Reviews

You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud

ensara's review

5.0

5 glowing starts.

This was a beautifully written book, and I’m so glad I picked it up.

Some wonderful things:

- Muslims rep was very well done. Characters who are unapologetically Muslim and live their daily lives with salah, Quran, Dhikr, etc. It’s integrated in the lifestyle and it doesn’t look abnormal like in some other stories. Truly showing Islam is a way of life (sorry about the repetition), and it’s very heartwarming.
- Somali rep. Really can’t think of any other YA novels I have found with Somali rep, I will keep an eye out, but I had a wonderful time reading about the culture & the struggles of being away from your home.
- The refugee experience, also very heartwarming and painful.
- Sibling relationships!!!! One of my favorite parts of the book. Hussein, Hafsa, and Sumaya reminded me of my siblings, and the love Hanan had for them made me think of mine too :,)
- Loving parents who sacrificed their life so you can have a better one, and their pride and joy. I cried a few times.

A whole lot more, but it’s late and I’ll leave it at that for now. Probably one of my top reads of the year if I’m being honest. It made me happy, reflective, upset, and all together felt like a big hug.

nhussain's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

suzanne_between_pages's review

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective 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? Yes

5.0

ayeshalovesfable's review

5.0

When I requested this ARC by looking at its cover and plot, it sounded promising to me. But believe me this book is a lot more than that. I have rated this as a 5 star read but in truth, I want to rate it as a 7/5 star read

stormnatreadseverything's review

4.0

This was such a thoughtful read, approached in a very tender way. Despite exploring some difficult topics - bullying, the complexities of friendship, Islamophobia and the growing difficulties of being an immigrant in an area that has always seen you as other – it also has no shortage of touching, heartfelt moments as we experience first-hand the comfort Hanan finds in her faith and the dynamics of the different relationships she has with her friends and family, especially her twin brother Hussein.

I felt truly part of the journey as Hanan discovers her voice and her role in speaking out about prejudice. I also felt that Mohamud’s writing helped me understand the extent of the burden placed on minorities to be positive representations and the high level of pressure this entails.

While some portions of the book felt a little slow paced, this was an overall well-written YA story and would be worth reading for anyone who enjoys general contemporary or YA fiction. I read this initially as an ARC on NetGalley, but this will be making its way onto my physical shelves once it’s been published.

bookish_fish's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

musecal's review

3.0

3.5 stars

Wanted to give 4 as the plot kept me reading and the themes of the book are incredibly poignant in today’s culture, but the dialogue did feel very stilted and surface level at times, which really did contrast with the serious topics that this book was addressing. Nevertheless, I still found it a good read and would recommend it!

missoliviareadsbooks's review

5.0

I don't think I have ever seen the young people that I have worked with for so many years represented in a book so accurately and so beautifully.

Be prepared - Haman's story is not an easy one and you will become angry and upset at the experiences she faces. It is - sadly - very much a story of our times that many of us will have seen in the media on many occasions.

But what this is also a book about is the power of speaking up, the pain of grief and the hope that awaits us all if we just believe in ourselves.

Stunning.

meyy's review

dark informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

sakisreads's review

challenging emotional 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

✨ Gifted ✨

This was my first ever find by the Book Fairies! My friend and I were walking in a cemetery when we found this 😳

I love the idea of Book Fairies and decided immediately I’d have to get the stickers etc. to pass it on 🥹

Anyway. I’ve been wanting to read a bit more YA lately, and this was such a brilliant book. I cried through some parts and laughed through others; there’s a real range of emotions to go through 🫠 

I was so proud of Hanan for coming through and standing up for herself, even when it felt scary 😫 I was such a big fan of Hooyo too; she and the family had a warmth I could feel through the pages 🥰

As teenagers often are awkward beings, the writing felt a bit awkward at times. But it was still impactful and a necessary read in my opinion! 4 out of 5 stars ✨

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, Islamophobia, Racism, and Violence