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azrah786's review against another edition
4.5
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I received a copy of the book from Usborne Publishing through the Tandem Collective for a readalong in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, racism, islamophobia, xenophobia, hate crime, bullying, death, death of parent, grief
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An empowering and timely debut, You Think You Know Me touches on the racial and Islamophobic ideals which are to this day very present in British society, particularly calling this out in the education system.
We follow Hanan who dreams of following in her late father’s footsteps and becoming a doctor so is determined to work hard towards the entrance exam that is looming around the corner. However, when a local incident gives rise to heightened Islamophobia in the community and a potential change in school policies Hanan must decide whether she is going to keep her head down and be the token Muslim student she is expected to be or if she is going to use her voice to speak for what is right.
**I received a copy of the book from Usborne Publishing through the Tandem Collective for a readalong in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, racism, islamophobia, xenophobia, hate crime, bullying, death, death of parent, grief
--
An empowering and timely debut, You Think You Know Me touches on the racial and Islamophobic ideals which are to this day very present in British society, particularly calling this out in the education system.
We follow Hanan who dreams of following in her late father’s footsteps and becoming a doctor so is determined to work hard towards the entrance exam that is looming around the corner. However, when a local incident gives rise to heightened Islamophobia in the community and a potential change in school policies Hanan must decide whether she is going to keep her head down and be the token Muslim student she is expected to be or if she is going to use her voice to speak for what is right.
“Anger becomes an ugly, dangerous thing when you fling it around with your eyes closed… Open your eyes, macaanto, before you hurt someone with your words.”
Touching on themes of family and cultural identity it is just as much an elder daughter’s story and refugee story as it is a Muslim one, and is all about standing your ground and being true to yourself in the face of hate and prejudice. Of learning to accept that you don’t need to justify who you are and sacrifice your identity to fit in with the status quo or for the benefit to those who are blinded by their ignorance.
Mohamud’s writing brilliantly voices Hanan’s character and emotions and also shapes the various supporting characters of the story too, making them and their experiences feel authentic and really brings the important messages at the heart of this book across. The relationships, both those involving family and friends, were so wholesome and though there were some very hard moments to get through in the story there were also some wonderfully heart-warming and humorous scenes too.
“But isn’t that a disservice to our diversity? If we try to make everyone the same, are we saying there’s no room for any difference in the world? And if we continue to fear the things we don’t understand, can there ever be space for growth and humanity?”
As a British Muslim myself I am fortunate to have lived in diverse communities and attended schools where incidents like those that occurred in this book are rare but you just have to go looking into the news to see that they are more than just fiction.
I think I’m not alone in saying that this would be a great book to have in schools/libraries for young readers to pick up but it is definitely a book that people of all ages can take something away from.
Final Rating – 4.5/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Violence, Racism, Islamophobia, Hate crime, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Grief
kejan's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is an amazing book about a perspective that is often negated in literature. It has opened my eyes to my own prejudice which is a very powerful thing for a book to achieve. The writing might not always be strong, but the story definitely is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Xenophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
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