Maya is an Indian Muslim navigating life in middle America. No one looks like her and many make assumptions about her. Maya's family has already decided her future, but she refuses to conform to society and her family's expectations. Maya wants to become a film director and possibly fall in love. Maya has applied to a prestigious college, where she can develop her film making, but her parents don't know yet. Also, she has met and begun a potential relationship with the perfect Indian boy, but her long-time crush is starting to finally show an interest as well. Maya is growing into her own and it is difficult for anyone to know what her ultimate choices will be.

I loved the voices in this book. I absolutely loved both love interests and found myself rooting and wanting the best for both. I thought the plot was compelling.

This books was kind of a mix between the romance and Indian aspects of When Dimple Met Rishi and the social justice and racism aspects of The Hate U Give. I had some pretty mixed feelings on the books, but ended up giving it 4 stars on Goodreads.

What I liked
Diversity
I love that this is an Own Voices book and that there are more books being written about Indian and Muslim teens. I am neither Muslim nor Indian, so I can’t vouch for how well Ahmed represented the cultures, but from an outsider’s point of view I think she did a great job of bringing in a culture that isn’t in most young adult books. Ahmed addressed real issues that the typical white character doesn’t have to worry about, like “random checks” at airport security, Muslim bans, and Islamophobia. These issues are especially relevant in today’s society.

Feminism
There were also some feminist parts of Love, Hate and Other Filters. For Maya, going against the “good daughter” trope of being submissive to her parents’ wishes and finding a nice Muslim man to settle down with as soon as possible was a struggle. There was so much pressure on her to give up her dreams and do what they wanted. So many obstacles came up and I was rooting for her so hard! Nevertheless, she persisted.



She also has a crazy cool aunt named Hina, who was kind of the cliched “cool aunt” but I loved her. She gave Maya an example of a strong, independent woman who can do whatever she damn well pleases. Her best friend, Violet was a strong supporting role who was a great friend. I love seeing books where girls support each other instead of giving into the dumb notion that we all have to compete.

I have to be honest, the first part of Love, Hate and Other Filters was a bit slow for me. It took me four days to read the first half and only a few to finish the last half. There are some end of chapter sections that really threw me off. About halfway through, something happens and the blurbs start to make sense. When I hit that part, I went back and reread them. Once you get it, they add to the story so much and are really powerful! Also, the story picks up and it is hard to put down. It tackles some really important issues.

What I didn’t like
As I said before, the first half was pretty slow moving for me. I had heard that this book is revolutionary in terms of diversity and addressing important issues, and other than a paragraph here and there I just wasn’t seeing it. It seemed like contemporary fluff and a story I have read many times before.



After it got more serious, I appreciated that a bit more. I think Ahmed was trying to show how life was normal for Maya and got turned upside down. I can appreciate that and I understand why it was that way. It was just not as original as I had hoped. The second part made up for it, though!

Along with that, the tone was a bit back and forth as well. It seemed like the line between fluffy romance and serious social commentary was a bit skewed and the tone kept changing. It did show how Maya felt like she was being pulled back and forth, the transitions were just not as smooth as I would have liked.

Why you should read it
I think this book is going to be everywhere this year! There was so much hype before the book was even published. I get the feeling it will show up on some “best of” lists this year. The story appeals to a few types of readers as well. The YA aficionado, the Own Voices advocate, the romance lover, the social justice warrior, and the reader looking for diversity on their shelf. It offers a perspective that we don’t see every day in YA books. It may be hard for readers who don’t love contemporary romance to get through the first half, but trust me it’s worth it!

Love, Hate and Other Filters is a poignant book that I recommend to anyone who wants to see things from a different point of view. Have you read it? What did you think?

LOVE, HATE AND OTHER FILTERS by Samira Ahmed will soon be on our shelves. It is a brand new young adult novel which looks at both following a dream and coping with bigotry. At one point, high school student Maya Aziz says, "All I want is to make movies and kiss a boy." For parts of the story, she does focus on those activities, often describing how she would light or frame a movie scene. And she chooses between two boys, Kareem, a college student who shares her culture and is acceptable to her family, and Phil, the high school football star who loves nature and wants to be an EMT. Sadly and all too realistically, she also has to deal with hate crimes, especially after there is a devastating act of terrorism and the initial suspect shares her last name.

Students will appreciate the Illinois setting and relate to the angst and drama which Maya and her friend Violet convey, but LOVE, HATE AND OTHER FILTERS will also prompt some serious discussions about Islamophobia and prejudice. Ironically, that is especially appropriate in a week where the Federal government and Department of Justice seemed determined to perpetuate stereotypes and even ferment hostility with a new report; for more on that, see the commentary from The Cato Institute. Also trying to raise awareness, Ahmed even includes the following quote:

"From our beginning as a nation, we have admitted to our country and to citizenship immigrants from the diverse lands of the world. We had faith that hereby we would best serve ourselves and mankind." --Judge Abraham Lincoln Marovitz, Nov. 17, 1994 US Naturalization Oath Ceremony.

LOVE, HATE AND OTHER FILTERS received starred reviews from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and VOYA.

Link in blog post: https://www.cato.org/blog/new-government-terrorism-report-nearly-worthless

Maya is in her final year of high school in a small American town. She is quiet and often hides behind her video camera which she employees to make documentaries. She'd love to attend NYU for film studies though her parents expect her to follow their wishes of meeting a nice Indian boy while she attends a near by law school. Maya is torn between pleasing her parents and following her heart All these plans are thrown in turmoil when a response to a serious incident elsewhere in the country unleashes islamaphobic attacks upon the family.

Maya is your typical girl next door that you'd want your child to be friends with. She is kind and sensitive to others, smart and studies hard. She also happens to be Indian and Muslim. These shouldn't and don't matter to most people, but there are some who hold these differences against her. Just because a person is different than you, it doesn't automatically diminish that person nor does it make them bad.

At an age where so many teens are struggling with what they want to do with their future, Maya has a very clear view. She wants to study film so she can make and direct documentary films. She also wants to be able to tell her parents that she wants a love match and not an arranged marriage. She wants to be given the freedom to make her own choices.

I love this book. It spoke to me on so many levels. As a parent, Maya is a daughter that I would be pleased to call my own. She was brought up in a warm and loving family by attentive parents. She is intelligent and well prepared to face the adult world. When the world crashes into her life and her family, her response is realistic. She is concerned for the well being of those who were directly impacted by the incident before she questions how this might reflect back on the Muslim communities across the United States.

Author Samira Ahmed has shone a light on an ugly incident of the type that happens far too often in our so called 'civilized communities'. She helps to call attention to racial and religious bigotry. Such hatred has no place in this world. All it does is create damage. Education is the best weapon against such ignorant actions. This book needs to be widely read. It would be a good starting place for class room discussions about combating racism. This is a strong debut novel by Ms. Ahmed and I eagerly await her next novel.


Have posted this review on Goodreads and Indigo.ca. Will post on my blog tommorrow

(I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

This is a hands-down win for any classroom or school library. The narrative voice is funny, engaging, and genuine, and the message is one of empowerment and working toward your dreams.

Maya Aziz has the same concerns as any 17-year-old: school, boys, and going to the college of her dreams. Sure, she has over-protective parents, but tons of people can relate to that, right? But when a hatecrime is committed hundreds of miles away, the impact can still be felt close to home. How will this affect Maya's relationships? Her health? Her college plans?

I LOVED this book. It was a quick read with fun, well-developed characters and deft writing. The whole "I see my life as a movie" thing has been done before, but Ahmed found a way to make it feel new and fresh. Maya's cinematic knowledge was balanced by her naïveté in life and challenged me at every turn. And while not the point of the book, I learned a lot about Indian food, culture, and politics.

Students will love this relatable, discussable novel.

📚SohoTeen #partner
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Thanks to SohoTeen and @netgalley for the advance copy of this book (as an ebook). It is so helpful for a school librarian to be able to read ahead for planning and purchasing purposes!
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Indian-American Muslim teen Maya really wants to be a filmmaker. Her traditional parents, however, want her to go to college close to home, become a doctor or lawyer, and marry a boy of their choosing. As Maya navigates her senior year, she has to decide what is really important to her - dreams or family? The author does a nice job of meshing together a love story and a social commentary on the Muslim-American experience. I see this fitting best in high school collections. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. #highschoolreads #weneeddiversebooks

What a fabulous debut! I've been meaning to get back to reading YA, it's been months, and i picked up this ARC ahead of release day and was immediately drawn in by Maya's voice. It's so clear, that voice. Being in her head we see the things she had to face as a Muslim/Indian teen in America. Dealing with her parents expectations for her versus what she wants, and ultimately Maya wants to go to film school in NYC.

Alongside Maya's voice we have snippets of narratives that build another story simultaneously while Maya is telling her own. As things come to light we see a terrorist attack occurs and this is such a serious, timely discussion. The terrorist is initially thought to be Muslim so Maya and her family get first hand taste of Islamophobia in their community. This is something many Muslims in America, and other parts of the world, have to deal with daily and the author shows this so well. Maya dealing with slurs from a student, her parents having their practice vandalized, her parents fear for their daughter and themselves. I was genuinely scared for Maya and her family.

We also see Maya navigating her crush on a classmate and dealing with family expectations when she meets a guy who's everything her parents would want for her. i genuinely liked both guys, Kareem and Phil and i think the ending of the book was just perfect. I'm not giving it away so don't worry ;)

Maya's love of film making shone through in everything that she did, and thought and felt. i loved that! I love when the MC's love of a thing is so clear in every little action they perform. And i love that this story is told through the lense of a Muslim/Indian teen, written by a desi author, because these are the voices that need to be centred in this sort of narrative.

I'm eagerly awaiting Samira Ahmed's next book!

This is half cute YA romance, half exploration of living in the US as a Muslim and Indian teenager. There were too many cliches for me as far as the romance and family part of it, but plenty of little things about I liked, too, such as the main character, Maya's, love of film which added a cinematic touch to the story.

Naturally, the storyline about being an outsider in your own country was well done and the strongest part of the book. The book challenges the assumptions we make about terrorism and the hate people hold in their hearts about people they consider Other.

Love, Hate & Other Filters was such an enjoyable read. This book tackled everything from romance, family, racism, high school, and hate crimes. The author made such an important story that felt very realistic, inspiring, and eye-opening.

I do not know much about the Muslim culture, but I was extremely excited to read a YA novel with the main character being Muslim (BRING ON THE DIVERSITY!!!!!). However, I was actually hoping to see a bit more the Muslim culture present in this story. I was still happy with the amount that was present, but I would have LOVED to see a tad bit more of the culture. This book seemed to focus more on other people being racist towards Mulisms rather than exploring the Mulism culture. It was really heartbreaking and frustrating to read about the hate the main character and her family had to face due their religion and culture. The racism that is explored in this novel is EXTREMELY important and relevant, and I think everyone should read this book for that element alone.

Maya, the main character, was such a strong and independent girl. I really admired how she wouldn't let anyone tell her how to live her life or stop her from following her dreams. She also was a really intuitive, smart, and caring girl. I really liked her characters and enjoyed watching her grow throughout the story. I also ADORED her best friend and the relationship they shared. THEIR BEST FRIEND RELATIONSHIP WAS SERIOUSLY SO CUTE AND WARMED MY HEART. #GirlPower

The romance in this novel was really sweet and adorable. I found myself invested in the relationships Maya developed, and I couldn't wait to see how they played out. The romances definitely felt only like high school crushes because they didn't seem that powerful or deep, but they were still very cute! It felt very realistic to how a lot of high school relationships develop, at least from my personal experience!

The one relationship in this book that kind of bummed me out was the relationship between Maya and her parents. The animosity Maya had towards her parents felt a bit harsh at times. I completely understood why Maya would get annoyed and frustrated with her parents, but it was easy to see that they just really cared about her well being. I was hoping for more of a positive resolution on their relationship, but I guess that is more of a realistic situation! Not everything is sunshine and rainbows!

Overall, Love, Hate & Other Filters was a really wonderful novel. This is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone and everyone!

I am hoping that the author will write a sequel to this novel because the slightly open-ended ending KILLED ME!

4 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *

Maya Aziz has a lot on her mind. Her overly protective Hyderabadi parents want her to go to college to study medicine near their home in suburban Chicago area, most likely so they can keep flinging "nice Indian boys" at her. Maya, however, wants to go to film school in New York City; she's gotten in, but is afraid to tell them. She has just been forcibly introduced to Kareem, who is 21 and "very suitable"... and also super cute and fun. The two start to date a bit, but Maya also has come to the attention of Phil, her long time crush. He's sort of on a break from his long time girlfriend, and the two spend a lot of time together. Some jerks in her school give her a hard time, but Maya is having a great time, dating two nice guys. If only she didn't have to worry about telling her parents about college. Of course, given the times that we live in, eventually reality intrudes and Maya has to deal with horrible Islamophobia in the wake of a terrorist attack near her town.
Strengths: The romances in this were quite nice and sweet, even if Kareem was 21. Maya's parents approve, after all, and nothing really happens. The romance with Phil is nice, too, but they are both just started relationships. The inclusion of the current events really can't be avoided today.
Weaknesses: Definitely young adult, with some language and a few situations. Too bad.
What I really think: I would definitely buy for a high school library, but will pass for middle school. At some point, this will be a completely run-of-the-mill teen romance. Now, it's getting a lot of attention for being #ownvoices and including current events, but it seems to me that there have long been LOTS of books by Indian writers. Perhaps just not Muslim ones?

This heartbreaking and beautiful story is part romance, part coming of age that deftly deals with the fear of being a young Muslim in America. I enjoyed Maya's voice-she is often funny, and getting a peak into Indian Muslim culture was unique. The narrative of the terrorist was an unexpected touch-at first I thought it was taking away from the story since it was very brooding and melancholy, almost like it was setting up a scene for a movie, but it made more sense once a real person was attached to it. I am so glad to see a book that shows how much hate impacts people's daily lives, and how resilient people can be.

What a better way to start 2018 off than to receive one of those coveted emails from NetGalley that one of my "wishes" had been granted? I was jumping up and down with glee when I saw the email come through only a few days into the new year, as Love, Hate & Other Filters is no doubt one of the most coveted YA releases of 2018. I eagerly downloaded the title to my Kindle and read Maya's story about love, family, fear and hope in just two sittings, and I can safely say that it was a strong debut novel that created a vivid family setting while integrating diversity in a seamless way.

Maya is the American born daughter of parents who immigrated from India to America, and are also Muslim, making them a minority group event within the Indian community in the United States. These protagonists who are straddling two culture narratives seem to be increasingly popular in YA lit (which I love, such as American Panda or I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter), and I think these are narratives that a lot of readers will find relateable (I'm personally first generation born in America on my mom's side so these narratives are familiar in some ways, yet I also learn so much about each individual protagonist's struggles and culture with each new book). However, this book differed a bit from other narratives with similar topics that I've read in YA recently as it was split half the time between being a book about diversity and social issues, and the other half of the time as being a fluffy teen romance. Based on the novel's synopsis, I wasn't expecting this juxtaposition, but I actually found myself enjoying this split because it felt realistic- yes, there is a heavier focus on terrorism and racism and it's repercussions in Maya's life, but she's also an American teenager doing what American teenagers do and that was refreshing and realistic. There were also a lot of elements about this book that I found were really positive portrayals of Maya's family system, peer relationships, and sense of self confidence, such as:

+ Though Maya struggles on and off throughout the story with her parent's strict rules and expectations of her, I did find them to be more understanding and supportive (most of the time) than portrayals I've seen in other narratives.
+ Maya has an awesome aunt who has shirked a lot of the stereotypes and expectations of women in her culture- she's unmarried, has a successful career as a graphic designer, lives on her own, etc. and yet despite these differences still has a close relationship with her more traditional sister and brother-in-law. I thought this was really empowering to show females who have taken a less traditional route still be able to be involved in their traditional culture.
+ There is a LOT of romance in this book (which at times worked for me and at other times didn't), yet all of the relationships portrayed were pretty healthy and mutually supportive. Maya has an almost relationship with a family friend from her Indian Muslim community, and when things don't work out there's not bitterness, rather they form a strong friendship and continue to talk throughout the book, which is SO important, as the stereotype is usually the "toxic" ex. There's also Maya's relationship with Phil, which though at times felt a little bit unbelievable to me (I didn't really see the chemistry personally), he was always very supportive and polite and YES we need to break the "hot guys are jerks and that's ok" YA narrative and this book totally does that.

+ Though Maya, like most teens, struggles with what she wants vs. her parent's expectations, I found she had a real sense of self and was super dedicated to her passion (filmmaking) and it was empowering to see her pursue her dreams and be so self assured at such a young age (especially because it's rare to know what you want to do with the rest of your life at 17!) I liked that her hobby wasn't something that she kept a secret from people too- she was constantly filming and talking about her love for movies with others, and I loved her openness in discussing her strengths and passions that energized her.

+ About halfway through the novel there's a terrorist attack that happens in Maya's state that really impacts her life and the way people treat her family. The way the attack is initially framed by the media, and who they initially point the finger of suspicion to, is a very telling and realistic portrayal of Islamophobia and how speculation can often do more harm than the truth. Maya and her family face dangerous repercussions in a community that's been their home for years, and while frightening it's an important reminder that fear can breed hatred and intolerance where there previously wasn't any. However, I did find the inclusion of the terrorist's POV a bit jarring and unnecessary (it's integrated after Maya's chapters and to be honest at first I thought my Kindle was glitching and taking me to another book). I understand the intent to show that terrorists are humans too and the desire to show what leads one to choose such a catastrophic path, however I think Maya's narrative was strong enough to stand alone.

Overall: I really enjoyed Love, Hate & Other Filters! Despite the jarring shift in POVs at times and the unexpected "fluffiness" of the novel, it was an interesting story that handled the topic of a protagonist straddling two cultures exceptionally well. I could read narratives with these premises all day long, and I love seeing an #ownvoices novel such as this starting off the new release buzz in the YA community!

I am so thankful to have received an ARC of Love, Hate and Other Filters from NetGalley. I was blown away by this book and can’t wait to share it with teens. As the only Indian-Muslim in her small Midwestern town, Maya feels like an outsider. She channels this feeling into cinematography, and can always be found on observing the world through her camera’s lens. She longs to feel like The Girl in the movie rather than the observer but she can’t see herself that way, and she doesn’t think her long-time crush Phil will ever notice her, either. She also longs to go to film school in New York, but doubts her overprotective parents will support that idea. Maya’s life changes forever when a domestic terrorist attack occurs in a nearby city and the alleged perpetrator shares her last name.

The story had a great mix of romantic feels and insight into complex social issues that I think teens will love. I also loved Maya’s relationships with her family, particularly her Aunt Hina, and the slow roll-out of her romance with Phil. I think the ending was quite realistic and will leave readers satisfied. I'm excited to share this title with teens in my high school book club and fans of The Hate U Give.

Maya Aziz longs to escape the small town of Batavia, Illinois, where she is known as both the Indian girl and the Muslim girl. Graduation is looming, and her dream is to go to NYU’s film school. She secretly applied and was surprised to get an acceptance letter from NYU, but hasn’t had the courage to tell her parents, who expect her to go to college close to home to study law. But Maya loves making documentary films, and can’t imagine life without her camera in hand.
Maya narrates the story in first person, and views her life as a cross between a cheesy romantic comedy (without the romance, so far) and a Bollywood epic (again, without the romance). Then Maya is thrown together with a charming Indian young man, Kareem, at a family wedding. Both moms seem intent on an arranged marriage for the two. But just days later all-American boy Phil seems interested in becoming more than Maya’s study partner, and Maya realizes her life has become a teen-movie love triangle.
Maya struggles under the weight of her parent’s expectations to carry on Indian traditions against her own dreams that are much more American.
Then a terrorist attack in nearby Springfield destroys part of a federal building, and a Muslim man is implicated. Much like after 9/11, anti-Muslim sentiment rears its ugly head. Maya and her parents are both subjected to hate attacks because they are Muslim and share the same last name of the attacker.
Samira Ahmed does a wonderful job showing the colorful and exotic world of Indian culture that Maya has grown up with, and blending that with the average-American-teenage girl just dreaming about her future and longing to have her first kiss. Teen readers, who were either still toddlers or not yet born when 9/11 happened, will get a realistic feel of what it is like to be targeted for your religion and skin color rather than your beliefs.
Samira Ahmed has crafted a realistic, heart-wrenching novel that captures the confusion, hope, pressure, and dreams of what it’s like to be an American teenager. Love, Hate, and Other Filters will be at the top of the list of books I recommend to teen readers, and I plan to buy a stack for my library.

For a more in-depth review watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ccu2A9Zk2Q&feature=youtu.be

Maya Aziz wants to be the perfect Muslim daughter to her Indian parents but she also wants to follow her dreams. Maya wants to move to New York and be a film maker which goes against everything her parents want for her. But after a terrorist attack Maya must decide who she is and how she is going to live her own life.

This book was a welcome surprise. First time author, Samira Ahmed, has written a story that feel believable and real whichis part coming of age story and part commentary on the life of a American born Muslim teen. This book is must read and a definite conversation starter.

I received an eARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really really enjoyed this book! I loved how it tackled important topics like racism and Islamophobia while also having a lot of cute, romantic elements typical of ya contemporary. I’m going to break this review down into a list of what I liked and a (small) list of what I didn’t like.

Things I Liked:

- Maya!! I loved her so much for so many reasons: she’s relatable, she’s sort of awkward, she overthinks things, she’s funny, she’s sarcastic, she’s a bookworm (!!!), and she’s super passionate about filmmaking. She basically thinks in movies, and I absolutely loved that she made documentaries. Also, she works in a bookstore!
- Kareem. He’s so sweet and adorable. And Phil! There’s sort of a love triangle, and I have to say, I really liked both Kareem and Phil. Ultimately, I was happy with Maya’s decision though.
- Hina, Maya’s aunt, is also an amazing character. She is awesome and such a great female role model.
- Violet is amazing and so supportive and has so much personality! She’s such a great friend to Maya. She maybe felt a little too flawless? But whatever.
- I feel like I learned soem stuff about Indian culture from this book.
- In between each chapter, the author includes random little excerpts that don’t seem connected...until the end of the story. I really liked how Samira Ahmed included these! It’s a great feeling when you start to see how all the puzzle pieces fit together, so to speak.
- The writing was super great; beautiful and addictive and just the right pace, in my opinion.
- There is Indian-American and Muslim rep! I am not Indian-American or Muslim, but the book is #OwnVoices. (Although, see note in the next section about the Muslim rep.)
- There are some imporatant messages about racism and Islamophobia. It’s really great that Islamophobia is being talked about in ya.
- I also felt like it touched on sexism and gender roles a little too?
- I really liked the ending!

Small List of Things I Didn’t Like:

- Kareem kinda disappeared. For the last ninety or so pages, he just wasn’t there? So that was a little weird.
- We never actually met Lisa, Phil’s girlfriend. Maya keeps on mentioning her and she is an important character because of her relation to Phil, but we only hear about her. I would’ve liked to see Lisa on the page and get a glimpse firsthand of what kind of person she is, at least once.
- The Muslim rep could be underwhelming to some people. It’s definitely there, but maybe not as much as some had hoped. I encourage you to check out this review by Isla @ A Whisper of Ink, who is Muslim: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2131575369?book_show_action=false/ I totally see what she’s saying.

All in all, I really enjoyed Love, Hate & Other Filters!

Something with this book fell... flat for me. Maybe it was that the Big Moment in the book didn't happen until halfway through the book so the first half was just a love triangle with insta-love. I was so excited to read a book about a Muslim main character as I don't see them often, but even that fell flat for me. The book was well written, the subject matter was deep when it finally got there, but the first half kind of dragged on for me. If half of the first half was cut out, it would have been 5 stars. I loved the second half but waiting that long to get there was disappointing.

Young adult contemporary wasn't a genre I used to reach for very often, but with the recent own-voices releases of the past couple years I've found myself reading more and more from the genre. I enjoyed getting to know Maya and her friends and family. I'll definitely be recommending this one to our library's teen readers.

Identity is and always will be a HUGE topic of interest for teen readers, heck even some of us much older than that can still relate. It's written in a million different ways, but my favorite YA trend right now is diversity. For the record, it pains me to say that diversity is a trend, but in all honesty, the YA world was sorely lacking good writing and stories in this area. Thanks to writers like Mitali Perkins, Erika L. Sanchez, and Sandhya Menon to name a few, this is changing. This quote from Ahmed’s blog post pretty much sums it up, “One day a brown-skinned kid with a funny name will walk into a bookstore, find my book on a shelf, and see a glimpse of themselves and know they are beautiful and wanted. One day a teenager who looks nothing like me will go to a library and pick up this book and find a brown girl, a Muslim girl, with feelings that could be their feelings in a world that they share.” This- this is why we read, why authors write, and why it matters.

Maya Aziz is an American-born Muslim Indian, living in suburbia Chicago along with her parents who achieved the American Dream by becoming dentists, having a beautiful house full of garden equipment, and a dutiful Indian daughter. Well, she tries anyway. She’s a few months away from college, presumably headed to the University of Chicago to study pre-med or pre-law, her parents' choices. Little do they know, she also applied to NYU to study film, something she knows they would never approve of and only has weeks until the deadline to accept. Her passion lies behind the camera, but her parents view it as a passing hobby. To make things more complicated, she’s now going on a date with an Indian boy who scores high on the parent approval scale but low on her heartstrings. Plus, she’s not exactly ready for marriage, but her parents would like her to “keep her options open.” Her heart lies with Phil (quarterback and homecoming King), a boy she’s known for her whole life but just recently got her heart pumping. His dimples don’t hurt either, and she’s pretty sure his perfect girlfriend, Lisa wouldn’t like it. But when she spends a magical week with him over Spring Break, it looks like he might be into her too. When the spell of Spring Break is over, they are both back to school. Just when it's looking up for Maya, a terrorist attack in nearby Springfield leaves them all shaken. Especially so when reports of the bomber’s name surface: Aziz, just like her. She selfishly prayed it wouldn’t be a Muslim. When she’s pulled out of school because of a threat made at her parent’s work, she’s terrified. And a run-in with a boy Bryan, who has been acting stranger and stranger around her leaves her devastated. No way her parents will ever let her leave Chicago now, and her dreams of being on her own are dashed until she comes to a strong realization. Is this her life or her parents? This is a struggle that ANY teenager could be working through; how to make your life your own without hurting the ones who care the most?

The supporting cast in Maya’s life are equally drawn out characters- her enigmatic best friend, Violet, her parents, Kaleem, Phil, and her amazing aunt, Hina. Is this a perfect representation of a Muslim American, Indian American or just a straight up teenager? I don’t know, but if it gives me even just a glimpse, gets me asking questions, and empathy for something I’m not experiencing, I’m good with that.

Maya was a great character. I enjoyed her friendship with Violet, her relationship with her family (particularly with her cool aunt). I could relate to her having strict parents, because that was how I grew up as a teen. I found it sad how resigned she was to how she was treated after the terrorist attack, but judging from the news and the spike of hate crimes after attacks such as these, I'm sure this is something that Muslim teens have to deal with quite often. The story does take a serious turn when her own family is targeted by someone filled with hate, and her family's reaction to it, though sad, doesn't seem out of character for them.
The book failed for me in the romance department. I just didn't particularly find Phil compelling. Her star shined so bright, and I just failed to see what she saw in him. Nevertheless, I think this book will be of interest to the teens who frequent my library, so I have already purchased it for our collection.