A refreshingly nuanced narrative about gender in the Middle East.
When Zarin Wadia dies in a car crash with a boy named Porus, no one in her South Asian community in Jeddah is surprised—what else would you expect from a girl like that?
Originally from Mumbai, half-Parsi, half-Hindu Zarin moved in with her aunt and uncle after her mother died. The family relocated to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to escape rumors about Zarin’s mother’s death, plunging her into a world of abuse and gender-based restrictions against which she rebelled. It was only after Porus, a Parsi friend from Mumbai, moved to Jeddah for work that Zarin began to reconsider her behavior—and her capacity for love. Featuring a diverse cast of Arab and South Asian characters of various classes and faiths, the story is a gripping and nuanced portrait of how teens, both boys and girls, react to patriarchy (the novel contains graphic descriptions of abuse and sexual assault). Bhathena’s prose can be stilted, and her excessive use of multiple voices limits both character development and the resolution of some storylines. In addition, the beginning and ending chapters narrated by Zarin’s ghost feel disjointed from the otherwise searingly realistic narrative. All in all, though, the book is a fast-paced, fascinating read about a community rarely seen in young adult novels in the West.
A refreshingly nuanced narrative about gender in the Middle East. (Romance. 16-adult)Pub Date: Feb. 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-374-30544-4
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Feb. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2018
PROFILES
A thoughtful exploration of grief and life.
After the death of her mother, Georgia tries to really live while figuring out what that means.
All through high school, Georgia has been in “no-woman’s-land” with her best friend, Liss. After losing her mom, her father buries himself in their failing restaurant, and Georgia feels like she's drowning. But Georgia can't forget her timorous mother's final words to her—to “do everything”—and they prompt her to make a list of things to do to become brave. Not worrying about her overweight appearance, Georgia focuses on truly living her life. Some are easily accomplished, like No. 12—smoke pot—with the help of a new friend, Evelyn. But then there are tougher tasks, like asking out—and kissing—Daniel, Georgia's crush, and learning how to draw like her mom. As Georgia discovers her artistic talents, however, her romance with Daniel hits several snags. And when a mistake wrecks Georgia's friendship with Liss, she's left wondering if the list is actually helping her. Will she have the courage to keep going, or will she give up? Georgia's realistically profane voice aptly captures her personality, carrying the novel; her traverse through grief and experimentation make for a believable and satisfying character arc.
A thoughtful exploration of grief and life. (Fiction. 16-18)Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-07280-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A good crossover thriller for conspiracy-theory lovers
A university student, a vet and a conspiracy theorist unravel a dangerous government plot in a near-future England.
In this dystopian London, the endless War for Freedom has led to a gradual erosion of civil rights, with heavily armed police officers and a Military in Schools Scheme that has army officers teaching geography via shoot-’em-up computer games. Amina is on work experience, a junior, coffee-fetching flunky hoping to prove herself as a journalist. A fluffy human-interest story introduces her to Ivor, a paranoid loner, lottery winner and recently injured veteran of the war in Sinnostan (a fictional country vaguely reminiscent of Afghanistan). Amina doesn't want to believe Ivor's tales of false memories and faceless stalkers, but Chi Sandwith, a UFO-obsessed hacker, tracks her down with disturbingly convincing evidence. The trio unearths terrifying evidence of a bizarre scandal involving countless maimed soldiers. In shifting points of view, the prose spoon-feeds details of 20th- and 21st-century geopolitics to readers who lack required context. Ultimately this is an espionage thriller for older teens and adults; the protagonists' concerns (career-building, being thoroughly alone in the world, post-military PTSD) skew the book older. U.S. readers may balk at the recurring use of "oriental," which has less negative connotations in the U.K. than in the States, as well as other stereotypes and slurs sometimes (but not always) spoken by unsavory characters.
A good crossover thriller for conspiracy-theory lovers . (Science fiction. 17 & up)Pub Date: April 14, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4976-6579-8
Page Count: 372
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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