Available:*
Library | Material Type | Shelf Number | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Ginter Park | Book | FICTION ALI | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Main Library | Book | FICTION ALI | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Main Library | Book | FICTION ALI | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
A Today Show Read with Jenna Book Club Pick
"The bighearted, wildly charming, painfully real love story I've been waiting for." --Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
From William C. Morris Award Finalist S.K. Ali comes a "heartfelt and powerful" ( Kirkus Reviews , starred review) romance that's The Sun Is Also a Star meets Anna and the French Kiss , following two Muslim teens who meet during a spring break trip.
A marvel: something you find amazing. Even ordinary-amazing. Like potatoes--because they make French fries happen. Like the perfect fries Adam and his mom used to make together.
An oddity: whatever gives you pause. Like the fact that there are hateful people in the world. Like Zayneb's teacher, who won't stop reminding the class how "bad" Muslims are.
But Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn't bad. She's angry .
When she gets suspended for confronting her teacher, and he begins investigating her activist friends, Zayneb heads to her aunt's house in Doha, Qatar, for an early start to spring break.
Fueled by the guilt of getting her friends in trouble, she resolves to try out a newer, "nicer" version of herself in a place where no one knows her.
Then her path crosses with Adam's.
Since he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Adam's stopped going to classes, intent, instead, on perfecting the making of things. Intent on keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister.
Adam's also intent on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his grieving father.
Alone, Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals.
Until a marvel and an oddity occurs...
Marvel: Adam and Zayneb meeting.
Oddity: Adam and Zayneb meeting.
Reviews (2)
Horn Book Review
Zayneb, a Muslim American high school senior, leaves for spring break in Doha, Qatar, a week early when she is suspended for a note she wrote in class about her Islamophobic history teacher. Adam, a Muslim Canadian college freshman, is returning to Doha to see his father and sister, with some unfortunate news about his health that hes reluctant to disclose. Zaynebs passion for justice fills her with righteous anger that she finds difficult to direct. Adam is a calm peace-seeker who wishes he didnt feel quite so alone. What they have in common: each has been keeping a Marvels and Oddities journal (recording the wonders and thorns in the garden of life), based on an ancient book theyd both discovered. From the moment Adam sees Zaynebs journal fall out of her bag at the airport, readers will be waiting impatiently for their connection to unfoldbut, with such different temperaments, their relationship does not develop in an easy, straight line, and their doubts and the obstacles they face are convincing. Told through alternating perspectives, this compelling love story brings together a wide variety of cultures, political issues, and personality types. Readers are immersed in the teens world, feeling the frustrations of facing prejudice, the sadness of losing loved ones, and the hope that comes from mutual understanding. Ali (Saints and Misfits, rev. 7/17) has created an unforgettable couple in a deftly drawn setting. Sparks fly even as Zayneb and Adam avoid physical contact before marriage, making this a welcome halal love story for young adults. autumn allen September/October 2019 p.78(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Zayneb is an 18-year-old hijabi from Indianaand she was just suspended for standing up to her Islamophobic teacher.Now she's on her way to Doha to spend two weeks with her cool aunt Nandy and forget about her troubles at school. On the flight, Zayneb meets Adam, who converted to Islam at age 11 after his momAuntie Nandy's best frienddied from multiple sclerosis. Enamored with each other, Adam and Zayneb begin to share their life stories: Adam is keeping a huge secret from his father and sister, Zayneb hasn't shared with her aunt why she's been suspended, and both are mourning loved ones. Slowly, they fall in love, but their different experiences of dealing with racism and pain threaten to drive them apart. The novel's dual narrative structure uses raw, earnest journal entries to guide readers through the painful realities of the Islamophobia and racism that permeate all levels of society. Zayneb's story shows how the smallest incidents have trickle-down effects that dehumanize Muslims and devalue Muslim lives in some people's eyes. This is a refreshing depiction of religiosity and spirituality coexisting with so-called "normal" young adult relationships and experiences: What makes Zayneb and Adam different is not their faith but their ability to learn from and love one another in a world hurling obstacles their way. Zayneb is half Pakistani and half West Indian; Adam is Canadian of Chinese and Finnish descent.Heartfelt and powerful. (Fiction. 13-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
