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kshertz's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
This author is exceptional. I read internment a while ago and this author just cuts right to the heart of all that’s wrong in America today, particularly when people who are not born in this country come here. I had no idea this was in any way based on a true story and it broke my heart. I wanted to believe high school students weren’t capable of this level of bigotry but clearly all white people are in the systematic racism. It’s so engrained. Read this book. It is so special and a voice we all need to hear.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Deportation
bloomingdruid's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
This book is a must read.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Islamophobia
Moderate: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Minor: Sexism
the_wistful_word_witch's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
Hollow Fires has me so conflicted!!! I've written this review over and over again, trying to find just the right words to do this book, this story, justice. I definitely recommend checking the trigger warnings, which I'm including here, so you don't have to risk seeing any potential spoilers further down in the review.
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...
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...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Antisemitism
krys_kilz's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-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? No
4.5
This book had me holding my breath the entire time. It was very suspenseful and emotionally charged. Ahmed's social commentary was timely and razor sharp, which I really appreciated. The story was incredibly engaging without sensationalizing and thoroughly researched. I really loved the inclusion of court transcripts, Twitter feeds, news articles, etc. throughout the narrative - it made the reading experience more immersive.
As Sabaa Tahir's review put it: "With Hollow Fires, Samira Ahmed offers us an impossible-to-put-down thriller that is both spectacularly haunting and deeply thoughtful. Safiya and Jawad are not narrators we usually see, and their harrowing story is a wholly original commentary on perception, community, and the way society weighs one life against another."
At times, the story did feel a bit repetitive and predictable. Some of the metaphors were also heavy handed. But those were very minor things and did not prevent me from devouring this book. I really look forward to reading Ahmed's other work.
tw: Islamophobia, child death/murder, xenophobia, white supremacy/alt-right ideology and violence, antisemitism
* Side Note: It did feel a little strange to read a novel set in the present with no mention of Covid-19. I know almost no books or media mention the pandemic - which is honestly a little eerie - but it felt particularly glaring given how rooted this book was in current events and the current political climate. Especially given the links between alt-right/fascist/white supremacist rhetoric and Covid-19 denial/conspiracy theories. *
As Sabaa Tahir's review put it: "With Hollow Fires, Samira Ahmed offers us an impossible-to-put-down thriller that is both spectacularly haunting and deeply thoughtful. Safiya and Jawad are not narrators we usually see, and their harrowing story is a wholly original commentary on perception, community, and the way society weighs one life against another."
At times, the story did feel a bit repetitive and predictable. Some of the metaphors were also heavy handed. But those were very minor things and did not prevent me from devouring this book. I really look forward to reading Ahmed's other work.
tw: Islamophobia, child death/murder, xenophobia, white supremacy/alt-right ideology and violence, antisemitism
* Side Note: It did feel a little strange to read a novel set in the present with no mention of Covid-19. I know almost no books or media mention the pandemic - which is honestly a little eerie - but it felt particularly glaring given how rooted this book was in current events and the current political climate. Especially given the links between alt-right/fascist/white supremacist rhetoric and Covid-19 denial/conspiracy theories. *
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Hate crime, Racism, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting
Minor: Car accident
verysillygoose's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
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? N/A
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Islamophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny and Xenophobia
brokenbodybitch's review
5.0
I have so many feelings after finishing this. I’m angry, sad, frustrated but this book is nothing short of amazing. It jumps around many years, using multiple forms of media (think a good girls guide to murder with the podcasts, news outlets and such), it has so much going on, I know I can’t do it justice and I don’t even know where to start about how much I love this book.
I don’t know if I’d necessarily say it was an enjoyable reading experience because of the weight of the tw/cw in this book but it was beautifully written, with interesting and engaging formatting and dear god is it fucking accurate as all hell; I’m mixed/Arab and oh boy…I can’t count how many times someone has called me a terrorist, and like that is the tip of the shit iceberg Arab/middle eastern/bipoc people face on a daily basis and this book does not shy away from all of it and calling it out/talking about it; hence why it is such an anger inducing book but if you can take the tw’s and do not take them lightly at all! Really think if you can cope with it before you read but if you can then I cannnot recommend this book more
*⬆️ these are my initial thoughts ⬆️*
*full review to come*
⚠️DO NOT take TW/CW lightly! This book doesn’t shy away from the ugly, so really think about them and if you can cope with them before you read this book… but, if you think you can take them then I cannnot recommend this book more⚠️
I don’t know if I’d necessarily say it was an enjoyable reading experience because of the weight of the tw/cw in this book but it was beautifully written, with interesting and engaging formatting and dear god is it fucking accurate as all hell; I’m mixed/Arab and oh boy…I can’t count how many times someone has called me a terrorist, and like that is the tip of the shit iceberg Arab/middle eastern/bipoc people face on a daily basis and this book does not shy away from all of it and calling it out/talking about it; hence why it is such an anger inducing book but if you can take the tw’s and do not take them lightly at all! Really think if you can cope with it before you read but if you can then I cannnot recommend this book more
*⬆️ these are my initial thoughts ⬆️*
*full review to come*
⚠️DO NOT take TW/CW lightly! This book doesn’t shy away from the ugly, so really think about them and if you can cope with them before you read this book… but, if you think you can take them then I cannnot recommend this book more⚠️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Rape and Stalking
amberinpieces's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting
Minor: Cursing, Blood, Medical content, and Car accident
ao3simp's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
This was honestly one of the best books I’ve ever read. Truly it was book that spoke out against how truly racist America is. Every word in the book was worth reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Murder, and Gaslighting
greenlivingaudioworm's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Gaslighting
oatesy's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
This was a really hard read, but it was extremely well done. I got goosebumps at some points because of how tense it was and because I really didn’t want anything bad to happen to Safiya or her friends. This book addresses racism and white supremacy (& terrorism) in America and the strength of minority community members (b/c let’s be honest, they’re not given much of a choice in this regard due to the systematic oppression resulting from the current systems in place). I really enjoyed the elements of journalism in this book and the strong main character. Overall a really good read, but some parts are hard to get through. May be triggering for some readers
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Racism, and Xenophobia