roshreviews's review
medium-paced
3.75
In a Nutshell: I am pleasantly surprised! Enjoyed this YA novel to a great extent. (Just for context, I don’t enjoy YA to any extent, most of the times.) Interesting themes, some good characters, atypical plot. PSA: This is NOT a romance but a sibling story.
Story Synopsis:
Samira Murphy knows that she is an overfunctioner. She takes care of her widowed grandma and also ensures that her alcoholic elder brother stays put in recovery. However, when certain incidents threaten to topple their already precarious financial situation, she takes a DNA test in a bid to locate her father, whom she hasn’t seen or heard from since she was a baby.
Henry Owen has been reared by his aunt and uncle, though his biological mom (his aunt’s sister) is also a vital part of his life. He feels torn between his overly strict adoptive parents and his unreliable birth mom. In a bid to know more about his heritage, he takes a DNA test to search for the biological father he has never known.
Imagine their surprise when, instead of finding their father, Samira and Henry find each other – as matched siblings on the DNA results. Thus begins a new journey of discovery, focussed of learning more about the past as well as the present in a bid to ensure stronger future connections.
The story comes to us in the alternate third-person perspectives of Samira and Henry.
Bookish Yays:
💐 It was refreshing to see a YA novel focus on sibling relationships. Moreover, there is no forced romantic content in the story. Henry is already in a relationship and Samira isn’t provided any love interest. Loved this choice!
💐 The dual perspectives of Samira and Henry are well written. I like how there is no repetition between their points of view. The transition between their perspectives is in sync with the plot progression.
💐 I loved Henry’s character. While he is torn across his three parents, he does his best to keep them all happy. At the same time, he doesn’t shy away from speaking his mind. Even when his newly discovered sibling Samira gets overbearing, he doesn’t hesitate to put her in her place.
💐 Tara (Samira’s best friend) and Linh (Henry’s girlfriend) add the right level of support and fun to the story.
💐 Through the characters, we get multiple kinds of representations. Samira and Henry both are biracial. The key characters are from American, Iranian/Persian, Vietnamese, Irish and Black ethnicities. One character is bisexual, one is a trans-racial adoptee. There is also a Muslim character.
💐 I enjoyed the detailing in the story when it came to real-world matters. Everything seems realistic, whether it is the process of getting DNA results or of looking up someone online.
💐 Don’t miss out on the author’s note! I loved what she revealed about her inspiration for this story.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🌹 I found it tough to connect with Samira. She is a great character, no doubt. Resourceful, concerned about her family, and hyper-attentive to detail. However, she has the typical YA habit of assuming that she knows more than everyone else, which gets annoying after a while.
🌹 Samira has a tendency to classify everyone as either an overfunctioner or an underfunctioner. This habit of hers is overused in the plot as she slots everyone into these two categories without even realising it. Sometimes, she even goes wrong while doing so. So while I liked the concept at first, I think it was stretched too far.
🌹 There are many discussion-worthy topics in the book: biracial kids, depression, autoimmune disorder, alcoholism, uninterested parents, parental pressure, Islamophobia, parental abuse, parental abandonment, infidelity, racism, drugs usage, DNA testing, found family,… As you can see, it went a little overboard on the social issues. Many of the themes could have safely been eliminated without affecting the core plot. The overuse of relevant themes nullifies their impact as the discussion stays mostly surface-level.
🌹 I love the cover. The double helix between the two characters hopefully indicates that it’s a sibling story. (Then again, The Soulmate Equation also featured a double helix, and it was a romance! 👀) I love the title as well; it suits the story perfectly. The problem is that when you put that title and that cover together, it makes the book look like a YA Romance, which is most certainly isn’t. Readers who pick the book up just by the cover might end up disappointed. And other readers might dismiss the book assuming it is a YA Romance. (I almost did!)
🌹 The ending is too neat and too perfect. I understand that his a YA work, so a happy ending is almost mandatory. But given the topics, I think the book would have done better with a hopeful ending than a perfectly resolved one.
Bookish Nays: (This is where I forget that it was a YA novel and review it with my adult goggles on. 😎)
🌵 As always, almost every adult in the book is an idiot. The sole exception is Mr. Hartford from the alcoholic rehabilitation centre, but his role is too small. I don’t understand why YA novels have to portray adults as selfish persons with no common sense and no heart and no awareness of what it means to be young. I am not saying all adults are prefect; I am saying that a balanced representation would be more realistic. Any YA book that shows only YAs handling things well while the adults are jerks is doing a disservice to both YAs and adults.
🌵 Samira is supposed to have an autoimmune disorder. But the name of this is never mentioned. All we hear instead is the effects of the same, and how she uses Benadryl to counter its effects and to sleep well. I cannot appreciate a YA books that gives its young readers a new idea of misusing a medicine. The Benadryl references (15 prominent mentions) should have been culled.
🌵 There are multiple cuss words (including the F word) and references to drug (weed) usage. YAs might do this in reality, but that doesn’t mean I have to like seeing it in fiction meant for them. Of course, there’s plenty of alcohol mentioned as well, but as the two characters are highlighted as alcohol addicts, this reference can’t be helped.
All in all, I did enjoy this book much more than I had expected. I loved the focus on family, even if the family was so dysfunctional. Though it does have problems (most of which are because I am an adult), the core storyline is wonderful.
Recommended to older YAs (16+) who are interested in strong sibling connection stories.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Search for Us”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Story Synopsis:
Samira Murphy knows that she is an overfunctioner. She takes care of her widowed grandma and also ensures that her alcoholic elder brother stays put in recovery. However, when certain incidents threaten to topple their already precarious financial situation, she takes a DNA test in a bid to locate her father, whom she hasn’t seen or heard from since she was a baby.
Henry Owen has been reared by his aunt and uncle, though his biological mom (his aunt’s sister) is also a vital part of his life. He feels torn between his overly strict adoptive parents and his unreliable birth mom. In a bid to know more about his heritage, he takes a DNA test to search for the biological father he has never known.
Imagine their surprise when, instead of finding their father, Samira and Henry find each other – as matched siblings on the DNA results. Thus begins a new journey of discovery, focussed of learning more about the past as well as the present in a bid to ensure stronger future connections.
The story comes to us in the alternate third-person perspectives of Samira and Henry.
Bookish Yays:
💐 It was refreshing to see a YA novel focus on sibling relationships. Moreover, there is no forced romantic content in the story. Henry is already in a relationship and Samira isn’t provided any love interest. Loved this choice!
💐 The dual perspectives of Samira and Henry are well written. I like how there is no repetition between their points of view. The transition between their perspectives is in sync with the plot progression.
💐 I loved Henry’s character. While he is torn across his three parents, he does his best to keep them all happy. At the same time, he doesn’t shy away from speaking his mind. Even when his newly discovered sibling Samira gets overbearing, he doesn’t hesitate to put her in her place.
💐 Tara (Samira’s best friend) and Linh (Henry’s girlfriend) add the right level of support and fun to the story.
💐 Through the characters, we get multiple kinds of representations. Samira and Henry both are biracial. The key characters are from American, Iranian/Persian, Vietnamese, Irish and Black ethnicities. One character is bisexual, one is a trans-racial adoptee. There is also a Muslim character.
💐 I enjoyed the detailing in the story when it came to real-world matters. Everything seems realistic, whether it is the process of getting DNA results or of looking up someone online.
💐 Don’t miss out on the author’s note! I loved what she revealed about her inspiration for this story.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🌹 I found it tough to connect with Samira. She is a great character, no doubt. Resourceful, concerned about her family, and hyper-attentive to detail. However, she has the typical YA habit of assuming that she knows more than everyone else, which gets annoying after a while.
🌹 Samira has a tendency to classify everyone as either an overfunctioner or an underfunctioner. This habit of hers is overused in the plot as she slots everyone into these two categories without even realising it. Sometimes, she even goes wrong while doing so. So while I liked the concept at first, I think it was stretched too far.
🌹 There are many discussion-worthy topics in the book: biracial kids, depression, autoimmune disorder, alcoholism, uninterested parents, parental pressure, Islamophobia, parental abuse, parental abandonment, infidelity, racism, drugs usage, DNA testing, found family,… As you can see, it went a little overboard on the social issues. Many of the themes could have safely been eliminated without affecting the core plot. The overuse of relevant themes nullifies their impact as the discussion stays mostly surface-level.
🌹 I love the cover. The double helix between the two characters hopefully indicates that it’s a sibling story. (Then again, The Soulmate Equation also featured a double helix, and it was a romance! 👀) I love the title as well; it suits the story perfectly. The problem is that when you put that title and that cover together, it makes the book look like a YA Romance, which is most certainly isn’t. Readers who pick the book up just by the cover might end up disappointed. And other readers might dismiss the book assuming it is a YA Romance. (I almost did!)
🌹 The ending is too neat and too perfect. I understand that his a YA work, so a happy ending is almost mandatory. But given the topics, I think the book would have done better with a hopeful ending than a perfectly resolved one.
Bookish Nays: (This is where I forget that it was a YA novel and review it with my adult goggles on. 😎)
🌵 As always, almost every adult in the book is an idiot. The sole exception is Mr. Hartford from the alcoholic rehabilitation centre, but his role is too small. I don’t understand why YA novels have to portray adults as selfish persons with no common sense and no heart and no awareness of what it means to be young. I am not saying all adults are prefect; I am saying that a balanced representation would be more realistic. Any YA book that shows only YAs handling things well while the adults are jerks is doing a disservice to both YAs and adults.
🌵 Samira is supposed to have an autoimmune disorder. But the name of this is never mentioned. All we hear instead is the effects of the same, and how she uses Benadryl to counter its effects and to sleep well. I cannot appreciate a YA books that gives its young readers a new idea of misusing a medicine. The Benadryl references (15 prominent mentions) should have been culled.
🌵 There are multiple cuss words (including the F word) and references to drug (weed) usage. YAs might do this in reality, but that doesn’t mean I have to like seeing it in fiction meant for them. Of course, there’s plenty of alcohol mentioned as well, but as the two characters are highlighted as alcohol addicts, this reference can’t be helped.
All in all, I did enjoy this book much more than I had expected. I loved the focus on family, even if the family was so dysfunctional. Though it does have problems (most of which are because I am an adult), the core storyline is wonderful.
Recommended to older YAs (16+) who are interested in strong sibling connection stories.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Search for Us”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
bookmarkedbybecky's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Search For Us tackles heavy topics for YA: biracial experience, an array of mental health issues, living with an autoimmune disability, adoption, issues of abandonment, and alcohol dependency and codependency. That seems like a lot, but Susan Azim Boyer’s writing is entirely captivating, that each topic feels realistic in the family-centric storyline. In fact, the mystery behind the missing father kept me saying, “One more chapter” as the clock ticked closer to midnight - way past my bedtime - giving way to a satisfying yet realistic ending.
What I loved:
🧬Great representation: the diverse cast includes Iranian Americans, Vietnamese girlfriend, bisexual best friend, Black best friend, biracial, and adopted characters
🧬Persian culture: woven beautifully with food and Farsi. I want to go to my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant ASAP! #PitaInn
🧬Teen Pressures: college, family, financial - I love that SAB explores how differently families approach these topics.
🧬Hockey storyline for Henry: as a hockey fan and hockey mom, SAB nails this storyline.
What I loved:
🧬Great representation: the diverse cast includes Iranian Americans, Vietnamese girlfriend, bisexual best friend, Black best friend, biracial, and adopted characters
🧬Persian culture: woven beautifully with food and Farsi. I want to go to my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant ASAP! #PitaInn
🧬Teen Pressures: college, family, financial - I love that SAB explores how differently families approach these topics.
🧬Hockey storyline for Henry: as a hockey fan and hockey mom, SAB nails this storyline.
abookwanderer's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
The Search for Us is the second book by Susan Azim Boyer, and after enjoying her debut last year, I quickly added her next one to my list. I’m so very happy I did, because I think Boyer may have surpassed her sparkling debut. Refreshingly honest, timely, and so full of heart, I adored this young adult novel about two half-siblings finding each other and themselves as they search for their biological father.
Boyer tapped into her own history to write her debut, Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win, and The Search for Us is inspired by her husband’s discovery of a sister when he did a DNA test. There’s something about knowing a book is inspired by real life that makes it even sweeter. It’s clear the author has a true connection with the material.
The story is told from our two half-siblings, Samira and Henry, both high school seniors, both struggling with problems at home that can be mostly attributed to their absent biological father. When they both set out to find him, they find each other, as well. I adored Samira and Henry. They were both kind, but flawed in different ways. It was rewarding to see them grow and learn through their joined experiences.
Along the way, they discover surprising things about their father and their families, and I appreciated how the author took characters that might seem unforgivable and made me sympathize with them, even understand them.
DNA matching is such a timely and fascinating subject. I would have thought discovering an unknown sibling is a rare event, until it happened in my own family. My mother discovered she had an older half-brother less than ten years ago through DNA matching. While discovering a new sibling can be shocking, for my mother it was a happy occasion. Both her parents had already passed and she’d only ever had one sister, so she was happy to expand her family. I think Boyer does a wonderful job of capturing this strange dichotomy.
The Search for Us is a special book, touching on a sensitive subject with grace and honesty, giving us two characters we desperately hope will find their way. It had me smiling, as well as misty-eyed, and deserves all the love and attention!
Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an advanced reader’s copy.
Check out my reviews and book playlists at A Book Wanderer
Boyer tapped into her own history to write her debut, Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win, and The Search for Us is inspired by her husband’s discovery of a sister when he did a DNA test. There’s something about knowing a book is inspired by real life that makes it even sweeter. It’s clear the author has a true connection with the material.
The story is told from our two half-siblings, Samira and Henry, both high school seniors, both struggling with problems at home that can be mostly attributed to their absent biological father. When they both set out to find him, they find each other, as well. I adored Samira and Henry. They were both kind, but flawed in different ways. It was rewarding to see them grow and learn through their joined experiences.
Along the way, they discover surprising things about their father and their families, and I appreciated how the author took characters that might seem unforgivable and made me sympathize with them, even understand them.
DNA matching is such a timely and fascinating subject. I would have thought discovering an unknown sibling is a rare event, until it happened in my own family. My mother discovered she had an older half-brother less than ten years ago through DNA matching. While discovering a new sibling can be shocking, for my mother it was a happy occasion. Both her parents had already passed and she’d only ever had one sister, so she was happy to expand her family. I think Boyer does a wonderful job of capturing this strange dichotomy.
The Search for Us is a special book, touching on a sensitive subject with grace and honesty, giving us two characters we desperately hope will find their way. It had me smiling, as well as misty-eyed, and deserves all the love and attention!
Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an advanced reader’s copy.
Check out my reviews and book playlists at A Book Wanderer
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Chronic illness
Minor: Bullying, Child death, Car accident, Racism, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and War
srivalli's review
hopeful
medium-paced
3.75
3.7 Stars
One Liner: Heartwarming with a few issues (suitable for the target age group)
Samira Murphy is stretching herself thin to keep her family together. At seventeen, she has an autoimmune disorder, low attendance, a Gran in mourning, an alcoholic brother, a mother working the job of her dreams in another state, and a low bank balance. When Samira’s college and future become uncertain, she decides to hunt down her estranged father through a DNA search. Imagine her surprise when it matches with a sibling she didn’t even know about!
Henry Owen has two moms – a bio-mom who loves him (and may not always be reliable) and a not-adopted-but-adopted mom and dad/ uncle who want him to achieve the sky and more. Henry longs for a connection to call his own. His DNA search leads him to Samira, a half-sibling.
Can two people struggling with personal demons find comfort in this new bond? What is it to have a brother or sister you didn’t know about?
The story comes in the third-person POV of Samira and Henry in alternative chapters.
My Thoughts:
My only reason to grab this book was the premise. A YA read that centers on half-siblings finding each other is not common (at least as far as I know). It’s refreshing to read how two people get to know each other’s existence when they are in a most vulnerable age group.
Samira and Henry are well-etched. They are your average teens but also different. Samira is half-adult, no thanks to the responsibilities dumped on her head. Henry has anger management issues (which somehow get resolved off-page) but is a sweet guy.
Tara and Linh ensure there are enough lighthearted and sweet moments in the book. People do need friends like them (even if Tara can be overwhelming at times).
The dual POV (both in the third-person) works well. We see their current situation and get the necessary backstories. Once they start interacting, the dual POV helps maintain the balance between the happenings and the characters’ perceived ideas about the events.
The interactions between Samira and Henry feel organic. They go through a range of emotions, learn to bond, fight like all siblings do, and support each other.
Since this is a YA novel, it doesn’t deal with the triggers in depth. Much of it is surface level but expected. Still, I wish Kamron’s alcoholism got a bit more space. While we see how it affects Samira’s life, the resolution feels a little too neatly tied up.
The same goes for Henry’s personal issues with his uncle and aunt, who are also his dad and mom. The change seems to come out of nowhere. While this can be due to the POV restrictions, it also makes everything seem too easy.
However, I do like that Gran’s arc is consistent. It makes more sense since people are indeed like that in real life. Change doesn’t happen so easily, and people who make selfish decisions are more likely to continue making them. I don’t mind the happy ending, though I do wish it wasn’t made easy for certain characters.
I also wouldn’t mind if Samira and Henry spent more time together. The siblings sure have a lot to talk about!
Family is another theme of the book. Some of it is handled well and provides a hopeful outlook. The other part may be too optimistic even for YA readers.
There are a few cuss words commonly used by teens (even if we want to pretend otherwise). There’s a bit of adult-ish content, too.
To summarize, The Search for Us deals with quite a few complex issues at the surface level. It is a steady-paced read with a different premise and delivers a neatly wrapped-up ending.
Oh, don’t miss the author’s note at the end.
Thank you, NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press (Wednesday Books), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Xenophobia
Minor: Religious bigotry
tessa_talks_books's review
4.25
Oh, wow! What an incredible story. It frustrated, worried, and saddened me, but it also had its bright points - rays of hope that shone down and warmed my heart. It covers challenging issues, like alcoholism, and I thought it did an excellent job portraying it authentically, especially the costs to loved ones.
The characters are developed well, especially for the age group. I don’t know that I liked the main character, Samira, but I could empathize with her, which became much more critical for the story. I could also say the same thing for Henry, who shares the principal character designation. He isn’t particularly likable either, but his story did elicit my sympathy.
The story touched my heart and even brought a tear or two to my eyes. It’s especially relevant with the DNA testing angle, as many people today utilize these tests to learn more about their families. I liked that aspect of it and where it led. I found that part of the story incredibly compelling.
The characters are developed well, especially for the age group. I don’t know that I liked the main character, Samira, but I could empathize with her, which became much more critical for the story. I could also say the same thing for Henry, who shares the principal character designation. He isn’t particularly likable either, but his story did elicit my sympathy.
The story touched my heart and even brought a tear or two to my eyes. It’s especially relevant with the DNA testing angle, as many people today utilize these tests to learn more about their families. I liked that aspect of it and where it led. I found that part of the story incredibly compelling.
utopiastateofmind's review
4.0
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I've always loved the idea of a DNA test, even though I've never take one. The Search for Us begins with a quest to find a missing father, but it quickly becomes a story about family, about our relation to our family, and the past. I quickly became attached to Samira and the way she is an over fixer, someone who is trying to fix everything to avoid looking within. I felt personally attacked by how spot on that was! But I think what kept me reading is the way Samira and Henry explore their family and their own relationship to family.
I've always loved the idea of a DNA test, even though I've never take one. The Search for Us begins with a quest to find a missing father, but it quickly becomes a story about family, about our relation to our family, and the past. I quickly became attached to Samira and the way she is an over fixer, someone who is trying to fix everything to avoid looking within. I felt personally attacked by how spot on that was! But I think what kept me reading is the way Samira and Henry explore their family and their own relationship to family.
applejacksbooks's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
I received a copy from Netgalley for review.
So I read this whole book in a day. I really enjoyed it, but I had a lot of gripes with it. Firstly, every single adult in both Henry and Samira's lives failed them repeatedly. But I guess that's why we have the story isn't it? I think the hardest thing to get around was the abuse brought on by Henry's Dad/uncle. He repeatedly showed prejudice towards his own son's ancestry and then expects him to not rebel and try and re-connect with that missing piece of himself? Ridiculous.
I really enjoyed the story of Samira reconciling her views about her dad in connection to how his actions affect the present. I think even without Henry's story being present too it would have made a compelling story.
So I read this whole book in a day. I really enjoyed it, but I had a lot of gripes with it. Firstly, every single adult in both Henry and Samira's lives failed them repeatedly. But I guess that's why we have the story isn't it? I think the hardest thing to get around was the abuse brought on by Henry's Dad/uncle. He repeatedly showed prejudice towards his own son's ancestry and then expects him to not rebel and try and re-connect with that missing piece of himself? Ridiculous.
I really enjoyed the story of Samira reconciling her views about her dad in connection to how his actions affect the present. I think even without Henry's story being present too it would have made a compelling story.
fformisano's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookishmillennial's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial
Premise: Henry Owen (British and Russian on his mom Nancy Vlasek's side, Iranian on his dad's side) is a high school hockey player from SoCal who was adopted by his maternal aunt and uncle, but his biological mom is still in the picture. She just could not take care of him after his biological father left them, so her sister Jeannie and her brother-in-law Robert stepped up. He has never had any connection to the Iranian side of his family or his heritage, and he has felt unseen by his father's racist microaggressions and clear bias against Henry's Iranian biological father. He is also set to go to college (U of D, I forget what this stands for lol), but he longs for a gap year, which is not currently supported by his adoptive parents. His girlfriend Linh encourages him to take a DNA test to see if he could find his biological father. So he does, he finds Samira, and sends the first two messages to her!
Samira, on the other hand, is desperately trying to fulfill her granddad's dying wish for her to take care of their family. She lives with her Irish gran and her brother Kamron, and takes on a maternal role in the household, since their mother lives in Ashland, Oregon, which is 5.5 hours north from them in Santa Rosa, California. Kamron has struggled with addiction and he gets a DUI, which means he could end up in prison. Samira pleads to the judge to let him participate in a rehabilitation program instead, and this wish is granted, so Kamron goes to Sunrise Acres, but it costs Samira the money she had been saving for the first two years of her undergraduate years Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. She decides to take the DNA test to find her father, to see if he could help them financially, and she ends up receiving a message from Henry!
Thoughts: This was an incredible young adult coming of age story about family and where you come from. Azim Boyer illustrated so many intricate facets of generational trauma and ultimately, a journey towards clarity and healing. I appreciated how much both siblings grew through this experience, and how different the kids were. Samira was headstrong, confident, and exhausted, while Henry was curious and felt a bit out of his element. When they went to Samira's best friend Tara's massive home with Tara's Iranian family, Henry was both enamored by the sense of community and the incredible food that he was trying for the first time, and he felt a bit of shame for not exploring this side of his heritage earlier. I am not adopted, so I can't speak to this from an ownvoices perspective. I did really appreciate that subtle commentary on what adopted kids may lose out on though, and I was glad to see it represented here.
Samira started out this journey with a very sanctimonious perspective. She of course had to grow up quickly to look out for her older brother Kamron, and with her mom's absence, she pretty much took up the mantle of "mom" in their household, which had a massive impact on her. She learns eventually that Kamron's sobriety is not her responsibility, and on a more macro-level, she learns about what she does own and what she is responsible for, and it's just herself! She was also a baby when her father left, so she has no memories of him except a video she watches often of him reading to her. She internalizes the abandonment of both parents, and puts up a tough front to protect herself. My heart hurt for Samira, because she carried so much and inevitably set that expectation for herself and others. Once she became the mother figure, others began relying on her as that too. It's a lot of pressure for anyone, let alone a 17-year-old.
Henry struggled with finding his voice and yearning for autonomy, since his adoptive parents were quite strict and seemingly acted a bit like helicopter parents, who refused to ever let him just be a kid. Kamron was also a baby when their father left, and he just wants answers: answers to why his uncle & aunt adopted him, why no one speaks about his father, and where his father is! I appreciated how hopeful Henry was, even if it came across as naive to others. He stayed curious, when he easily could have been bitter, but I also think this attitude of gratitude and positivity was instilled in him a bit insidiously by his adoptive parents too. "Be grateful for what you have, it could have been so much worse!" was the messaging I felt from his adoptive parents most of the time. They're not bad people, but they have their own work to do too. It was also fascinating to see the dynamic between Henry's biological mom Nancy, and her sister Jeannie, because they seemed to compete to see who was Henry's "real mom." I don't know that I ever see a resolution to that subplot, but it was certainly intriguing to follow.
I loved that much of the book was Samira and Henry's journey to find their father, rather than focusing too much on the meeting itself. I am glad that we got a bit of a happy ending for these folks, because they all endured so much. They deserve it! Overall, I appreciated the nuance that Azim Boyer brought to these conversations surrounding war, trauma, PTSD, addiction, parenting, and more. Azim Boyer notes that some of the premise is taken from her husband's life, which is so beautiful. I loved reading about this blended family, and I'm so glad I requested this off NetGalley. I can't wait for everyone else to read it on October 24th when it comes out <3
I will absolutely be reading more from Susan Azim Boyer in the future.
cw: alcoholism, addiction, car accident (DUI), abandonment, emotional/financial abuse, toxic relationship, war/combat trauma, PTSD/panic attacks/struggles with mental health, grief, blood/body gore, bullying (racist and xenophobic motivations), death
Premise: Henry Owen (British and Russian on his mom Nancy Vlasek's side, Iranian on his dad's side) is a high school hockey player from SoCal who was adopted by his maternal aunt and uncle, but his biological mom is still in the picture. She just could not take care of him after his biological father left them, so her sister Jeannie and her brother-in-law Robert stepped up. He has never had any connection to the Iranian side of his family or his heritage, and he has felt unseen by his father's racist microaggressions and clear bias against Henry's Iranian biological father. He is also set to go to college (U of D, I forget what this stands for lol), but he longs for a gap year, which is not currently supported by his adoptive parents. His girlfriend Linh encourages him to take a DNA test to see if he could find his biological father. So he does, he finds Samira, and sends the first two messages to her!
Samira, on the other hand, is desperately trying to fulfill her granddad's dying wish for her to take care of their family. She lives with her Irish gran and her brother Kamron, and takes on a maternal role in the household, since their mother lives in Ashland, Oregon, which is 5.5 hours north from them in Santa Rosa, California. Kamron has struggled with addiction and he gets a DUI, which means he could end up in prison. Samira pleads to the judge to let him participate in a rehabilitation program instead, and this wish is granted, so Kamron goes to Sunrise Acres, but it costs Samira the money she had been saving for the first two years of her undergraduate years Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. She decides to take the DNA test to find her father, to see if he could help them financially, and she ends up receiving a message from Henry!
Thoughts: This was an incredible young adult coming of age story about family and where you come from. Azim Boyer illustrated so many intricate facets of generational trauma and ultimately, a journey towards clarity and healing. I appreciated how much both siblings grew through this experience, and how different the kids were. Samira was headstrong, confident, and exhausted, while Henry was curious and felt a bit out of his element. When they went to Samira's best friend Tara's massive home with Tara's Iranian family, Henry was both enamored by the sense of community and the incredible food that he was trying for the first time, and he felt a bit of shame for not exploring this side of his heritage earlier. I am not adopted, so I can't speak to this from an ownvoices perspective. I did really appreciate that subtle commentary on what adopted kids may lose out on though, and I was glad to see it represented here.
Samira started out this journey with a very sanctimonious perspective. She of course had to grow up quickly to look out for her older brother Kamron, and with her mom's absence, she pretty much took up the mantle of "mom" in their household, which had a massive impact on her. She learns eventually that Kamron's sobriety is not her responsibility, and on a more macro-level, she learns about what she does own and what she is responsible for, and it's just herself! She was also a baby when her father left, so she has no memories of him except a video she watches often of him reading to her. She internalizes the abandonment of both parents, and puts up a tough front to protect herself. My heart hurt for Samira, because she carried so much and inevitably set that expectation for herself and others. Once she became the mother figure, others began relying on her as that too. It's a lot of pressure for anyone, let alone a 17-year-old.
Henry struggled with finding his voice and yearning for autonomy, since his adoptive parents were quite strict and seemingly acted a bit like helicopter parents, who refused to ever let him just be a kid. Kamron was also a baby when their father left, and he just wants answers: answers to why his uncle & aunt adopted him, why no one speaks about his father, and where his father is! I appreciated how hopeful Henry was, even if it came across as naive to others. He stayed curious, when he easily could have been bitter, but I also think this attitude of gratitude and positivity was instilled in him a bit insidiously by his adoptive parents too. "Be grateful for what you have, it could have been so much worse!" was the messaging I felt from his adoptive parents most of the time. They're not bad people, but they have their own work to do too. It was also fascinating to see the dynamic between Henry's biological mom Nancy, and her sister Jeannie, because they seemed to compete to see who was Henry's "real mom." I don't know that I ever see a resolution to that subplot, but it was certainly intriguing to follow.
I loved that much of the book was Samira and Henry's journey to find their father, rather than focusing too much on the meeting itself. I am glad that we got a bit of a happy ending for these folks, because they all endured so much. They deserve it! Overall, I appreciated the nuance that Azim Boyer brought to these conversations surrounding war, trauma, PTSD, addiction, parenting, and more. Azim Boyer notes that some of the premise is taken from her husband's life, which is so beautiful. I loved reading about this blended family, and I'm so glad I requested this off NetGalley. I can't wait for everyone else to read it on October 24th when it comes out <3
I will absolutely be reading more from Susan Azim Boyer in the future.
cw: alcoholism, addiction, car accident (DUI), abandonment, emotional/financial abuse, toxic relationship, war/combat trauma, PTSD/panic attacks/struggles with mental health, grief, blood/body gore, bullying (racist and xenophobic motivations), death
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Blood, Bullying, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Medical trauma, and Mental illness