17 2021 Releases By Muslim Authors That Should Be On Your Radar

Hello friends, and welcome to my very first post of the year.

A major conflict I’d been facing since I finally had some time to spare this year was what my first post should be. Traditionally, bookish content creators share a collation of their most anticipated releases at the start of every year and while I love these posts, I find that I don’t have the energy or make one especially at this moment (but who knows I might be able to make a list soon 👀). Instead, I’ll be doing what I did last year — making select lists of my most anticipated releases.

Last year in January, for a blog series put together by Taiwo @Lifestyle Nerd, I collated a list of some books by Muslim authors which were to release then. This year Diverse Reads of (insert year) might not be back, but there are still a number of amazing books by Muslim authors releasing this year.

So for today’s post, I present to you some books by Muslim authors releasing this year I am very excited for and should be on your radar.

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• We Free The Stars (Sands of Arawiya #2) by Hafsah Faizal 

Age category: YA

Genre: Fantasy

Expected publication date: 19 January 2021

Blurb:

THE SEQUEL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The battle on Sharr is over. The Arz has fallen. Altair may be captive, but Zafira, Nasir, and Kifah are bound for Sultan’s Keep, determined to finish the plan he set in motion: restoring the hearts of the Sisters of Old to the minarets of each caliphate, and finally bring magic to all of Arawiya. But they are low on resources and allies alike, and the kingdom teems with fear of the Lion of the Night’s return. 

As the zumra plots to overthrow Arawiya’s darkest threat, Nasir fights to command the magic in his blood. He must learn to hone his power, to wield not only against the Lion but his father, trapped under the Lion’s control. Zafira battles a very different darkness festering in her through her bond with the Jawarat—it hums with voices, pushing her to the brink of sanity and the edge of a chaos she dare not unleash. In spite of everything, Zafira and Nasir find themselves falling into a love they can’t stand to lose…but time is running out, and if order is to be restored, drastic sacrifices will have to be made. 

Lush and striking, hopeful and devastating, We Free the Stars is the masterful conclusion to the Sands of Arawiya duology by New York Times–bestselling author Hafsah Faizal.

Last year, I started this list with We Free Stars and this year, since its release was pushed back, I’m starting my list with it again. We Free The Stars is my most anticipated Muslim authored book of 2021. I have been anxiously waiting for the release of this book since I read it’s prequel, We Hunt The Flame, in December 2019 and I need this book right now like I need oxygen.

Add on: Goodreads | Storygraph 

Preorder: Amazon | Blackwells | Book Depository | Bookshop 

• Misfit in Love by SK Ali 

Age category: YA

Genre: Contemporary/Romance 

Expected publication date: 25 May 2021

Blurb:

In this fun and fresh sequel to Saints and Misfits, Janna hopes her brother’s wedding will be the perfect start to her own summer of love, but attractive new arrivals have her more confused than ever.

Janna Yusuf is so excited for the weekend: her brother Muhammad’s getting married, and she’s reuniting with her mom, whom she’s missed the whole summer.

And Nuah’s arriving for the weekend too.

Sweet, constant Nuah.

The last time she saw him, Janna wasn’t ready to reciprocate his feelings for her. But things are different now. She’s finished high school, ready for college…and ready for Nuah.

It’s time for Janna’s (carefully planned) summer of love to begin—starting right at the wedding.

But it wouldn’t be a wedding if everything went according to plan. Muhammad’s party choices aren’t in line with his fiancée’s taste at all, Janna’s dad is acting strange, and her mom is spending more time with an old friend (and maybe love interest?) than Janna.

And Nuah’s treating her differently.

Just when things couldn’t get more complicated, two newcomers—the dreamy Haytham and brooding Layth—have Janna more confused than ever about what her misfit heart really wants.

Janna’s summer of love is turning out to be super crowded and painfully unpredictable.

*intense screaming*

Another Sajidah book! This is not a drill, it’s another Sajidah book! *sobbing sounds*

The sequel to Saint and Misfits, aka one of the books by one of my most favourite authors and a book I loved more than myself, is coming out this year! I get to read more about my babies, Jannah, Nuah, Tats and the rest of the crew this year and there’s Adam and Zayneb cameo! *fangirling noises*

Y’all, I am not ok!! Also not gonna lie, I kinda just want to read about Bertha (Adam and Zayneb’s cat).

Add on: Goodreads | Storygraph 

Preorder: Amazon | Blackwells | Book Depository | Bookshop 

• Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké Íyímídé

Age category: YA

Genre: Thriller

Expected publication date: 10 June 2021

Blurb: 

An incendiary and utterly compelling thriller with a shocking twist that delves deep into the heart of institutionalized racism, from an exceptional new YA voice. Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter, Aces, is bringing two students’ dark secrets to light. Talented musician Devon buries himself in rehearsals, but he can’t escape the spotlight when his private photos go public. Head girl Chiamaka isn’t afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power. Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they’re planning much more than a high-school game…

*clears throat with extravagance*

I cannot begin to explain how excited I am for Ace of Spades. I don’t read a lot of thrillers, but I have been waiting my whole life for this book.

Black disaster queer kids and a mysterious individual monitoring and blackmailing students of a high school? Yes!!

I’m even more excited because Ace of Spades will be my first internationally book by a Nigerian Muslim author and yeah, I’m emo.

Add on: Goodreads | Storygraph 

Preorder: Amazon | Blackwells | Book Depository | Bookshop 

• The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad

Age category: YA

Genre: Fantasy

Expected publication date: 3 August 2021

Blurb: 

From William C. Morris Finalist Nafiza Azad comes a thrilling, feminist fantasy about a group of teenage girls endowed with special powers who must band together to save the life of the boy whose magic saved them all.

Meet the Wild Ones: girls who have been hurt, abandoned, and betrayed all their lives. It all began with Paheli, who was once betrayed by her mother and sold to a man in exchange for a favor. When Paheli escapes, she runs headlong into a boy with stars in his eyes. This boy, as battered as she is, tosses Paheli a box of stars before disappearing.

With the stars, Paheli gains access to the Between, a place of pure magic and mystery. Now, Paheli collects girls like herself and these Wild Ones use their magic to travel the world, helping the hopeless and saving others from the fates they suffered.

Then Paheli and the Wild Ones learn that the boy who gave them the stars, Taraana, is in danger. He’s on the run from powerful forces within the world of magic. But if Taraana is no longer safe and free, neither are the Wild Ones. And that…is a fate the Wild Ones refuse to accept. Ever again.

First, have you seen that cover?!

I have been waiting my whole lifetime for another Nafiza Azad novel. The Candle and the Flame was one is my favourite reads of 2020 and I cannot wait for The Wild Ones. I absolutely love Nafiza’s writing and the blurb of this book sounds so good. I’m literally countdown days to its release.

Add on: Goodreads | Storygraph 

Preorder: Amazon | Blackwells | Book Depository | Bookshop 

• Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar  

Age category: YA

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Expected publication date: 25 May 2021

Blurb: 

Everyone likes Humaira “Hani” Khan—she’s easy going and one of the most popular girls at school. But when she comes out to her friends as bisexual, they invalidate her identity, saying she can’t be bi if she’s only dated guys. Panicked, Hani blurts out that she’s in a relationship…with a girl her friends absolutely hate—Ishita “Ishu” Dey. Ishu is the complete opposite of Hani. She’s an academic overachiever who hopes that becoming head girl will set her on the right track for college. But Ishita agrees to help Hani, if Hani will help her become more popular so that she stands a chance of being elected head girl.

Despite their mutually beneficial pact, they start developing real feelings for each other. But relationships are complicated, and some people will do anything to stop two Bengali girls from achieving happily ever after

Fake dating Bengali sapphics? Someone give a loud amen!!

This book has been one of  my most anticipated reads since I learned about its existence and that cover is simply everything. Hani and Ishu’s sounds like everything I need and I can’t wait to read it.

Add on: Goodreads | Storygraph 

Preorder: Amazon | Blackwells | Book Depository | Bookshop 

• Rumaysa: A Fairytale by Radiya Hafiza 

Age category: MG

Genre: Fantasy

Expected publication date: April 2021

Blurb: 

This funny and empowering story weaves together three classic fairytales into one new adventure with an unusual structural twist: Rumaysa is a Muslim girl who lets her hijab down from a tall tower in order to escape. Set in a magical version of South Asia, Rumaysa explores enchanted forests and dragon lairs, teaming up with Cinderayla and Sleeping Sara along the way to create a strong sense of sisterhood

It’s the retelling we’ve all been waiting for! Desi hijabi Rapunzel!

I am so excited for this Rapunzel retelling about Muslim girls, friendship and sisterhood.

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Preorder: Amazon | Blackwells | Book Depository | Bookshop 

(Actual cover to be revealed)

• Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin 

Age category: Adult

Genre: Romance

Expected publication date: 6 April 2021

Blurb: 

From the author of Ayesha at Last comes a sparkling new rom-com for fans of “You’ve Got Mail,” set in two competing halal restaurants

Sales are slow at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighbourhood. Hana waitresses there part time, but what she really wants is to tell stories on the radio. If she can just outshine her fellow intern at the city radio station, she may have a chance at landing a job. In the meantime, Hana pours her thoughts and dreams into a podcast, where she forms a lively relationship with one of her listeners. But soon she’ll need all the support she can get: a new competing restaurant, a more upscale halal place, is about to open in the Golden Crescent, threatening Three Sisters.

When her mysterious aunt and her teenage cousin arrive from India for a surprise visit, they draw Hana into a long-buried family secret. A hate-motivated attack on their neighbourhood complicates the situation further, as does Hana’s growing attraction for Aydin, the young owner of the rival restaurant—who might not be a complete stranger after all.

As life on the Golden Crescent unravels, Hana must learn to use her voice, draw on the strength of her community and decide what her future should be

Finally, another adult Muslim romcom. I absolutely loved Uzma’s debut Ayesha At Last, a Muslim retelling of Pride and Prejudice and I am beyond excited for her sophomore book. I love the entire premise of this book, the conflicts, stakes, the promised angst and the rivals to lovers to trope. Hana Khan is a book I can’t wait for.

Add on: Goodreads | Storygraph 

Preorder: Amazon | Blackwells | Book Depository | Bookshop 

• The Shape of Thunder by Jasmine Warga

Age category: MG

Genre: Contemporary 

Expected publication date: 11 May 2021

Blurb: 

Cora hasn’t spoken to her best friend, Quinn, in a year.

Despite living next door to each other, they exist in separate worlds of grief. Cora is still grappling with the death of her beloved sister in a school shooting, and Quinn is carrying the guilt of what her brother did.

On the day of Cora’s twelfth birthday, Quinn leaves a box on her doorstep with a note. She has decided that the only way to fix things is to go back in time to the moment before her brother changed all their lives forever—and stop him.

In spite of herself, Cora wants to believe. And so the two former friends begin working together to open a wormhole in the fabric of the universe. But as they attempt to unravel the mysteries of time travel to save their siblings, they learn that the magic of their friendship may actually be the key to saving themselves.

You know that author whose books you haven’t read that but you just trust in the quality and awesomeness of their books? That’s Jasmine Warga.

Although I haven’t read any of her books, I’ve heard so many amazing things about them. Her last middle grade book, Other Words for Home has been on my TBR pile for a while now and The Shape of Thunder is one book I’m really excited for.

Add on: Goodreads | Storygraph 

Preorder: Amazon | Blackwells | Book Depository | Bookshop 

• Amina’s Song by Hena Khan

Age category: MG 

Genre: Contemporary 

Expected publication date: 2021

Blurb: 

In the companion novel to the beloved and award-winning Amina’s Voice, Amina once again uses her voice to bridge the places, people, and communities she loves—this time across continents. 

It’s the last few days of her vacation in Pakistan, and Amina has loved every minute of it. The food, the shops, the time she’s spent with her family—all of it holds a special place in Amina’s heart. Now that the school year is starting again, she’s sad to leave, but also excited to share the wonders of Pakistan with her friends back in Greendale. 

After she’s home, though, her friends don’t seem overly interested in her trip. And when she decides to do a presentation on Pakistani hero Malala Yousafzai, her classmates focus on the worst parts of the story. How can Amina share the beauty of Pakistan when no one wants to listen?

I can still recall vividly how I felt after my first Hena Khan book and one of my favourite books of last year, very emotional.

I read More to the Story during Ramadan last year and I was awake after Fajr prayer crying because it was such a beautiful book.

Hena Khan’s writing is absolutely beautiful and I can’t wait for Amina’s Song

Add on: Goodreads | Storygraph 

Preorder: Amazon | Blackwells | Book Depository | Bookshop 

• City of the Plague God my Sarwat Chadda 

Age category: MG

Genre: Fantasy

Publication date: 12 January 2021

Blurb: 

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents CITY OF THE PLAGUE GOD, an adventure based on ancient Mesopotamian mythology written by Sarwat Chadda, author of the Ash Mistry series. Characters from the Epic of Gilgamesh populate this high-stakes contemporary adventure in which all of Manhattan is threatened by the ancient god of plagues.

Thirteen-year-old Sik wants a simple life going to school and helping at his parents’ deli in the evenings. But all that is blown to smithereens when Nergal comes looking for him, thinking that Sik holds the secret to eternal life.Turns out Sik is immortal but doesn’t know it, and that’s about to get him and the entire city into deep, deep trouble. 

Sik’s not in this alone. He’s got Belet, the adopted daughter of Ishtar, the goddess of love and war, on his side, and a former hero named Gilgamesh, who has taken up gardening in Central Park. Now all they have to do is retrieve the Flower of Immortality to save Manhattan from being wiped out by disease. To succeed, they’ll have to conquer sly demons, treacherous gods, and their own darkest nightmares

Muslim rep? Check Iraqi rep? Check Immortals and Mesopotamian mythology? Check

From its blurb, to the cover and rep, City of the Plague God sounds positively charming. Adding the fact that my friends who have read it loved it, City of the Plague God is definitely a highly anticipated read.

Add on: Goodreads | Storygraph 

Buy: Amazon | Blackwells | Book Depository | Bookshop 

• Tahira in Bloom by Farah Heron

Age category: YA

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Expected publication date: 2021

Blurb: 

Seventeen-year-old aspiring designer Tahira is chasing her big fashion dreams, but when her coveted internship falls through and she’s forced to spend the summer working at her aunt’s sleepy boutique in a rural community, she’ll be forced to innovate if she wants to keep her plans on track, possibly with help from the plant nerd next door.

Tahira in Bloom sounds like the sweetest book ever from its pitch , and I’m excited to read it.

Add on: Goodreads | Storygraph 

• The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani 

Age category: YA

Genre: Fantasy 

Expected publication date: 23 March 2021

Blurb:

 I did not choose this fate. But I will not walk away from it.

Children have been disappearing from across Menaiya for longer than Amraeya ni Ansarim can remember. When her friend’s sister is snatched, Rae knows she can’t look away any longer – even if that means seeking answers from the royal court, where her country upbringing and clubfoot will only invite ridicule.

Yet the court holds its share of surprises. There she discovers an ally in the foreign princess, who recruits her as an attendant. Armed with the princess’s support, Rae seeks answers in the dark city streets, finding unexpected help in a rough-around-the-edges street thief with secrets of his own. But treachery runs deep, and the more Rae uncovers, the more she endangers the kingdom itself.

The Theft of Sunlight is the sequel to Thorn, which is a retelling of Goose girl. 

I kind of started Thorn last year (I read the first 3 pages but couldn’t continue because I was in a bad slump), but I am nonetheless, extremely excited for its sequel.

Add on: Goodreads | Storygraph 

Preorder: Amazon | Blackwells | Book Depository | Bookshop 

• The Descent of The Drowned by Ana Lal Din

Age category: YA

Genre: Fantasy 

Expected publication date: 15 March 2021

Blurb: 

She is bound to serve. He is meant to kill. Survival is their prison. Choice is their weapon.

As the sacred slave of a goddess, Roma is of a lower caste that serves patrons to sustain the balance between gods and men. What she wants is her freedom, but deserters are hunted and hanged, and Roma only knows how to survive in her village where women are vessels without a voice. When her younger brother is condemned to the same wretched fate as hers, Roma must choose between silence and rebellion.

Leviathan is the bastard son of an immortal tyrant. Raised in a military city where everyone knows of his blood relation to the persecuted clans, Leviathan is considered casteless. Lowest of the low. Graduating as one of the deadliest soldiers, he executes in his father’s name, displaying his worth. When he faces judgement from his mother’s people—the clans—Leviathan must confront his demons and forge his own path, if he ever hopes to reclaim his soul.

But in the struggle to protect the people they love and rebuild their identities, Roma’s and Leviathan’s destinies interlock as the tyrant hunts an ancient treasure that will doom humankind should it come into his possession—a living treasure to which Roma and Leviathan are the ultimate key.

Set in a colonised Indo-Persian world and inspired by pre-Islamic Arabian mythology, The Descent of the Drowned is a tale about power, identity, and redemption, and what it takes to hold on to one’s humanity in the face of devastation

Ok, I’m going to need directions to the office where I can sign away my soul for an advance copy of this book?

This book honestly sounds like everything I love and I can’t wait to finally read it soon.

Add on: Goodreads | Storygraph 

Preorder: Amazon | Blackwells | Book Depository | Bookshop 

• The Lady or the Lion by Aamna Qureshi 

Age category: YA

Genre: Fantasy/Historical Romance 

Expected publication date: 22 June 2021

Blurb: 

Perfect for fans of These Violent Delights and The Wrath and the Dawn, this scintillating debut retells “The Lady or the Tiger?” against a Pakistan-inspired world of forbidden love and court intrigues. 

Once there was a princess forced to choose a fate for her lover-to a future in the arms of a beautiful lady, or to death in the mouth of a lion? But what came first was the fate she would choose for herself.

As crown princess of Marghazar, Durkhanai Miangul will do anything to protect her people and her land. When her grandfather, the Badshah, is blamed for a deadly assault on the summit of neighboring leaders, the tribes call for his head. To assuage cries for war, the Badshah opens Marghazar’s gates to foreigners for the first time in centuries, in a sign of good faith. Enter Ambassador Asfandyar Afridi, a wry foreigner who admits outright that he is a spy. Stubborn, proud, and suspicious of foreigners, Durkhanai does not appreciate that he won’t bow to her every whim and instead talks circles around her.

And yet, she has to make him her ally to expose those truly responsible for the attack as more ambassadors from neighboring tribal districts arrive at court, each one of them with their own agenda and reasons to hide the truth.When a mysterious illness spreads through the village and the imperialists push hard on her borders, Durkhanai must sort through the ever shifting loyalties at court and her growing feelings for Asfandyar. Will she be able to leave the antics of a spoiled princess behind and become what her people need-a queen?

While I might not know the original story it’s based on, the synopsis of The Lady or the Lion sounds very intriguing. I can’t wait for it’s release!

Add on: Goodreads | Storygraph 

Preorder: Amazon | Blackwells | Book Depository | Bookshop

• Barakah Beats by Maleeha Siddiqui 

Age category: YA

Genre: Contemporary 

Expected publication date: 19 October 2021

Blurb: 

For fans of The First Rule of Punk and Save Me a Seat, Barakah Beats is a sweet, powerful, and joyous novel about a Muslim girl who finds her voice on her own terms… by joining her school’s most popular boy band.

Twelve-year-old Nimra Sharif has spent her whole life in Islamic school, but now it’s time to go to “real school.”

Nimra’s nervous, but as long as she has Jenna, her best friend who already goes to the public school, she figures she can take on just about anything.

Unfortunately, middle school is hard. The teachers are mean, the schedule is confusing, and Jenna starts giving hijab-wearing Nimra the cold shoulder around the other kids.

Desperate to fit in and get back in Jenna’s good graces, Nimra accepts an unlikely invitation to join the school’s popular 8th grade boy band, Barakah Beats. The only problem is, Nimra was taught that music isn’t allowed in Islam, and she knows her parents would be disappointed if they found out. So she devises a simple plan: join the band, win Jenna back, then quietly drop out before her parents find out.

But dropping out of the band proves harder than expected. Not only is her plan to get Jenna back working, but Nimra really likes hanging out with the band-they value her contributions and respect how important her faith is to her. Then Barakah Beats signs up for a talent show to benefit refugees, and Nimra’s lies start to unravel. With the show only a few weeks away and Jenna’s friendship hanging in the balance, Nimra has to decide whether to betray her bandmates-or herself. 

Aside the absolute beautiful cover, being a Muslim and music lover, I’m very curious to read Barakah Beats and discover how Nimra handles things.

Add on: Goodreads | Storygraph 

Preorder: Amazon | Blackwells | Book depository | Bookshop

• It All Comes Back To You by Farah Naz Rishi

Age category: Unknown 

Genre: Unknown/Romance 

Expected publication date: 2021

I don’t care what it’s about. It’s by Farah Naz Rishi so I already love it.

Add on: Goodreads | Storygraph 

• The Marvellous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim

Age category: YA

Genre: Contemporary 

Expected publication date: 18 May 2021

Blurb: 

“The Mirza girls hit Delhi—that’s a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.”

To cure her post–senior year slump, made worse by the loss of her aunt Sonia, Noreen is ready to follow her mom on a gap year trip to New Delhi, hoping India can lessen her grief and bring her voice back.

In the world’s most polluted city, Noreen soon meets kind, handsome Kabir, who introduces her to the wonders of this magical, complicated place. With Kabir’s help—plus Bollywood celebrities, fourteenth-century ruins, karaoke parties, and Sufi saints—Noreen begins to rediscover her joyful voice.

But when a family scandal erupts, Noreen and Kabir must face complicated questions in their own relationship: What does it mean to truly stand by someone—and what are the boundaries of love? 

All I can say is I am looking. 

Add on: Goodreads | Storygraph 

Preorder: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop 

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Well that’s my list! What 2021 releases by Muslim authors are you looking forward to?

Till next time!

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BLOG TOUR: PUNCHING THE AIR REVIEW

Title: Punching the Air

Author(s): Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam

Publisher: Balzer+Bray

Publishing Date: Sept. 1st 2020

Pages: 400

Age Category & Genre: Young Adult Contemporary, Fiction, Poetry

BLURB

From award-winning, bestselling author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Five comes a powerful YA novel in verse about a boy who is wrongfully incarcerated. Perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds, Walter Dean Myers, and Elizabeth Acevedo.

The story that I thought

was my life

didn’t start on the day

I was born

Amal Shahid has always been an artist and a poet. But even in a diverse art school, he’s seen as disruptive and unmotivated by a biased system. Then one fateful night, an altercation in a gentrifying neighborhood escalates into tragedy. “Boys just being boys” turns out to be true only when those boys are white.

The story that I think

will be my life

starts today

Suddenly, at just sixteen years old, Amal’s bright future is upended: he is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to prison. Despair and rage almost sink him until he turns to the refuge of his words, his art. This never should have been his story. But can he change it?

With spellbinding lyricism, award-winning author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam tell a moving and deeply profound story about how one boy is able to maintain his humanity and fight for the truth, in a system designed to strip him of both.

|CW: racism, microaggression, violence, use of racial slurs|

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

5 stars for Punching the Air

|Disclaimer: I was provided with this advanced review copy by HarperCollins International and Edelweiss for in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.|

Punching the Air is a realistic and touching story about a sixteen year old Black Muslim boy, Amal Shahid, who is wrongly incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit.

This book blew me away with how simply brilliant it was. If it was possible for me to highlight the entire ARC, I think I would have. From the very beginning, Punching the Air literally had punched me in the guts, but quite seriously this book hooked me and had me emotional.

Punching the Air explores, or rather displays, racism, judicial racism, the prison industry and the reality of being Black in the US or anywhere else in the world where we’re seen as other.

Amal is an example of thousands of other Black boy, and in extension Black people, are wrongly sentenced by a broken system or maybe it isn’t truly broken but simply designed that way. A system that criminalises and dehumanises Black bodies. A system that calls Black teens and babies adults. A system that would call a Black sixteen year old boy a young man, but a white boy of the same age a mere boy. A system that is supposed to be fair and see in black and white, and it does see in Black and White. It sees that Black is guilty and evil, and White is innocent and pure.

Punching the Air is a story that shows how this system, which exists almost everywhere, harms Black people. How Black people are judged by the colour of our skins, because our skins must tell our entire stories, right?

While I must stay the message in Punching the Air makes it a masterpiece already, the writing itself is a wonder on its own.

I’ve never read a full story in verse, and I’m glad Punching the Air was my introduction to this beautiful form of writing. Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam’s writing conveyed the story expertly. They had me feeling everything Amal was feeling. For the duration of time I was reading this book, I was this sixteen year old boy who loved poetry and art, who had high hopes, dreams and aspirations, who just had my life uprooted and my story rewritten. That is how good the writing and delivery was.

A must read…

I feel like I haven’t done this book justice and I probably won’t ever be able to even if I had all the right words because how can I ever put them all together.

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read and I’d like to thank the authors for enriching my life with this work.

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Book Depository | Goodreads

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About the Authors

Ibi Zoboi was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and holds an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her novel American Street was a National Book Award finalist and a New York Times Notable Book. She is also the author of Pride and My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich, a New York Times bestseller, and Punching the Air with co-author and Exonerated Five member, Yusef Salaam. She is the editor of the anthology Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America. Raised in New York City, she now lives in New Jersey with her husband and their three children.

Dr. Yusef Salaam was just fifteen years old when his life was upended after being wrongly convicted with four other boys in the “Central Park jogger” case. In 2002, after the young men spent years of their lives behind bars, their sentences were overturned. Now known as the Exonerated Five, their story has been documented in the award-winning film The Central Park Five by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon and in Ava DuVernay’s highly acclaimed series When They See Us. Yusef is now a poet, activist, and inspirational speaker. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama, among other honors. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Sanovia, and their children. You can find him online at http://www.yusefspeaks.com.

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Giveaway

Enter below to win a copy of Punching the Air! This giveaway is open internationally and sponsored by HarperCollins International. And will end on September 30, 2020.

Rafflecopter giveaway

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You can check out the rest of the tour here

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Have you read Punching the Air yet? What’s a book you adored lately?

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Let’s Get Lit: Muslim Authors Panel

Hi and Salaam to my Muslim siblings! 

Welcome to the third round of author interviews/ the author panel for the #Muslim Authors week of the Let’s Get Lit Online Book Fest.

Here’s a small recap if you didn’t know what we’re about. The Let’s Get Lit Online Book Fest (LGL Book Fest) is a six week long book event which seeks to highlight books by marginalised and debut authors with books coming out this year. This is the fourth week of our event and the Muslim authors week. You can read the first and opening event of the week, where we introduce all the authors featured this week here. You can also find the first round of author interviews hosted by the amazing Rameela @Star Is All Booked Up, here, the second round of interviews hosted by myself here and the featured books showcase by Rameela here.

Today, for the panel, I’ll be hosting five (5) amazing Muslim authors; Aminah Mae Safi, Sahar Mustafa, Zeyn Joukhadar, Saadia Faruqi and Intisar Khanani.

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Q: Please introduce yourselves and explain what experience you have in the writing industry.

Aminah: Hello! I’m Aminah Mae Safi and I’m the author of NOT THE GIRLS YOU’RE LOOKING FOR, TELL ME HOW YOU REALLY FEEL, and the forthcoming THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT. I’ve also got a short story, “Be Cool, For Once” in the anthology FRESH INK. I’m the winner of the We Need Diverse Books YA short story contest and a Muslim American writer and a cat lady.

Sahar: I am the daughter of Palestinian immigrants. I was mostly raised in Chicago with five years of residence in Palestine— the most meaningful, formative years of my life. I’ve published 2 books of fiction: a short story collection called Code of the West that won the 2016 Willow Books Prize for Fiction, and a novel The Beauty of Your Face just launched by W.W. Norton. Before these books, I have published short stories in anthologies and literary magazines and journals. I also have editing experience.

Zeyn: I’m Zeyn Joukhadar, I’m the author of the novels The Map of Salt and Stars (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster 2018) and The Thirty Names of Night (Atria/Simon & Schuster, 3 Nov 2020). My writing has appeared in Salon, The Paris Review, The Kenyon Review, [PANK], and elsewhere. The Map of Salt and Stars is currently being translated into 20 languages and was a 2018 Middle East Book Award winner.

Saadia: Hello! I’m Saadia Faruqi, author of the early reader series YASMIN, as well as other upcoming books for children of all ages. I started out by writing fiction for adults, but transitioned to children’s books when I realizes that they are much more impactful and meaningful. I’ve been writing and publishing since 2009 overall, and kidlit since 2018 when the first books in the Yasmin series were published. This year, in 2020, I’ll have two middle grade novels released. A Place at the Table, coming from HMH/Clarion, is co-written with Laura Shovan, and A Thousand Questions, coming from HarperCollins/Quill Tree Books. I also have more children’s fiction and non-fiction upcoming in 2021 and beyond.

Intisar: I’m a YA fantasy author writing mighty girls and diverse worlds. I started out as an indie author back in 2012. I had queried agents for a couple of years, and with the advent of the e-book indie market, I ended up deciding to just make my own way. I was also a young mom (pregnant with a toddler) and had decided to stay home with my girls through their younger years. I knew I needed something for myself—and a flexible writing career built around my family seemed like just the thing. 

I now have two girls, and three books out. Interestingly, my indie debut, Thorn, is also now my traditional publishing debut, as it was picked up by HarperTeen and (after extensive revisions) came out again this past March. Aside from Thorn, I still have my indie epic fantasy series featuring a street thief with a dangerous sense of honor and a whole heap of secrets. I love being both trad pub and indie; each has different advantages, and I’m grateful to be able to straddle both worlds.

Q: What’s something about the publishing industry that you wish you knew when you first started out?

Aminah: Well, I knew this, but there is knowing a thing and knowing a thing— patience. Patience combined with persistence. It is a fine line between the kind of patience that keeps you in your seat and not doing what you need to be doing and the kind of patience that keeps you persistently working towards a goal. 

Also, this is less about the industry and more about creative work in general: find a way to enjoy your day to day. Marking success as the process by which you create and live, I promise, will give you longevity and will keep you from tying your ideas of success to outside markers beyond your control.

Sahar: Most times, your work will simply not be a good fit for publications and houses; it’s not a reflection of you as a writer or the quality of your work. It’s tough to acknowledge that, but it’s impossible that our work will naturally belong everywhere we submit it. 

Another valuable thing I learned: some agents/editors will attempt to alter your vision rather than raise it as their terms of acceptance. If you decline, it can still be rather debilitating to the confidence you have in your original work, making you doubt its worth and publishability. Don’t compromise your vision. 

Zeyn: I wish I had understood earlier how important it is to find a supportive writing community. None of us work in a vaccuum; we are always in conversation with each other. For marginalized writers in particular, we need to support and uplift each other and make space for those coming after us.

Saadia: I wish I’d known how long everything takes! We often have to wait months for every milestone, such as signing contracts, announcing deals, and seeing our work in print. It’s certainly demands a lot of patience and fortitude to wait on the slow pace of traditional publishing, and to not have control over when things happen. 

Intisar: I’m pretty sure I knew this starting out, but I think it is the most valuable advice I can give: publishing is about persistence and flexibility. You have to keep trying, even when things aren’t working, and you have to be willing to try new things, push your boundaries (both in writing and marketing). As an author, you are both writer and marketer of your books, whether you go with a big house or publish yourself. So keep working at it, and keep learning!

Q: Do you have any challenges you’ve faced, personally or professionally, in the industry as a Muslim that you’d like to vocalize?

Aminah: Honestly, I feel so lucky to have debuted in the time that I did. So many conversations were taking place about inclusion and perspective and had been taking place since 2014 that by the time I sold NOT THE GIRLS YOU’RE LOOKING FOR in 2016, I felt like I had a lot more leeway than I might have had a sold just a few years prior.

I have the privilege of working with two amazing editors over at Macmillan— Kat Brzozowski and Emily Settle. They really let me take my ideas and run with them, even if I’m writing within my culture and outside of theirs.

But the truth is, I have no idea what it is to move through space not as a Muslim. So has being Muslim created challenges? Possibly and probably are likely answers. Perhaps my first book, had it been about a messy white girl instead of a messy Muslim girl, would have sold earlier. But then again, maybe not. I don’t know any other way to be. I am Muslim, it’s a piece of my identity and it’s a part of how I move through this world. I feel lucky that the people I’ve encountered in this industry have been so supportive of the fact that I bring my own perspective to the table. 

Do your best to hold on tight to the people who celebrate you as you are. There will always be roadblocks. And sometimes, there will be worse roadblocks for what you cannot control and what is deeply unfair. But those people who celebrate you, who have your back— they’re the ones that will get you through.

Sahar: I’ve had to combat the single-narrative sale, particularly the “immigrant story,” that many in the industry told me was more “marketable.” I continue to search for a balance of authentic representation in my work that avoids being pigeon-holed, or merely fulfilling a diversity quota. 

Zeyn: Like many other marginalized writers, I’ve often come up against the expectation to speak for my people, or to somehow represent the totality of certain experiences. My work can’t possibly encompass all of what it means to be Muslim, or transgender, or anything else for that matter. Marginalized writers, especially writers of color, trans writers, and Muslim writers, often have to work very hard to resist being flattened or tokenized in this way. I’ve been lucky in my career to be able to work with an agent, editor, and others who have helped me resist that, but it’s an issue many of us have to constantly be aware of, especially those of us who have various levels of privilege that make us more palatable to power, which means that we have to be careful not to talk over others or take up space just because it’s granted to us.

Saadia: I’ve been very lucky that I started writing in a time when publishing was already opening up to marginalized communities. I remember focusing on Yasmin just after the 2016 elections, and it was very heartwarming to see that agents and editors were already embracing diverse stories as a way to counter the hateful rhetoric coming out of the administration. I know many Muslim authors who struggled in previous decades when the publishing climate was not as open, so I really am grateful that the timing worked much better for me, and for all Muslim authors currently. I think this is a great time to be publishing diverse books about all sorts of people, and I hope others take advantage of that. 

Intisar: I think generally my experience has been quite positive, for which I’m very grateful. I have met so many amazing readers, reviewers, and bloggers, and am grateful for all the folks who have reached out to help me along this path.

Q: Did you come across any surprises in the making of your book?

Aminah: Constantly. I think I’m always surprised by writing books. I think that’s part of the joy for me. There’s a delight in language where you think, “I wrote that.” And there’s the surprise of seeing all the ideas rattling around in your head and putting them to page. 

You’re often telling yourself something as you write, and it’s never not a surprise to see how clearly you can articulate your own worldview, even while you’re tripping along through a rom-com or an adventure.

Sahar: Publishing with a major, traditional house alleviated much of the stress of marketing and exposure. I didn’t realize how many people could be involved in a single book production and how that might somehow shape its success in terms of delivery to a vastly wider audience. 

Zeyn: I’ve been really encouraged by how readers have responded to my second novel, The Thirty Names of Night. When I started writing it a few years ago, I was worried about how this book—a book about a queer, Arab, Muslim, transmasculine person in New York finding love and belonging in spite of American racism, Islamophobia, and transphobia—would be received. But a lot of us are hungry to see characters like this finally getting to be the heroes of their own stories, and seeing how readers have embraced Thirty Names gives me so much hope.

Saadia: I’ve been pleasantly surprised at what great teamwork is required when a book is created. From my agent to my editor, from second readers to copy editors, and from the team of designer, cover artist, illustrator, and everyone in between who’s dedicated to putting out a fantastic product. Then there’s also the team of marketing personnel from my publicist to the school and library team, to the sales persons… there is a whole force behind a book that’s invisible but so integral to its success. 

Intisar: ALL THE SURPRISES. 😉 This book has changed so much since I first drafted it 18 years ago. (WHAT.) Definitely the biggest surprise came a few years after I indie published Thorn when my agent, Emmanuelle Morgen, picked it up on sale and then reached out to me. Both that, and the way the deal came together, was quite surreal—Emmanuelle just mentioned the fact that I had signed with her to an editor at HarperTeen as they were catching up before looking at books for some other authors. The editor went home, bought Thorn for herself, read it, and reached out to Emmanuelle to see if I would be interested in an offer. Definitely not the way most books are sold to publishers!

Q: Do you know any helpful facts about the industry common writers might not know about?

Aminah: I think the real difference is: there is no difference between you and me. I did not suddenly become some other or better or more legitimate writer after I had found an agent or after I had sold my book. I have learned so much by working with my editors and with my agent. 

But I’m no more and no less of a real writer now than I was before.

Sahar: Be sure your manuscript is ready to be shared with agents and editors. Take your time— there’s no deadline for submissions. Great stories don’t have expiration dates. 

Also, from a practical standpoint, an excellent query letter will yield at least 10-20% of positive and interested responses from agents/editors. Take time with it, too.

Zeyn: As you move forward in your writing career, aim to work as much as possible with people who get what you’re trying to do with your work. It’s important to be on the same page with the people who will champion your writing alongside you. Remember, saying no to opportunities that aren’t right for you gives you the space to say yes to the ones that are.

Saadia: A lot of authors complain about their books not getting marketing support from their publishing houses. I have been so lucky in this respect, because I’ve always had wonderful marketing support from each of my publishers, but I do know friends who haven’t. I want to warn new writers that this may happen to you, but also tell them that even if your book doesn’t get a huge marketing budget, your publisher will still have processes and teams in place which are pushing your book, such as online catalogues, and school and library teams. These are all great ways that readers and buyers hear about our books, while we can focus on our writing. 

Intisar: Not really. I do think there’s sometimes a misconception among debut authors that your publisher will do most of your marketing for you. If you’re very, very lucky, and end up being a front list title, that may happen. My experience has very much been that I need to put on my personal marketing hat and do everything I can to support my book launch and the book’s longer life.

Q: Do you feel like your writing paves the way for others in your community?

Aminah: Man, I hope so. But I don’t think that’s for me to determine. But I hope I have made it a little easier for the next writer who wants to write a messy Muslim girl or a messy girl of color. That’s all I can hope.

Sahar: There are terrifically successful writers of Arab and Muslim heritage who’ve paved the way for me. I hope to enlarge the existing narratives and continue to dispel the monolithic perceptions of Arabs and Muslims. 

Zeyn: I hope my work allows people in my communities to see themselves represented on the page, and I hope that it tells other writers like me that there is room for them in publishing. I want my work to counter the message that our stories don’t deserve to be told, or that our stories need to be told for us, or that we don’t exist.

Saadia: I do see it that way sometimes, even though it comes with extreme pressure to do a good job! I think anytime a Muslim story gains recognition, maybe wins an award, or is talked about on social media, there is a positive result on all other Muslim writers. Firstly, publishers see that success and are more open to other writers submitting their work. They now have some proof that a marginalized perspective will sell copies, so they are more willing to take risks when they acquire new work. Secondly, a strong message is sent to buyers – teachers, librarians and bookstores – that these stories are valuable and should be bought and shared. Thirdly, and maybe most importantly, it tells the aspiring Muslim writer that their viewpoint is worth writing about. Hopefully these steps lend an individual confidence boost as well as a real push for publishing. 

Intisar: I hope so? I do think that others have paved the way for me, at least in traditional publishing – and by that, I specifically mean the We Need Diverse Books movement, and all the authors and readers who have come together behind it. The increased awareness among publishers that diverse stories need to be told, and can and will sell, given the chance, is so important. Both the authors who have worked toward this, and the readers who have supported their books, have allowed me to step forward now. I hope that I, too, can support future authors in similar ways.

Q: What were some of the best surprises you’ve had getting into the industry?

Aminah: Oh, I love the community. Being able to meet other writers has been such a delight for me. I’m an extrovert so that time where I get to meet up with other writers— at conferences or even just here in Los Angeles— has been wonderful.

Sahar: I was concerned about having a very commercial relationship with my agency and was delightfully surprised at how much I was treated and regarded as a person first then a writer. My agents have stood by me from the first time we spoke. 

Zeyn: By far my favorite thing has been having the chance to meet other writers who are doing amazing work, especially other queer and trans writers of color whose brilliance is revolutionizing forms and changing the game as we speak.

Saadia: I’ve been surprised at the warm support I’ve received from other marginalized writers, as well as the writing world in general. I’ve also been surprised and happy at the way teachers and librarians shout about my books and encourage everyone to read them. It’s been so lovely to see, and has made my writing journey so much easier. 

Intisar: Thorn released on March 24, which was the day after my home state of Ohio went into lockdown – the same week that many states across the country shut down. I’d seen it coming and had canceled my launch event, and expected (and wasn’t too depressed by) a very mediocre launch in terms of sales. (Half the country was out panic-buying toilet paper and pasta that week.) But what I didn’t expect, and what I have been incredibly grateful for, are all the readers, bloggers, and other authors who have reached out to help support myself and so many other debuts whose books would otherwise have gotten lost in the crisis. I’ve always known that the book community is a wonderful one, but I’ve been truly impressed by the kindness, generosity, and support I’ve seen building over the last month and more.

Q: What experiences have you had that you’d like to avoid repeating?

Aminah: Wow, I honestly have no idea here. I’m not even sure I could repeat the good experiences, much less the trying ones. I try to take the perspective of staying present through any of them, gleaning what I can, and knowing that all things pass in time.

I try to take joy in what I can, learn from what I can, and leave the rest behind. Easier said than done.

Sahar: Losing my confidence amid early and initial rejections of my work. 

Zeyn: I wish I’d found my amazing writing community earlier than I did. I think a lot of us struggle with imposter syndrome, especially those of us who don’t have the benefit of an MFA or other formal training, or who come from immigrant or working class families. But we have to find our people to support and sustain us, and vice versa, because none of us can do this alone.

Saadia: Unfortunately, as an author sometimes I’ve seen the ugly side of human nature. There have been a few instances when I’ve had negative, stereotypical things said to me at big conferences, or been left out of a panel because they didn’t value diversity. I’ve had to fight to be included in programs where most others are white. Those are all experiences I’d rather not repeat, but on the other hand I’ve also had so many positive, welcoming experiences. 

Intisar: Releasing during a pandemic? LOL! More seriously, I think what’s been challenging for me is learning to handle traditional publishing timelines—you’re given a rough estimate of when your book might come back to you, and then suddenly it shows up in your inbox and you have to drop everything else in order to turn those edits around in a very tight timeline. It’s very much a “hurry up and wait” kind of industry, and I found it exhausting and stressful after being able to set my own timelines in indie publishing. But deadlines can also be helpful, and I definitely don’t want to “avoid” this situation if that means giving up traditional publishing! It’s just a part of the experience I wouldn’t mind trading out if I could.

Q: Do you see yourself staying in this industry for a long time?

Aminah: I hope so!

Sahar: As long as I have stories I need to tell, I’m sticking around!

Zeyn: I suspect that as long as I live, I will keep writing. I try to remind myself often that the only thing I have control over is the writing; everything else comes after.

Saadia: I will be a writer for children’s books as long as I’m able to write. I have found it overall to be a very fulfilling and personally rewarding job, and I plan to continue in it for a long time. 

Intisar: Definitely. Storytelling is an essential part of my life, and it would be a tough thing to give it up. (I’m not sure I could, truly; even if I decided not to publish, I would still be telling stories, just not sharing them.) I am not sure in the long run whether I will lean more toward traditional publishing or independent—a great deal depends on who is willing to publish the stories I most want to write. But I will definitely keep writing! 

Q: Do you have any advice for people just getting into this industry?

Aminah: Just keep going. Remember you have to believe in yourself more than anyone else. Don’t squash your own believe in yourself. And learn to listen to yourself, really listen to yourself. Your own voice is worth listening to.

Sahar: You need to have a firm sense of what you want to put out in the world and be able to articulate it to others and stand by it. A good editor will elevate your work, not transform it so it’s unrecognizable. 

And be sure to engage in self-care so that you can preserve your creative spirit and not lose perspective. For me, I kept myself centered by working on new projects as I queried my finished manuscript through to its publication. I also made sure to step away and make time for physical activity and time with loved ones–things that seem so basic, but which become very critical in keeping us positively grounded. 

Zeyn: Read widely. Always tell yourself the truth. As doors open for you, make sure you kick them open for the people coming after you.

Saadia: Write a lot, and frequently. Many aspiring writers try for years to get one book published, but in my experience, that’s the wrong attitude. You have to be flexible and keep writing new things, rather than insist that a single manuscript is perfect. You have to be willing to accept that something is not working, or that you need craft lessons. Working to improve your writing is definitely a big advantage, and it doesn’t end even after you’re published. 

Intisar: Be kind to yourself. Have forgiveness. Help each other. And keep writing!

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Thank you so much to these amazing authors for taking their time to chat. Its been great and quite inspiring to read their answers on their experience in publishing and advice to. If you’d like to support these amazing people, make sure to go to featured books showcase post on Rameela’s blog where the Goodreads links and buy links of their latest books are.

You can catch the other events on the fest on these blogs:

• Natalia Martinez @ AlgareteLatinx, who hosted #LatinxAuthorsWeek
• Celeste @ CelesteHarte, who hosted #BlackAuthorsWeek
• Arina @The Paperback Vogayer who hosted #LGBTQ+AuthorsWeek
• Lili @ Utopia State of Mind & Noura @ The Perks of Being Noura & Krisha @ Bookathon, who will host #AsianAuthorsWeek
• Wendy @ What The Log, who will host #DisabledChronicallyIllAuthorsWeek

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Let’s Get Lit: Muslim Author Interviews II

Hi and Salaam to my Muslim siblings! 

Welcome to the second round of author interviews for the #Muslim Authors week of the Let’s Get Lit Online Book Fest.

Here’s a small recap if you didn’t know what we’re about. The Let’s Get Lit Online Book Fest (LGL Book Fest) is a six week long book event which seeks to highlight books by marginalised and debut authors with books coming out this year. This is the fourth week of our event and the Muslim authors week. You can read the first and opening event of the week, where we introduce all the authors featured this week here. You can also find the first round of author interviews hosted by the amazing Rameela @Star Is All Booked Up, here.

Today for the fest, I’ll be interviewing another round of four authors. They are Rabiah York Lumbard, Sahira Javaid, Fariha Khayyam and Marzieh Abbas.

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Q: Please introduce yourselves and briefly explain what your books are about!

Sahira: Hi, I’m Sahira Javaid. : )  I write poetry and my YA fantasy Crowning Soul is debuting August 9 of this year! I’m so hyped!

Crowning Soul is about a biracial girl who gets pulled into another dimension and has to mend an angel’s soul and stop malevolent jinn from shattering her own soul. I’d pitch it as Inuyasha meets the City Of Brass.

Fariha: Hello, I’m Fariha! Self-published author of SHARDS and YA book blogger.

SHARDS is a short modern-poetry collection. It is about the journey of a girl as she struggles to come to terms with what she has endured. Mind you, it come with trigger warnings, so please read those as some of the poems can be quite dark. 

Rabiah: Salaams and Ramadan Mubarak! I’m an American Muslim (going on twenty years now) and a kidlit author (going on a decade now) who currently lives in Doha, Qatar with my hubby, three kids and many, many cats. I write heart-centered picture books like my Gift of Ramadan and The Conference of the Birds and also heavier, “high concept” type of contemporary novels like my debut YA thriller No True Believers.  

Marzieh: Hello and Salaam! I’m Marzieh Abbas, a Pakistani, Muslim author and baker. I live in the bustling metropolis of Karachi and began writing a year ago (May 2019)! I won a scholarship to Mira’s Children’s Book Academy in August, and have since attended conferences and workshops virtually. I am a member of SCBWI and enjoy connecting with fellow writers on Twitter. I also blog about my author journey and life in Pakistan on Instagram @beansprouts_pk. I run a book review group on FB: Children’s Book Reviews (CBR Global).

My debut picture book: “Hamza’s Pyjama Promise” was published in January 2020, by a UK Muslim publisher: Sun Behind the Cloud Publishing. It’s a spin-off on “The Day the Crayons Quit“, only in this version Hamza’s body parts have written letters to him!

My second book is called “Hamza and Aliya share the Ramadan Cheer” and was to be released this April, but has been delayed slightly due to the pandemic. It has been published with Kisa Kids, a US faith publisher, but is aimed at Muslims and non-Muslims alike; a story about the true spirit of sharing the joys of Ramadan. It’s also literally a slice of my life- it revolves around a family that loves to bake and is set in the blessed month of Ramadan, with the kids eager to distribute food and dessert to neighbors and share the Ramadan Cheer.

Although both these books have been published by faith publishers, I do want to write books about Muslim characters in everyday life situations and aim to publish with mainstream publishers some day.

Q: What inspired you to become a writer?

Sahira: When I was ten, I can still remember when a local author came to our library and spoke about her book. I loved the adventure, the escape her books were, so I started writing my own adventure and haven’t looked back since.

Fariha: Hmmm, I started writing when I was in university, that almost a decade ago (wow). I wrote in the little notebook I carried with me and on the memo app on my mobile. I backed them up on proper document, so they don’t get lost. It wasn’t until much, much later that I decided to publish them. At that time there were new Muslim authors and it really encouraged me to continue writing as well.

Rabiah: I was inspired by motherhood and the lack of quality and nuanced stories that show more than one type of Muslim.

Marzieh: I have always loved to write, but never got around to doing so. Last year when I was on a hiatus from baking, I wrote my first draft of both the books mentioned above. I began studying the craft and initially wrote my books as memos to my kids, tried my luck at submitting them and I have been extremely lucky.

Q: Who’s your favorite Muslim author?

Sahira: Oh wow, this is a tough question! If I really have to choose, then it would be S. A. Chakraborty. Her book The City of Brass gave my heart so much happiness when I read about Muslim characters in a fantasy for the first time. I love how she wove Islam into the story and it’ll always be in my heart.

Fariha: Well, that’s difficult to say, really. The Muslim Shelf Space has grown quite a bit and I’ve still yet to read all of them.  My favorite author at the moment would be Sabaa Tahir and Hafsah Faizal.

Rabiah: Oh, so tricky. And I don’t want to leave anyone out or hurt any feelings. So I’m gonna pick a dead person! Lol. One of my favorite Muslim authors is Rumi. I know, it sounds cliché. But his poetry is a balm for the soul and more importantly, best understood as a tafsir of the Quran.

Marzieh: Rukhsana Khan and Sadia Faruqi

Q: If two of your MC’s were stuck together while social distancing, what would happen?

Sahira: Oh goodness, this depends if I want a funny, scary or romantic outcome. ; ) Let’s go with the latter! I guess I’d pick Nezha and Kayan. Nezha would eat all the chocolate and joke about how they couldn’t touch each other anyways. Kayan would probably stay up all night and sleep in the morning. There would be a lot of blushing. lol.

Fariha: N/A (Since my book is a poetry, it doesn’t have two MCs)

Rabiah: If it were the little girl and her grandmother in The Gift of Ramadan then they’d be baking yummy treats and probably packing on the pounds like the rest of us! If it were Salma B. and her cute boyfriend Amir from No True Believers then, well, I think they’d need to find an Imam to initiate a zoom wedding because—I mean—you know, they’re young and bored and stuck together. Haa. Haa. 

Marzieh: A bake-off for sure!

Q: What are your favorite books?

Sahira: Just a few: A Crown of Wishes and the Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi, The City of Brass by S A Chakraborty, Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin, Six of Crows duology by leigh Bardugo, Children of Blood and Bone, The Candle and The flame by Nafiza Azad.

Fariha: My all-time favorite would be The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I also never get tired of (re)reading The Ember in the Ashes Series and the Six of Crows Series.

Rabiah: For PB—anything by Tomie DePaola, may he rest in peace. For MG I loved the Clementine series by Sara Pennypacker. And for YA I will gladly consume anything written by Jason Reynolds or Jacqueline Woodson.

Marzieh: Too many to mention, but the ones that come to mind are

There’s a Bear in my Chair by Ross Collins

-ish by Peter Reynolds

The big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan

Yasmin series by Saadia Faruqi

Q:  What made you want to write in your current genre?

Sahira: Fantasy is such a beautifully broad genre to me. You can add adventure, comedy, romance and suspense. Most of all it’s the journey of finding yourself that pulled me in.

Fariha: I still do write poetry on the sidelines, but I’m not sure when another poetry book will be published. 

I read YA/Fantasy and love anything to do with dragons, magic and well, you name it. That lead me to write a fantasy story of my own. It’s far from being complete at the moment

Rabiah: Fear and pain. I needed to get past it.

Marzieh: My kids were my inspiration! The characters in my books are even named after them. I was open to change the names, but both my publishers were happy to keep them. I also feel picture books can be used to address any issue and are a great conversation starter for any topic!

Q: Your favourite character now has twitter, write a tweet like they would.

Sahira: Character huh? I’ll choose one from a manga. For those that know me, they’ll know who and why I choose him.

InuYasha @TheRealInuYasha

‘Kagome, you baka! Stop following that damn fleabag!”

Fariha: I love this question! My favorite character would by Rhys (from ACOTAR), I’m guessing his tweet would be like:

“Hey Darlings, I look and feel particularly awesome today, so here’s a selfie!”

Rabiah: If your Islam isn’t compassionate, it sucks. ~Salma. B.

Marzieh: Tuesday is a perfect day for baking, so is Monday, so is Wednesday! SO is everyday of the week! No what shall I bake today?

Q: Do you feel like your book is the kind you wanted to read when you were younger?

Sahira: For sure! I started writing it when I was ten. In a way it grew with me. I wanted an adventure and to feel like I belong somewhere. So, Noorenia was that world for me. : )

Fariha: I took anthology-literature classes in school and trying to decipher poetry was fun, but I never thought I’d publish a poetry book of my own some day! For my younger self, I think she would have found them to be too layered to be enjoyable (maybe!).

Rabiah: Yes! I know I would have identified with many of the characters in NTB, especially Vanessa. What can I say. I was a pothead. Astaghfirallah. 

Marzieh: Yes, absolutely!

Q: What do you hope readers, especially from your community, take away from your book or your experiences as an author?

Sahira: Hope, belonging and love play a big role in my story. I hope people see the representation of Muslims in my story because I know when I saw other Muslim authors writing Muslims into their books, I felt like I was seen. That in a world where we are usually the villain or backdrop character, we could be seen as humans. I made sure I showed my Muslims characters not just their religion in how they look, but the way they act. The way we deal with hatred and face it with mercy and love, the way we trust God, the ways we show compassion and acts of charity, even by our smile.

Love of all kinds is in Crowning Soul: self-love, friendship, siblings, parents and romantic.

My mental health has been mirrored in one character. To keep from spoiling, I really do hope people see the struggles of that character’s mental health, how they’ve been abused, yet they never give up. They keep trying to find themselves and their worth. It’s a messy beginning, it always is, but I’m looking forward to letting this character blossom.

Fariha: From my book, the takeaway would be that hardships come to pass, no matter how dire the situation may seem to be, just pray, sit tight, and don’t lose faith. From my experience, well, I never expected to be an author, writing is just something I enjoy doing, so do what you love to do – don’t let reality come in the way of your dreams.

Rabiah: I want them to remember that just because a Muslim doesn’t mirror their type of Islam doesn’t mean they don’t love God and take their Islam seriously.

Marzieh: I hope people are inspired to publish their own stories- I’ve had so many people from my community contact me for guidance. I honestly believe we need more books from diverse authors.

Q: Do you have any advice for any aspiring authors out there?

Sahira: Keep writing even when people tell you to stop. I’ve learned from seeing others and my own experience, that we’ll have that one person who tells us it’s not worth it. Don’t listen to them. If you’re passionate about it and it makes your soul sing, then write. Don’t forget to read as much as you can in any genre. You’ll learn about other story plots and who knows, maybe you’ll write in another genre too and that’s such a beautiful thing.

I know you’ll hear this from others: Don’t give up. Really, don’t. You might think it’s taking long, but the most beautiful and profound things have taken their sweet time. It’ll all be worth it. : )

Fariha: Write and continue writing! The world needs all the stories it can get and your voice matters. 

Rabiah: Patience, perseverance and professionalism will go a long way. And try something new. Try writing in a new POV, genre or writing style. Go bold. You’ll never know what you are capable of if you don’t step out of your comfort zone. Good luck. I’m always here to support you. 

Marzieh: Keep learning, have a growth mindset and take every rejection as a stepping stone that is getting you closer to you eventually becoming a published author. Also, don’t underestimate the value of a consistent critique group! Invest in memberships, make the right connections and tell the story your heart wants to tell! When you feel you have a great story, but just can’t get a break through, hire a professional editor and revise, revise, revise. Good Luck!

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Thank you so much to these amazing authors for taking their time to chat. I’m really excited for all their books. 

You can catch the other events on the fest on these blogs:

• Natalia Martinez @ AlgareteLatinx, who hosted #LatinxAuthorsWeek
• Celeste @ CelesteHarte, who hosted #BlackAuthorsWeek
• Arina @The Paperback Vogayer who hosted #LGBTQ+AuthorsWeek
• Lili @ Utopia State of Mind & Noura @ The Perks of Being Noura & Krisha @ Bookathon, who will host #AsianAuthorsWeek
• Wendy @ What The Log, who will host #DisabledChronicallyIllAuthorsWeek

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#Muslim Authors Showcase: Let’s Get Lit Book Fest

Hello and Salaam to my Muslim siblings!

 

Welcome to the #MuslimAuthors Week of the Let’s Get Lit Online Book Fest.

The Let’s Get Lit Online Book Fest is a six week long online event to celebrate and highlight debut and marginalised authors with books coming out this year. You can find out more about the fest on our official Twitter page here and our Instagram page here.

This week, I will be hosting Muslim authors along with Rameela @Star Is All Booked Up. Keep your eyes on our blogs throughout this week as we’ll be hosting interviews, a panel and a showcase with these authors this week.

Today, I’ll be introducing the authors who will be featured this week!

 

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(Book title= title+goodreads link)

Sahar Mustafah

Author of THE BEAUTY OF YOUR FACE. Sahar Mustafah is the daughter of Palestinian immigrants. Her short stories have been awarded the Guild Literary Complex Prize for fiction, a Distinguished Story honor from Best American Short Stories, and three Pushcart Prize nominations, among other honors. She writes and teaches outside of Chicago.

Sahira Javaid

Author of CROWNING SOUL. Sahira started her website Essentuate Life to inspire others with her poetry and share her love of books to encourage other writers.

Sahira is the author of Bitter Sweet and Hot Ice, her two poetry books she published in 2011. Her latest poetry book Crack of Dawn was released August 2017. She is working to get her Fantasy novel published.

Intisar Khanani

Author of THORN. She was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and grew up a nomad, with multiple stints living in Saudi Arabia, boarding school in New Hampshire, and college split between Minnesota and Colorado. Her family is from Pakistan, and still has extended family there. She, her husband, two young daughters live in Cincinnati, Ohio. Until a few years ago, she worked with the Cincinnati Health Department on projects to improve community health, which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing.

Rabiah York Lumbard

Author of No True Believers. Rabiah York Lumbard is an award-winning author of the picture book The Conference of the Birds (Wisdom Tales, 2012). Her latest picture book, The Gift of Ramadan (Albert Whitman, 2019) was highly recommended by SLJ as “a perfect addition to holiday book collections,” while her deeply personal debut novel No True Believers (Crown, 2020), which draws on her experience as an American Muslim at home and abroad has been hailed by Booklist as “taut debut novel” and “a page-turner that carries a message of radical love, regardless of faith.” She is also the 2015 winner of the Middle East Book Award for her picture book When the Animals Saved Earth. This multicultural environmental tale is inspired by a 1,000-year-old animal fable from 10th century Muslim Iraq that was originally translated by a Jewish rabbi at the command of a Christian king in the 14th century. Her interfaith book Everyone Prays: Celebrating Faith Around the World received the Eric Hoffer Award in 2015.

Marzieh Abbas

Author of Hamza and Aliya share the Ramadan Cheer. Home-baker, picture book maker, Mom by day, dreamer by night.

Aminah Mae Safi

Author of This Is All Your Fault. Aminah Mae Safi is a Muslim-American writer who explores art, fiction, feminism, and film. She’s the winner of the We Need Diverse Books short story contest. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her partner and two cats. She is the author of NOT THE GIRLS YOU’RE LOOKING FOR (Feiwel and Friends), TELL ME HOW YOU REALLY FEEL (Feiwel and Friends), and the forthcoming THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT (Feiwel and Friends, October 2020) and the Reclaimed Classics ROBIN HOOD (Winter 2022).

Zeyn Joukhadar

Author of THE THIRTY NAMES OF NIGHT. Zeyn Joukhadar is the author of the novels The Map of Salt and Stars (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, 2018) and The Thirty Names of Night (Atria/Simon & Schuster, 2020), a member of the Radius of Arab American Writers (RAWI), and a member of American Mensa. His work has appeared in Salon, The Paris Review Daily, The Kenyon Review, The Saturday Evening Post, PANK Magazine, and elsewhere, and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net. The Map of Salt and Stars, currently being translated into twenty languages, was a 2018 Middle East Book Award winner in Youth Literature, a 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist in Historical Fiction, was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize, and received starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and others.

Ari Reavis

Author of Afraid to Fall. Romance author. Muslim, wife, and mother.

Hena Khan

Author of LIKE THE MOON LOVES THE SKY and contributor to the anthology, ONCE UPON AN EID. Like so many other writers, she grew up with her nose in a book. Her mother believed children should be seen reading and not heard whining about boredom, and regularly took her to the Rockville Public Library with grocery bags to fill with books. Along with grabbing new titles each visit, she often chose the same ones over and over again. And she reread treasured personal copies of my favorites until they fell apart.

The books she connected with as a child left a bigger impression on her than almost anything she comes across today. She still thinks of the characters, stories, random facts and tidbits that she absorbed years ago. That’s why she loves writing for kids—in the hopes that they’ll pick up something she write more than once, and let it become part of who they are.

Nafiza Azad

Author of The Candle and the Flame. Nafiza Azad was born in Fiji and spent the first seventeen years of her life as a self-styled Pacific Islander. Now she identifies as an Indo-Fijian Muslim Canadian, which means she is often navigating multiple identities. Nafiza has a love for languages and currently speaks four. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Children’s Literature from the University of British Columbia and co-runs The Book Wars (thebookwars.ca), a website dedicated to all things children’s literature. Nafiza currently lives in British Columbia with her family.

Saadia Faruqi

Author of A PLACE AT THE TABLE. Saadia Faruqi is a Pakistani American author, essayist and interfaith activist. She writes the children’s early reader series “Yasmin” published by Capstone and other books for children, including middle grade novels “A Place At The Table” (HMH/Clarion 2020) co-written with Laura Shovan, and “A Thousand Questions” (Harper Collins 2020). She has also written “Brick Walls: Tales of Hope & Courage from Pakistan” a short story collection for adults and teens. Saadia is editor-in-chief of Blue Minaret, a magazine for Muslim art, poetry and prose, and was featured in Oprah Magazine in 2017 as a woman making a difference in her community. She resides in Houston, TX with her husband and children.

Farah Zaman

Author of The Hour of the Oryx. As a young girl, Farah spent many hours with her head buried in books of mystery, intrigue and adventure. The inevitable outcome was picking up pen and paper to create her own stories and poems, which she enjoyed sharing with family, friends and classmates alike. Farah has spent most of her life working with words, something that she loves doing. One of her greatest treats to herself is curling up with a good book and getting lost in it. Her love of reading coupled with her love of writing gave Farah the impetus to start her journey as an author. Farah presently lives in New York with her family.

 

Fariha Khayyam

Author of SHARDS. While growing up reading about dragons, magic and adventures, Fariha Khayyam had always wanted to write a book. As her love for reading grew, so did her dream.
She began nurturing her dream while completing her Masters of Business Administration from Loyola University Chicago, Illinois.
Based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, when she is not writing, she is found reading fantasy novels or spending time on her social media.

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Catch the other events on the fest on these blogs:

• Natalia Martinez @ AlgareteLatinx, who hosted #LatinxAuthorsWeek
• Celeste @ CelesteHarte, who hosted #BlackAuthorsWeek
• Arina @The Paperback Vogayer who hosted #LGBTQ+AuthorsWeek
• Lili @ Utopia State of Mind & Noura @ The Perks of Being Noura & Krisha @ Bookathon, who will host #AsianAuthorsWeek
• Wendy @ What The Log, who will host #DisabledChronicallyIllAuthorsWeek

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Book Review: Love From A to Z

 

BLURB

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

|CW: Islamophobia, cultural appropriation, chronic illness, racist microaggression, talk of rape, talk of family death, talk of war and war victims|

Chinese-Canadian, Muslim, Multiple Sclerosis, POC.

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

5 stars

 

A marvel of a book…

Love From A to Z was one of my most anticipated books of last year and you can’t imagine how happy I was when I somehow managed to convince my cousin to get me a copy for my birthday in July last year, and as I hoped it didn’t disappoint. When I finished this book, I was positively over the moon and I’d had another book I completely adored.

We follow the story of Adam and Zayneb (a character who shares my name, yay!) through their journals. Adam is a college student who has recently dropped out of his course following being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Zayneb (i won’t make any other name comment after this one i promise, but yay!) is a senior year high school who has been suspended from school for ‘threatening’ a wildly Islamophobic teacher. Somehow, maybe by the hand of fate, their paths cross. Two different people who share a journal.

I can’t begin to fully explain how much I love this book. Love From A to Z felt like the book I’ve been waiting my whole life for. I have so many feelings and not enough words to explain, but I’ll try.

I’ll start with the romance aka one of the most amazing things amongst all the amazing things in this amazing book. I know I’m being extra.

I love romance. I love halal romances, because they’re like peak Muslim, lol. Teen halal romances? Hell yes! But Love from A to Z has to be the most adorable halal romance ever. Most adorable halal teen romance.

What makes Love from A to Z superior over every other halal teen romance I’ve ever read? (which isn’t much, oop)
Its because it really explores being young and in love. I absolutely love how it explores teen emotions and love connect to being Muslim. I don’t think any other book as gotten being a Muslim teenager in love and today’s world completely right, but this book pretty much did. I’m going to combine this with the cute and relatable moments, lol.

Meeting a cute boy on the plane and finding out he’s Muslim too? Yes. Finding out said boy might actually like you too? Scream worthy yes. Inviting each other out, but with a family member or friends around to keep it halal? Yes. Texting each other random stuff? I’m crying but, yes. The feelings, the lust (which people try to shy away from, but yes teenagers can be lustful), but remembering Astagfirullah you’re entering forbidden territory? Yes!

Yes, the romance was everything but Love from A to Z was more than just the romance. It highlighted so many things central to the Muslim identity and also being a Muslim teenager in the twenty first century. While it’ll be false to say all Muslims share the same experiences, practice faith the same way; there are things we have all experienced even in small doses, and we have seen happening to people like us and this book shows different perspectives and experiences.

Despite all its cuteness, Love From A to Z, brought up difficult topics like Islamophobia, disability, wars and grief. Islamophobia in its different forms, and it means to be visibly Muslim today. I absolutely loved how SK Ali handled the MS rep. I don’t have words.

The writing was amazing, although a bit unconventional but it made the book even more amazing. I haven’t read a book that uses journal entries instead of titles, but SK Ali makes it work so well I really don’t think if it had been writing the ‘normal’ way, I’d feel so close to the characters. Writing the titles gave me an idea of what the chapter was and added to its impact, and reading their journals made me feel more connected to the characters.
I know I’m repeating myself but SK Ali is a genius.

The characters, my babies, my heart…

You know that book with characters so amazing you’ll fight anyone and everyone for? That’s Love From A to Z. It has to have one of the most lovable and relatable characters.

Being a character centred book, the characters didn’t just hold the story together, but gave its magic.

I adored the main characters, Adam and Zayneb. They’re like two polar opposites that just seem to attract each other. Like poles on a magnet. Adam is a laid back, quiet, soft spoken and gentle guy and Zayneb? Zayneb is fiery, passionate and a bit volatile like a storm or the sea after a rain. That’s Adam and Zayneb. Adam is like a sweet, gentle rain or the sea on a calm day and Zayneb is the opposite of that. Their differences are even made more obvious by the entries in their journals. Adam enters more marvels and Zayneb, the oddities.

The character relationships and development was just great also. I loved Adam’s relationship with his family. How he cares for his sister and her for him. His memories of his mum and the overall family relationship. Zayneb’s relationship with her family too was also amazing. And more than their families, I loved the friendships.

Love From A to Z had well rounded characters, I cannot stress how much the characters developed. Adam comes to terms with his diagnosis and realises he can be happy, and Zayneb being unapologetically Zayneb once more. I really don’t think I can care about book characters anymore than I care about these two.

It was a masterpiece…

I feel like despite all I’ve said I haven’t really been able to do this book one bit of justice. It’s so amazing, I just can’t say enough. All I can say is that you need to read this. This book deserves more recognition than it gets. Thank you, SK Ali for writing this. I really have no words. I should end this before I start crying again.

2000% recommend. All of my heart belongs to this book.

 

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Have you read this beautiful gem of a book? What did you think?

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Audio book review: Yes No Maybe So

 

 

BLURB

New York Times bestselling authors Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed have crafted a resonant, funny, and memorable story about the power of love and resistance.

YES
Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate—as long as he’s behind the scenes. When it comes to speaking to strangers (or, let’s face it, speaking at all to almost anyone), Jamie’s a choke artist. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya.

NO
Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is canceled, and now her parents are separating. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing—with some awkward dude she hardly knows—is beyond her.

MAYBE SO
Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer—and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural romance of the century is another thing entirely

|CW: racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, gaslighting, parental separation and divorce| 

Muslim, Jewish, Pakistani- American, Queer, MlM side characters

⭐⭐

2 stars

Yes No Maybe So was not for me…

Yes No Maybe So is a contemporary romance novel that follows two high schoolers — Jamie, a white Jewish boy  and Maya, a Pakistani-American Muslim girl, the summer before their senior year as the canvas for the upcoming senatorial election in their state.

That’s where my hesitation starts from the White boy x Muslim girl trope. The pretty much only rep Muslim girls are worthy of in media. Its like we can’t exist outside this trope. It will be unthinkable. Don’t get me wrong there are certain books that use this trope unproblematically and flawlessly, All American Muslim for example. I absolutely adored this book and I rooted so hard for the main couple, Allie and Wells. Well I guess, Yes No Maybe So also did that somewhat unproblematically, but I won’t act like it didn’t affect my reading experience.

For the first about 30% of the book I couldn’t bring myself to really care about the book. Jamie, the male mc, seemed too cringy and I’m not talking about his social anxiety, I got that and I’m so happy about the rep, but Jamie himself was a huge cringe. I guess it’s because I don’t understand crushing so hard on someone, but almost always thinking of Maya was really cringy. I guess what kept me for this part of the book was I was invested in their family lives and I wanted to see where this was going. Maya’s family was practically falling apart, her parents were separating and she felt out of balance, and as someone who’s had a somewhat similar experience I understood her and I felt just as frustrated and scared as she was. On Jamie’s end, it was the pressure of being a big brother with his sister’s, Sophie’s, bar mitzvah coming up, and being an eldest child too, I got that.

It also didn’t help also that Jamie was also a bit oblivious about something about being Muslim, Ramadan in particular. It drove me up a wall and I just couldn’t believe that anyone would be that oblivious, but it seems he really didn’t know (I’m still not a fan of those scenes either) and he improved on his knowledge, so I couldn’t hold it over him again.

At about 30-33%, I got really involved in this book. I actually began to care. I should also say clearly, that the political and social commentary was actually why I stayed invested in this book and even why I rated it two stars. But this part peaked for me and I actually began to care about whatever was going on between Jamie and Maya. What happened here both politically, was just wow. It was so accurate and felt so real, and I was impressed with how correctly the authors got this and finally invested in the book.

Back to the romance, at this point I actually started liking them together, very begrudgingly. It seemed natural at this point, just two teens falling for each other. I’m not so staunch against Muslims dating or dating non Muslims. I’d obviously prefer Muslim/Muslim relationships, and doing it halal because that’s basically the ruling, but I’m not going act hypocritical and act like this doesn’t happen or isn’t some of our realities. I don’t think anyone acts that way, but where it becomes a problem is when it’s the only type of relationship you see in the media, and you just KNOW that that rep is not for you. I’m not going to say Yes No Maybe So doesn’t fall under this category, but it wasn’t handled completely terribly.

Now everything was going ok for me until about 85% and I was just done. I wish authors would know not to use certain harmful tropes, I might not say ever, but in this case it was unnecessary. I’ll tie this back to an issue I just realised after reading Yes No Maybe So, Maya’s relationship with her faith. At first I didn’t realise it because I’m used to such bad Muslim representation, and Maya was better than most of these, so the bar was set pretty fucking low. The more I think of it, the more I see that Maya’s Muslimness is actually seen as secondary to the plot and everything else, and when you have a book that’s about Islamophobia and other forms of prejudice, shouldn’t we get more representation than just fasting during Ramadan and Eid. That’s the problem, most of the book is set during Ramadan and the extent of Maya’s faith is just fasting. Wow. I understand that everyone is at a different stage in their deen, but it was Ramadan. Our ‘try harder, be more extra, work harder on your faith’ month. And our Muslim mc just fasted. In the month of literal magic and peace, with a family that’s falling apart, when you know prayers will be answered, you didn’t think about turning to God.  Just one line with this will have sufficed. She did say fasting brought her peace, but that was for Jamie’s benefit, and that was the end of it. 

Right, harmful trope… I don’t care how fucking upset a character is. I don’t care about them trying to make a situation easier for themselves, but you do not use a trope that has been used to villainise your people ever. The ‘my parents will never allow this and I can’t be with you because they’re so restrictive/strict’. Hold up. First, all Maya’s mother told her was that relationships are complicated and a lot of work, especially when you’re so young (which is correct) and being a senior in high school, she’ll have her energy expended on other things, and that many parts of relationships are sacred. And I was like, sis where did you get that from. Yes, its true that a lot Muslim teens aren’t allowed to date in high school and its true that some parents are pretty strict about this, but I didn’t for once get that vibe from Maya’s mom. And Jamie’s reaction wasn’t helping either.

Despite the negatives, in this book there were a few positives. Although the romance was…you know my view, I enjoyed the themes on friendship and growing apart (yes, this book has a friend break up and make up), family, being a brown Muslim woman in today’s world or in fact being anything but white cishet and Christian. I also really liked that the authors explored the invasiveness of people on social media and how unkind people can be on there, and the obliviousness to other marginalised people’s struggles which a lot of people are guilty of.

I also did love the narration. I think it’s part of the reasons I stuck till the end. If I was reading an ebook or physical book, I’d have thrown the book and given up a long time ago. The narration was amazing. The voice actors did a good job voicing different characters and relaying the emotion. If you ever want to read this book, I recommend the audiobook.

The characters just were…

I’m going to make this part short, because I spent a lot of time rambling on the first part. 

I found most of the characters of Yes, No Maybe So mostly tolerable, and the ones I didn’t were annoying. I didn’t love any of the characters.

Jamie, the male mc, was just a sweet guy who wanted to change the world and that was really sweet, except his existence mostly hung on thoughts of Maya and his awkwardness. 

Maya, on the other hand, was pretty ok for a regular teenager, but her Muslimness was mostly missing. She was mostly a normal American teen, and not much of a Muslim teen.

They were as I said, tolerable and at this point I think my favourite characters were Boomer and Willow, the pets.

I was disappointed…

I came into this book with extremely low expectations and still somehow I ended up being disappointed. The tropes, the characters, the executive and the end, just didn’t work out for me.

Yes, No Maybe So isn’t a book I’ll be revisiting.

 

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Have you read Yes No Maybe So? Did you enjoy it? If you haven’t read it, will you be reading it?

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