I truly adore a good YA novel every now and again, and this one was right up my alley since it dealt with immigrants to the US and their children. As I've grown older, I've realized what a unique perspective I have as a first-generation American. And it's stories like these that bring up those feelings of growing up and never quite feeling understood - always feeling like a bit of an outsider.
Misbah reminded me so much of my mom, coming to the US, barely knowing the language, and yet working so hard to make a life for herself and her family with my Dad supporting her every step of the way. I saw myself in Noor, focused on getting to college to be able to start her own life and yet feeling the guilt of leaving. And Salahudin was so much like my brother, who always did right by my parents and made sure his decisions took into account their feelings - he always just "got it".
Sabaa Tahir has crafted an incredibly relatable YA novel with complex characters and multidimensional issues that have readers pondering what they would do in the same situation. I was invested from the beginning and was so impressed by the depth and substance that Tahir brought to the table. This is not your average YA novel, but instead a timely, heartfelt story of making your way in a place where "home" may not always be the sanctuary it should be.
Many thanks to partners, BookSparks and Razorbill Books for this gifted review copy.
Read 6/11/23
No comments:
Post a Comment