lawbooks600's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Representation: Asian main characters, side Black characters
Score: Seven points out of ten.
Well. I remember this book circling my recommendations for a while then I added it and not much time afterward I finally picked it up and read it. When I finished it I felt like there was a lot to unpack here and I must say the novel is well executed most of the time but it can sometimes get disjointed with all the multiple POVs though I do understand the need for that. Before the story starts there is a glossary of the terms the novel will use; in fact I never knew alternative facts existed but now I know. Now then. It starts with the main character Safiya Mirza or Safiya for short and off the bat she tells me she essentially goes to a school of woke-washing virtue signallers and also she's a journalist.
Here is the other significant part, there's another character who recycled some materials to make a jetpack for a makerspace program or something along those lines but his English teacher accused him of having a bomb which implies a racial bias according to Safiya. Well when I think about that it makes sense in a way but anyone could've done that, also people talk about races a lot here. He was arrested and suspended but later released and all that only took place within the opening pages, I know that seems like a fast-paced beginning, and it is though I must admit after that this is a much slower paced crime novel than what I'm used to. At least it picks up steam toward the end. Someone hacked Safiya's website and she deduces that based on the name Ghost Skin and those quotes from a fascist manifesto the culprit is a white nationalist/supremacist but I don't know who is that person. Later on the other character gets kidnapped and killed out of racism but here's the thing, the book told me there was a guy called Nate who after going on some extremist websites and channels he became a racist and since the killing is racially motivated he must've done it.
I spend the next 200 pages watching Safiya figure out who is the killer after seeing the body with some flashbacks and flashforwards from the other character interspersed, when I read this part I felt a little tension which built towards the last few pages. There was a plot twist I didn't see coming since there was another character called Richard who also had involvement in the killing (I never expected that considering I've never heard of this person up until that point) and Safiya's testimony that their race (white) and privilege didn't save them but somehow they got the nicest prison was chilling. One of them captained two sports teams and held a record. They had mansions. The revelation shocked everyone and some even denied this claim despite the evidence. Wow. At least she got a little solace when the jig was up. Still, she believes there's more work to do to ensure this never happens again.
P.S. Technically the novel is non-linear? It jumps from time to time sometimes.
P.P.S. It's slightly outdated since it mentions Twitter and not X but I can forgive that since it was set before the change. That cameo was a little amusing.
Score: Seven points out of ten.
Well. I remember this book circling my recommendations for a while then I added it and not much time afterward I finally picked it up and read it. When I finished it I felt like there was a lot to unpack here and I must say the novel is well executed most of the time but it can sometimes get disjointed with all the multiple POVs though I do understand the need for that. Before the story starts there is a glossary of the terms the novel will use; in fact I never knew alternative facts existed but now I know. Now then. It starts with the main character Safiya Mirza or Safiya for short and off the bat she tells me she essentially goes to a school of woke-washing virtue signallers and also she's a journalist.
Here is the other significant part, there's another character who recycled some materials to make a jetpack for a makerspace program or something along those lines but his English teacher accused him of having a bomb which implies a racial bias according to Safiya. Well when I think about that it makes sense in a way but anyone could've done that, also people talk about races a lot here. He was arrested and suspended but later released and all that only took place within the opening pages, I know that seems like a fast-paced beginning, and it is though I must admit after that this is a much slower paced crime novel than what I'm used to. At least it picks up steam toward the end. Someone hacked Safiya's website and she deduces that based on the name Ghost Skin and those quotes from a fascist manifesto the culprit is a white nationalist/supremacist but I don't know who is that person. Later on the other character gets kidnapped and killed out of racism but here's the thing, the book told me there was a guy called Nate who after going on some extremist websites and channels he became a racist and since the killing is racially motivated he must've done it.
I spend the next 200 pages watching Safiya figure out who is the killer after seeing the body with some flashbacks and flashforwards from the other character interspersed, when I read this part I felt a little tension which built towards the last few pages. There was a plot twist I didn't see coming since there was another character called Richard who also had involvement in the killing (I never expected that considering I've never heard of this person up until that point) and Safiya's testimony that their race (white) and privilege didn't save them but somehow they got the nicest prison was chilling. One of them captained two sports teams and held a record. They had mansions. The revelation shocked everyone and some even denied this claim despite the evidence. Wow. At least she got a little solace when the jig was up. Still, she believes there's more work to do to ensure this never happens again.
P.S. Technically the novel is non-linear? It jumps from time to time sometimes.
P.P.S. It's slightly outdated since it mentions Twitter and not X but I can forgive that since it was set before the change. That cameo was a little amusing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Racial slurs, Death, Bullying, Kidnapping, Grief, and Blood
Moderate: Car accident, Vomit, and Antisemitism
Minor: Confinement and Injury/Injury detail
Full trigger warnings: Bullying, racist and sexist slurs, white supremacy, death of a child and another loved one, kidnapping, grief, loss and blood depiction, car crash, near-death experience, antisemitism, imprisonment, physical injury, terrorism, emesisloudroundcloud's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
yarydoll's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
It’s January in Chicago and things start happening at Safiya’s school. Then Jawad disappears, Safiya finds his body and has to uncover the truth. If you’re looking for something similar to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder this is the ticket. IMHO this one is better.
weatherd's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Violence and Murder
Minor: Antisemitism
emanck15's review against another edition
5.0
I was angry reading this. Not because it wasn't good, but because it felt real. Every ounce of anger was because stuff like this actually happens! People actually say and do the terrible things described in this fictional book. And to find out in the end that its loosely based on the 1924 murder of Bobby Franks... well of course it is.
Anyways, this was really good.
Anyways, this was really good.
jfontaine's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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? No
4.5
teachergetslit's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.75
gabbyjc's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
This book is absolutely amazing. Samira Ahmed’s writing is absolutely beautiful and she was able to perfectly encapsulate the feelings I have as a black girl living in America and the fear and terror that comes with being a minority here. She made me feel things, anger, saddened, relief. But, she also reminded me of the privilege I have of being alive today, because many people like myself weren’t granted that. It reminded me of my purpose and need in life to stand up and speak out for others. I would 10/10 recommend this to any body who wants to learn more about the effects of racism on BIPOC or who just wants a good murder mystery to read.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia
Minor: Blood, Police brutality, and Toxic relationship
woodsbookclub's review against another edition
5.0
This heartfelt and thought-provoking story broke me. Beautifully written and unceasingly compelling, Hollow Fires is already one of my favourite books of all time. A tear-jerker, part murder mystery, part ghost story, part coming-of-age, part social commentary. It addresses so many important and horrific topics (such as racism, classicism, Islamophobia and alt-right propaganda) that it could have gone so wrong so fast. But it didn’t. With an ingenious format and lyrical prose, Samira Ahmed not only shines a light on the evil that exists among us and the silent complicity of the privileged; but she also inspires us to be the change we want to see in the world.
The 17-year-old Desi Muslim Safiya Mirza is an aspiring journalist and the editor of her school’s newspaper. Son of Iraqi immigrants, Jawad Ali was a 14-year-old Muslim boy who went missing after being racially profiled as a terrorist by his English teacher. When Safiya starts hearing unsettling whispers, she listens and starts her own investigation. With Jawad’s haunting voice guiding her, Safiya seeks to tell the whole truth about his disappearance, and it’s exciting to bear witness to her will and perseverance. And of course, when real-world events become the backbone of speculative storytelling, it’s impossible to read it and come out unscarred.
From blog posts to text messages to journal entries to interview transcripts, it’s impressive how Ahmed masterfully weaves it all together to tell us such a poignant story. The last few chapters toss me into a rollercoaster of emotions and frantic weeping. And even though I suspected the eventual murderer when there was still no reason to, I remember all along wishing I was wrong. I cried so much for Jawad, Safiya, and all the historically marginalized groups of people who are constantly trampled on by authority, bigot assholes and especially wolfs in sheep’s clothing. I will never forget Hollow Fires and will always do my best to help those in need.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Little, Brown and Samira Ahmed. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The 17-year-old Desi Muslim Safiya Mirza is an aspiring journalist and the editor of her school’s newspaper. Son of Iraqi immigrants, Jawad Ali was a 14-year-old Muslim boy who went missing after being racially profiled as a terrorist by his English teacher. When Safiya starts hearing unsettling whispers, she listens and starts her own investigation. With Jawad’s haunting voice guiding her, Safiya seeks to tell the whole truth about his disappearance, and it’s exciting to bear witness to her will and perseverance. And of course, when real-world events become the backbone of speculative storytelling, it’s impossible to read it and come out unscarred.
From blog posts to text messages to journal entries to interview transcripts, it’s impressive how Ahmed masterfully weaves it all together to tell us such a poignant story. The last few chapters toss me into a rollercoaster of emotions and frantic weeping. And even though I suspected the eventual murderer when there was still no reason to, I remember all along wishing I was wrong. I cried so much for Jawad, Safiya, and all the historically marginalized groups of people who are constantly trampled on by authority, bigot assholes and especially wolfs in sheep’s clothing. I will never forget Hollow Fires and will always do my best to help those in need.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Little, Brown and Samira Ahmed. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
coops456's review against another edition
4.0
Superficial resemblance to [b:Ace of Spades|42603984|Ace of Spades|Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1607008002l/42603984._SY75_.jpg|66307311], with the lower middle-class protagonists of colour attending a predominantly white, upper middle-class school that pays lips service to tackling white supremacy.
Hollow Fires takes a quite different - and equally gripping - path into whodunit territory.
Hollow Fires takes a quite different - and equally gripping - path into whodunit territory.