I want to start by saying I have a BA in History and took a class in college that was solely about the events of September 11, 2001. Not only does the author discuss major social issues, she even touches (and I mean grazed) the topic of dating outside your race. The further you read in the novel the more their “relationship” develops and they are faced with more adversity. No matter how hard she tries to deflect his feelings, he continues to pursue to interact with her. Ocean is a teen boy who completely catches Shirin off guard with his calm and timid approach to interacting with her. Shirin is also faced with a huge challenge outside of the normal gawking and rude comments, Ocean. It also showcases the family dynamic and the challenges of staying true to your culture in a new country during a time where your way of life is being scrutinized. Mafi did a wonderful job addressing this issue in this novel and showcasing some of the challenges women faced as opposed to men. It takes a fictional approach to address the issues of racism and discrimination during a time when the entire country judge the actions of anyone they assumed a threat, which simultaneously correlated with attire.
This entire novel is from the perspective of a muslim- American female teen who wears a hijab post-9/11. The social issue of racism and discrimination is strongly exhibited in this novel but the author does it in a way to challenge and force the issue to the front. The author developed this main character with realistic emotions, strong core values, and a voice. The main character, Shirin, is written as a strong female protagonist who uses sarcasm and quick wit to seem tough. The author did a fantastic job with the character development, the discussion of social issues, and bringing in real emotion into this novel. This contemporary young adult romance had me laughing and crying all within the same sentence. It terrifies her-they seem to come from two irreconcilable worlds-and Shirin has had her guard up for so long that she’s not sure she’ll ever be able to let it down. He’s the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons break-dancing with her brother.īut then she meets Ocean James. So she’s built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. She’s tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments-even the physical violence-she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. It’s an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of being stereotyped. This review is no way tied to any of the purchasing entities or the publisher. The copy used for this review was a printed copy for the first half and the second half was an audiobook from Scribd. I purchased a copy of this book from Half Priced Books in Sugarland, TX. Genre: Contemporary Young Adult Romance Fictionĭisclaimer: This review is solely my opinion.
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