back of her mind. Muzna is also an only child, a daughter with the utmost respect for her family who is attached to the traditions that are at its core. The only thing that is about to shatter her tranquillity is her dream of becoming a writer, as the passion she has for words goes against the only profession that would make her father proud and who wants her to become a doctor.
The dream her father has for her becomes simply too much to bear and as if this was not enough, her family ups and goes to move away from all she knows, and also away from her best friend entangled in some scandalous event. She moves to a new area in a new school where bullies run rife. And bullied she will be, as sadly in this new school, you don’t need to wear the hijab to stick out, being a Pakistani Muslim is unpopular enough.
So, she starts over, and it is hard. Her only reprieve are her English classes that she loves.
Things start to get better when Arif Malik notices her and one day rescues her from the racist abuses she receives from other class mates. Very quickly Arif and Muzna become inseparable. Muzna starts making a few changes, changes resulting from a willingness to please Arif, a practising Muslim, by becoming a good Muslim girl herself. She decides to explore her faith. Muzna’s parents, in their effort to blend in, are pretty low key when it comes to expressing their faith and it is just how they like it, but to her family’s dismay Muzna starts wearing the hijab to school.
The more Muzna learns about Islam, the more confident she becomes. She also meets Khadijah, a Muslim sister heavily involved with charities who serve by helping others. But it also takes her away from school into some questionable seminars which don’t sit quite right with her, but she puts those aside. As time goes on, Muzna grows into her faith and has a self-assurance that even helps her get through disputes with her parents or abuses and odd looks she receives from people while on public transports. She can take it, because her and Arif are in love. Sadly, their romance is about to take her an unexpected turn. Arif is only a pawn in his brother Jameel’s plan and nothing will stop his mission.
Muzna’s path to her faith, may have been influenced by her feelings for a young handsome man, but ultimately it is also what could save her, and it is what could help her become who she is meant to be.
Muzna's is only but one story. I personally do not know what it is like to be a Muslim, but I certainly recall what it was like to be a growing teen and it was pretty complicated.
Muhammad Khan explores the story of typical teen with the added weight of culture and religion. He also shows the beauty and the ugly that comes with it. But ultimately he shows in Muzna, that bravery and truth is human and that it takes strength to walk that path.
Thanking team @MyKindaBook for providing me with an advanced copy of this title....more
Not a bad tell but I am wondering if it was watered down to be suitable for children. In any case I would love to learn a bit more.
I can't help but noNot a bad tell but I am wondering if it was watered down to be suitable for children. In any case I would love to learn a bit more.
I can't help but notice that the hair of the princess was written in as beautiful as it was a burden and it made her a prisoner. .
Was it so beautiful and thick to cover the vanity of the princess? What did it reveal when it was taken away?
Did the Princess learn from her mistakes?
It is a lovely story exploring our link to nature, however I would have enjoyed a Princess able to save herself. However, as for many fairy tales, the Princess is always saved by one to be destined as a Prince....more
I really was intrigued by the concept of the Death Cast call and the idea of how you would choose your last day if you were notified in advance. The dI really was intrigued by the concept of the Death Cast call and the idea of how you would choose your last day if you were notified in advance. The dynamic and budding relationship between the main characters was intense and bitter sweet. However the sub stories of peripheral characters completely unlinked to the duo were a little confusing, hinting to relevant elements but not providing enough information. I guess I wanted a little more, especially because the ending is in the title. I expected a fuller journey through the book. ...more
Children will know very early if they feel “different” and will pick up that they don’t fit the norm if there is suWhat a perfect little picture book!
Children will know very early if they feel “different” and will pick up that they don’t fit the norm if there is such a thing. The message from “Perfectly Norman” is that every child should be perfectly themselves and that sometimes it just means that they might just grow a pair of wings.
Added to this very simple message is a set of perfectly designed illustrations supporting the tale. That one yellow coat representing so many conflicting emotions that we all have felt at some point in our lives, whether it be the heaviness of a hidden secret, shame, fear of being outed or of never being accepted by our peers should they find out.
Us adults already have a hard time with this so can you imagine what it’s like for a child?
Let’s make it easier then, and help them be free of that coat.
Thanking team @KidsBloomsbury and @daydreamin_star for providing me with a copy of this little gem....more
Wow! I have read @junodawson's work before, but this time I actually read her.
There is something to be said, for those who are brave enough to leave tWow! I have read @junodawson's work before, but this time I actually read her.
There is something to be said, for those who are brave enough to leave themselves completely exposed and really using their experience to help others, and this is what #GenderGames is about. Yes, this book is about Juno but it is also for all the people who are going through similar experiences. And for those who are not, well I guess it is a great opportunity to learn.
@Irfan_Master Too many literary gems fall on the wayside, and I am hoping that "Out of Heart" by Irfan Master will not be one of them.
This is a instant@Irfan_Master Too many literary gems fall on the wayside, and I am hoping that "Out of Heart" by Irfan Master will not be one of them.
This is a instant modern classic which should be introduced to the academic curriculum. A beautifully written tale of a family in mourning see their life unexpectedly changed and their load lightened...for a little while at least.
Absolutely fantastic piece that everyone should read.
Amazing way to put into words and pictures what many of us can't utter, with an hopeful message.Amazing way to put into words and pictures what many of us can't utter, with an hopeful message....more
Sometimes the right book just come to you at the right time. “And Then We Ran” came to me when I needed to be entertained. A lot of my reads can be a Sometimes the right book just come to you at the right time. “And Then We Ran” came to me when I needed to be entertained. A lot of my reads can be a little taxing, so when a tale dealing with serious teen issues told with light voice comes along, you just listen.
This book is showing what many young adults come to at a point in their life, choosing what to do next. But what happens when you know what you want, but your parents have other ideas and refuse to listen? Well, you elope to a place where you can get married at 17 and finally take control of your life…because that makes sense, right?!
Desperation can push people to take the most drastic measures and for our childhood friends Megan and Elliott it is the best chance they feel they have, to do what they want and own their future.
While Megan and Elliott have defined their marriage based on mutual gains, Becca, Megan’s friend and Elliot’s big brother Sean, both secondary characters with a story of their own, have started exploring what is happening between them. Their budding relationship is an interesting parallel to the well planned, arranged quicky wedding that Megan and Elliot are about to embark on. Sean and Becca are trying to figure things out and whatever it is, it is not taking them down the aisle anytime soon.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it took me to a time where I was 17, feeling that I was also banging my head against a brick wall when I was not heard. Looking back now, I remember the “end of the worlds” feelings if things did not go my way and how everything seemed heightened while no one understood me. This is basically what “And Then We Ran” is all about, teenagers the road trip of their life. ...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale. I didn't know it was based on a true story. Review up soon.I thoroughly enjoyed this tale. I didn't know it was based on a true story. Review up soon....more
What sixteen-year-old Starr witnesses, becomes more than headline news as she sees her life shattering for what many would see as being in the wrong pWhat sixteen-year-old Starr witnesses, becomes more than headline news as she sees her life shattering for what many would see as being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A car ride should be uneventful, but that night when Khalil was driving Starr home, they got arrested. White cop, black kids, gun shot, Khalil dead and Starr potentially next, only to be saved in the nick of time by an intervening police force now dealing with a crime scene. Starr not only just watched her childhood friend being shot for no apparent reasons, but she is now the star witness of a white cop/black kid murder investigation. Not a great position to be in as it comes with its own layer of complication.
And before you tell yourself “There’s no way I am picking up this book because there is too much of this on TV right now”, take a breather and hear me out.
It is true that you will hear a lot that this debut is reminiscent of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. But in my opinion the association to the movement is rather limiting. “The Hate U Give” is so much more than that. You will see in Starr story that she is just human. That she is raised in a loving family, that her parents are two very hard working people. You will see that Starr is fluid in the way that she navigates her life between the black neighborhood and community she loves and lives in, and her life in a private school with her friends. Basically, Starr is just growing up, which as a teen is difficult, but she now also has to seek justice for her fallen friend.
No doubt, this novel deals with an uncomfortable topic and there is no getting away from the fact that this book is the true-life story of too many families, but beyond that it personifies the familiar headline, it just becomes more. This novel goes beyond the white and black issue to gift the reader with a lot more colour and I will wholeheartedly recommend it to all.
Thanking Team @WalkerBooksYA and @ed_pr for providing me with a review copy of this title ....more
"Ink" is a hell of a good debut. I absolutely loved the stories being the life blood of the community Leora is part of, and the concept of being marked "Ink" is a hell of a good debut. I absolutely loved the stories being the life blood of the community Leora is part of, and the concept of being marked with your life story as you grow is just so very unique.
Virginie (chouettblog)
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my-reads-2017
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