This was an interesting concept for a book, and it was interesting to see how a young man lives in the body of a young Muslim woman. Topics of religion, feminism, and survival are discussed, but overall, I with the story had a more satisfying ending.

Paris was only supposed to have been be a break from college when Josh Cohn is evicted from his lodging. But whilst sulking in a bistro he notices a beautiful Arabic girl who, minutes later, he witnesses drowning. In the same moment he pulls Neïla's unconscious form from the water, Josh is killed and the two strangers' spirits meet... Josh's consciousness is thrown into the young girl's body. Immersed in the unfamiliar fundamentalist lifestyle of Neïla's family, Josh struggles for Neïla's rights when she is forced to wear the hijab. Treated as insane for trying to escape, Josh becomes a prisoner to Neïla’s violent eldest brother, who has just returned from the jihad. When Josh discovers that Neïla had killed her father and he informs the police about her brother’s doings, he must unravel the mysteries, escape, or be killed again.

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When Josh finds the body of a young Algerian girl floating in the Seine and tries to rescue her, he dies in the attempt and his consciousness migrates into her body. Becoming a girl is difficult enough, but becoming a young arab girl poses unique challenges for this American boy, and the struggles he faces in dealing with her day to day life, and her observantly religious family would make for an interesting read. However the drama is amped up even more when he becomes convinced that her death was no accident, and that in fact a member of her family may be responsible.
A clever body swap and culture swap tale, this was a good read with plenty of twists to keep me engaged as a reader. I particularly liked that the author provided translations for the dialogue, which takes place in both French and English, depending on which characters are speaking, and from that point of view, it could almost be used as an educational tool. One thing I did dislike were some of the old fashioned and disparagingly male perspectives that were evident, one teenage girl is described as " she would have been a knockout if she lost a few pounds" while another wonders if she may be a "slut " because she is possibly interested in two different men. Both of these incidents seem very out of place in a book that seems like it is aimed at a YA market.

An interesting quick read and I would have given it 3.5. If I could. A very different concept of a young male finding himself in the body (and mind) of a 16 year old female Muslim, whom he attempted to rescue from drowning, but got beaten to death for his efforts by her family.. Having no knowledge of her family or friends, he (she) had to learn how to be a young girl in a Muslim family. A good insight to some extreme Muslim, beliefs, that a girl has to cover up her face, and learn to cook, clean and make any future husband happy. The pace was good and there were many events that kept you wanting to read more to find out what happened. For me an unsatisfactory end.

Interesting story and concept. It's a page turner and a refreshing change of pace.