gabbyjc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
My main critic is that the story was a bit predictable. Early on, I could see what the twist would be and once I got confirmation, it was kind of hard to get through. But the writing is impeccable.
Graphic: Antisemitism, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia
Minor: Blood, Police brutality, and Toxic relationship
warlocksarecool21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Xenophobia, Murder, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Violence and Racial slurs
Minor: Kidnapping
corriejn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Murder, Toxic friendship, Classism, Xenophobia, Racism, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Stalking, Police brutality, Violence, and Gaslighting
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Antisemitism, and Drug use
frog_appreciator's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Islamophobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Racism, and Hate crime
somersaf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Islamophobia, Racism, and Murder
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
bookaddictlt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Islamophobia, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, and Racism
Minor: Violence
winglesswarrior's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Islamophobia, Child death, Antisemitism, Classism, Hate crime, Gaslighting, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, and Racism
kshertz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Minor: Death, Religious bigotry, Racism, Body horror, Deportation, Gaslighting, Xenophobia, Murder, Islamophobia, Hate crime, Bullying, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Violence, Grief, and Physical abuse
shockyreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Powerful. Emotional. Raw. This book tore my heart out, in the best way. It was like a kick in the gut. But one I think every white person needs. A heart-wrenching and heavy story on the state of our world. Of bigotry. Of injustice. Of blind hate. But also, of friendship, love, family, faith, and a dash of hope. Samira Ahmed, you are an incredible story teller. Thank you for sharing Jawads story. Thank you for sharing the truth of discrimination in our country. I think this story is going to stay with me for a long time.
Graphic: Islamophobia and Racism
Moderate: Violence, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, and Murder
Minor: Sexism
the_wistful_word_witch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Trigger Warnings:
Islamophobia
Institutionalized racism Patriarchy
Misogyny
Murder
Domestic terrorism
White supremacy
Racist slurs
Police prejudice/disdain/incompetence
**POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD**
On the one hand, I love this book because Samira Ahmed isn't pulling her punches at all in this SCATHING, much-deserved commentary of the incredibly racist systems and people in the US, and emboldened by recent history. It's so well written, giving the reader an intimate look at what it feels like to be a Muslim living in 2022 USA, balancing the joy of experiences that almost everyone can relate to - having your crush crush on you, sharing moments of love with family members and friends - with the unique feelings of fear, anger, sadness, frustration, etc. that only comes from being within the specific demographic in which the two main characters - Safiya and Jawad - live(d) their lives. Ms Ahmed also brilliantly balances all of this against the chilling background of a murderous mystery and ghost story.
But on the other hand, the story within the story ripped through my heart and had me crying in places. As a parent, I was hit especially hard, trying to fathom how the parents in this amazingly written, haunting, achingly sad story would manage to survive, much less thrive, after events like those in the book. Plus, the reactions from a lot of the white people depicted were utterly disgusting - like literally made my lip curl and anger flush my chest at times. Because while this is technically a work of fiction, it's based on real events from the 1920s, and a lot of us know that scenarios like these play out in real life all the time, even now, especially when you're BIPOC...
Much like The Taking of Jake Livingston, Hollow Fires is a dark and complex ghost story about a young Iraqi boy who gets profiled, bullied - even by his own teachers - and eventually murdered for misconceptions based on the color of his skin and his heritage.
Safiya, an aspiring investigative journalist, is also dealing with racists at her school, as well as her horribly prejudiced principal. They're all out to take her down a notch because she's a Brown scholarship kid who points out the blatant aspects of white supremacy hiding in the open at her fancy prep school. She's also being haunted by Jawad's ghost, as they share a connection that even Safiya barely remembers. But she's not going to let threats from the racists or from her principal stop her because she's hot on their trail, and on the trail of something much, much darker that could very well be her own undoing...
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Grief, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Classism, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Violence, Racism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Antisemitism