One of my most anticipated releases of 2019 and it did not disappoint. The writing in this book was stunning and the story was both heartbreaking and hopeful. A must read for everyone.

My Rating: 3.5 / 5 🌟

As a Malaysian, The Weight of Our Sky automatically became a must read for me and with every one of my Malaysian friends telling me how good this book is, I went into the story with the highest of expectations.

Unfortunately, this book did not impact me as much as I hope it would.

I don't read much Historical Fiction, and this is my first time reading a book that did not just used a historic period as its setting, but also incorporated a historical event as well. So, I can't say much about this aspect and how well it was used and portrayed. Either way, I think it was interesting to see what was happening during the whole week of May 13 riot from the perspective of a victim of the incident.

As someone who does have OCD, it was interesting to see the thought process of those who did have this mental illness. And reading it from Melati's point of view was truly heartbreaking, especially how mental illness was still such a taboo subject during that time.

Although the book has its strengths, it also has its weaknesses and the most profound one is the issues of racism.

While the theme of racism was distinct throughout the story, it didn't hit me as hard as I was hoping to. I feel like the issue was mostly told and not shown which leaves little space for readers to actually feel the racism. I think the problem was that Hanna assumed the readers to already know that racism does exist between the races, and this proves to be a bigger problem when the May 13 event started right away within the first few chapters. I do understand since the event mainly revolves around that particularly event, but I feel like the book could've included the presence of racism leading up to that event, and since the book is less than 300 pages, I feel like it could be taken the leap to do so. Nevertheless, I still did Hanna did a great job handling such a serious topic that is still relevant today as it was back then.

All in all, The Weight of Our Sky is a love letter to Malaysia to show how far we have come from that incident. Despite its weaknesses, I'm really happy that a book concerning about such a crucial time in Malaysia is being sold internationally throughout the world.

I was totally captivated by this book. I read a lot, especially YA, and I have never read another book set in Malaysia. As an American with what I thought to be a decent education, I wasn't aware of the conflict between the Chinese and the Malays during the late 60s. Melati was such a beautiful character, so sweet and sincere and honest, even as she struggled to understand and address her OCD. The element of having Melati believe that her OCD was caused by a djinn possessing her body and forcing her to perform compulsive actions was tremendously interesting, a creative concept to address differences in awareness and acceptance of mental health concerns between time periods and cultures. This book will feel very outside of the realm of reality for students in my suburban school district, but it will provide necessary windows into other lives and times that they may otherwise never understand. I will definitely buy this book and recommend it.

The Weight of Our Sky is an intense historical fiction novel set during the May 1969 race riots in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, an event that I had no prior knowledge before reading this book. The political tensions between the Chinese residents and the Malays have reached a critical breaking point, each spurred by their own politicians. The riots break out while she's at the movies one afternoon, and Melati is saved and sheltered by a compassionate Chinese family, but she constantly imagines the worst for her mother while waiting for the chance to return home. Melati experiences acts of brutal cruelty and everyday heroism. She is racked with guilt as her best friend is taken away by an execution squad and killed. Melati's new acquaintances from both Chinese, Indian, and Malays risk their lives to offer her aid. Melati's severe obsessive compulsive disorder is exacerbated by the stress of her experiences and the anxiety of the unknown, which pushes her to her breaking point. Melati Ahmad sees her OCD as a tragedy-invoking djinn that can only be appeased through counting and tapping rituals; if she doesn't complete them, Melati fears, her mother will die a terrible death. The manifestation of a mental illness through a djinn is very common in Islamic tradition where mental illness is barely understood and poorly treated, especially in this era. What I really appreciated about this book is that Melati is not stunted by her mental illness. She continues to persist, her determination to reunite with her mother and help others in need gives her the inner strength to hold on. While her illness is not magically cured at the end, she is more open to talk about it and there is hope that she can find medication and help. I also appreciated that the author does a great job in informing the reader of the visceral, volatile setting without resulting to info dumping and bias. The secondary characters from different ethnic backgrounds are fully dimensional and balanced. The Weight of Our Sky is not an easy novel as it tackles death, racism, mental health issues, and riot violence, but these inclusions are necessary to portray contentious moment in time that is hardly discussed outside of Malaysia.

Hanna Alkaf wrote a real masterpiece in an unapologetic manner and an approach that doesn't hold back. A brutally honest tale.

The Weight of Our Sky is a gripping tale about Melati and her fight against OCD and anxiety while trying to survive amidst the chaos of 13 May incident of 1969. Truly a fantastic debut!

Hanna Alkaf writes in beautiful prose about the ugliness of prejudice and hate in this unforgettable historical fiction book set in her home country of Malaysia.

On May 13, 1969, racial tensions between Malaysians, Chinese, and Indians resulted in rioting, violence, and hundreds of deaths. Melati is a Malaysian teenager who is with a friend at a Paul Newman movie when the rioting starts. She is saved by a Chinese woman, Auntie Bee, who takes her home to keep her safe. Melati is worried about her mother and can’t contact her because the phone lines are down. Melati suffers from OCD and crippling anxiety which she calls her Djinn. Bee’s son Vince tries to help her find her mother. Violence continues to escalate between the different races with tragic results even to those trying to help.

This poignant Malaysian story is applicable to every culture and country.

3.5-4 stars

I was lucky to get an ARC through Twitter from the author because I've been dying to read this. Not only Hanna is Malaysian, but this book is also set in baby!Malaysia, 12 years after Independence, and during the racial riots.

This book was A Ride, okay. I finished it all in one sitting because I couldn't make myself stop.

The plot was simple--Melati was caught in the riots and had to find a way back to her mother--but I was captivated by all the details surrounding that: the love, the hate, the muhibbah. The little Malaysian mentions like ais kacang. I got so emo when it was revealed that the title of the book was taken by the Malay saying "di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung". It was just so fitting with the whole story.

The Weight of Our Sky meant a lot to me; I finally got to read a book about people exactly like me and whose experiences I could relate. I don't know what else to say other than I love it, and I want more of it. Will certainly keep my eye out for more of Hanna's works.

Trigger Warning: Racism, graphic violence and death, OCD and anxiety triggers

Don't be fooled by the cute and deceptively MG-looking cover. This is an intense and dark book—heed the author's trigger warnings very, very carefully before continuing. Seriously.

With that being said, this was an incredible, hard and devastating portrayal of the race riots in Malaysia in 1969, narrated by a girl with OCD, anxiety and mental illness.

I was a little hesitant going into this one because based on the cover and the blurb it seemed like there might be a romance worked in there, which seemed somewhat inappropriate considering the setting and the fact that Mel is forcibly separated from her best friend and can't find her mother during murderous riots—even though it would be on brand for YA fiction. (view spoiler)

I enjoyed that Melati was a somewhat unreliable narrator. Her mind both protected her from the worst of events and also made things so, so much worse, and she had graphic visions of her mother's death, which simultaneously blunted and enhanced the brutality that she witnessed and experienced.

Also, I liked that her mental illness never magically vanished. (view spoiler) It was something she realized that she'd have to live with all her life, although she realized that it didn't have to define her. She was so much more than the Djinn told her she was, and was so much more capable than her crippling self-doubt. However, until Mel mentions her age, I had been under the assumption that she was younger than she actually was based on her thoughts and actions.

I also liked that in the midst of the horror and violence were pockets of humanity—where people hunkered down and did the best they could to protect their families and those who needed help. And the connections forged among each other remained strong, as they continued to reinforce that there was room for everyone to live in Malaysia—it was big enough for all, and the histories of different peoples living there was long, entangled and much, much more complicated than just "Malay" vs "Chinese."

For the most part, the violence was senseless and the attackers faceless, because they had allowed themselves to be so consumed by hatred of The Other that they lost their own humanity and turned into monsters—but inexplicably remained people. The entire time you're just wondering why? What was the trigger? What happened? Who was right? And you realize that no one was right except for the innocent dead and those who tried to survive and that sometimes the question is more complicated than the answer.

Overall, I really liked this book. It's well-written and kept me riveted from the first page to the last, because you never knew what was going to happen. The fear of the unknown and the unseen was more horrifying that most of the actual horrors that happened on page—and the most horrifying realization of all was that this is real. This happened.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

First of all, I’m not really a big fan of historical fiction. I’m having a hard time to enjoy and relate them, especially when I’m not familiar with the said historic event. Second of all, the moment I realized about the existence of this book, I was hype. The Weight of Our Sky is an extremely tough book, right from its first sentence. It’s not a light reading that you can enjoy underneath the sunshine with a glass of ice tea in your other hand (But if that’s how you read your book, then go ahead! Don’t mind me here!) However, Hanna Alkaf successfully brings out the ugly part historical event in a form of beautifully crafted fiction and it was fascinating. The integration of cultural references, mental health representation and religious aspects made this book remarkable and won’t be very easy to forget.

All of the cultural references in this book made my Asian heart burst of happiness. I finally get to read something and relate to everything that mentioned. Even though I’m Indonesian, the similarity of Indonesian and Malaysian culture is very close, and to witness them throughout this story, it was truly an experience. Non-Asian readers might not notice these references since they’re tiny and seems like just a random explanation. Details such as going to market with your best friend after school and buy local snacks and ice-cold drinks because we’re living in a tropical country and it’s burning hot during the day, visiting small shops just for the heck out of it and not buying anything, Melati’s favorite food and drink, the mentioned of woman devil who sucks blood, and many more. All of these are something that I’m very familiar with. I grow up by actually experiencing these references and it made me ecstatic to see them properly written in this book.

As for the mental health representation, this book summarizes it all together. Anxiety and OCD is a big part of Melati and Alkaf wonderfully presented it in such a graceful way. The inner conversation between Melati and the so-called Djinn and the description of Melati’s tapping as a way to cope with her anxiety/OCD was greatly written. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book before where I truly get to understand the MC’s mind and sense their emotions and feelings. I also very much appreciated that Alkaf brings out these issues and created a flawed MC, where their flaws are actually a part of them and affect their lives and decision making and not just to enrich the story.

Lastly, as a Muslim, to read a story where my religion was a big part of the story, I feel extremely proud. The mentioned of Djinn, going to Ustaz for seeking medication, Melati’s confused thought about the using of ‘Allahu Akbar’ during the attacks instead during the prays, it all happened then and it all still happening to me. We do believe that Djinn existed, and even some Muslims still believe that when you’re not being faithful and close enough to God, that’s the cause of your anxiety, depression, and stress. Being a Muslim herself, Alkaf delivered all of these intricate perspectives from Muslims and made the best sense out of it in this book.

Overall, The Weight of Our Sky was an incredible historical book. It got the right balance of everything without pushing too much. I love how the plot was at a steady pace yet it was still just as thrilling. The horror will haunt you and the drama will wreck your heart. It’s definitely one of my favorite read for this year!

Melati finds herself in search of her mother in this intensive historical debut. Set against the race riots of 1969 in Kuala Lumpur, Melati suffers from severe OCD which she sees as omnipresent djinn that can only be controlled if she follows certain counting rituals, and if she fails to do so, her mother is at risk. The riots break out when she’s at the cinema, and a Chinese family saves Melati. While she has found temporary safety, her mind is always on her mother, as is determined to see her again.

I just loved this story a lot. I raced through it, and when it ended, I was devastated. This isn’t a straightforward story. Melati experiences acts of brutality from other both sides. And Alfak portrays Melati’s journey with such brilliance and strength. Mel is constantly racked with guilt as she watches the world burn while she survives. But she pushes through her Djinn’s watchful eye and confronts it all. She’s a very courageous teen, and her journey across a city in war is heart racing and compelling.

Not only does Melati shine, so does its secondary characters which make their mark just as much as Melati does. From her saviour Auntie Bee, an elderly Chinese stranger, who saves Melati in the nick of time, to her son, Vince. Melati finds allies and enemies everywhere as she joins Vince as the pair begin to help those in need.

The Weight of Our Sky is an exciting story which also discusses culture, mental health and religion, and how all three intersects. And for that I’m grateful. Mental health is rarely considered in Muslim communities. A lot of us are suffering but it’s often brushed away with blame on the individual for not being faithful enough, and this is mirrored here with Mel’s family as they don’t understand how to help Mel. Alfak highlights brilliantly the effects of lack of knowledge about mental health, and how Mel makes sense of her OCD by linking it to a djinn. The story is brutally honest and enthralling. It’s powerful to watch Mel discover what she’s capable of her, despite the circumstances. She can save the day, and I love that I could see parts of myself in her.

Overall, The Weight of Our Sky indeed is a heavy read which follows a historical period which is rarely discussed. It is moving and emotional on every page as we follow Mel on her journey to be reunited with her mother. It’s nerve-wracking as well as exciting. If you can, read it.

Oh, this lovely book is going to tear down your faith in humanity, then rebuild it little by little. You will fall in love with Melati and your heart will break for what she is going through. I am going to keep this review purposefully short so that you can experience this for yourself, because you need to. But a few reasons why you need this in your life:

•I mean, this event happened, and that makes the book extra important, even though it's of course a fictional account. I didn't know much about Malaysian history going into this book, and I feel like I have learned so, so much. Plus, this very obviously contains lessons that we can all use in the present day, in whatever country we happen to live in.

•Mental health rep. Melati has OCD, and it challenges her at every turn. While I don't have Melati's exact condition, I have had so many obsessive and intrusive thoughts and compulsions related to anxiety that I felt like Melati was in my head sometimes. And as is often the case, this catastrophic event intensified Melati's feelings. I am so glad to see a book addressing this, because I think it's incredibly important.

•Family and friendships and love above hate are all such important themes. Melati is desperate to find her mother. She is being helped by the kindness of strangers. In turn, she too displays such kindnesses. Strangers blossom into friends under the most dire of circumstances. And while there are a ton of examples of the hate and violence the characters endured, it's the love that shines through on the pages.

Bottom Line: Do. Not. Sleep. On. This. Book. You will not regret reading this lovely book full of the worst of mankind, but also, the best of it.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-galley of this much anticipated YA novel. Wow. This book is heavy and the author gives a page of possible trigger warnings at the beginning of her story . That said , I thought the topic of the race riots in 1969 in Malaysia was so worth learning more about that I plunged ahead and couldn't put it down.

If you can get past the graphic violence, both real and imagined, than you won't be able to stop reading. The story is so heavy you actually do not want to linger in it for long. Do NOT read before bed , you won't sleep. However, I did not think the violence was over the top or unnecessary. This was a horrible time of extreme violence. Also, the descriptions of the main character's obessive thoughts were very real. The author did not shy away from how horrible this mental illness can be. I can easily recommend this book to adults, as well as teens that can handle it.

We still see so much fear and fighting in our world. If we don't read and talk about these important histories we will just keep going down the same path. To quote the book ,"How do you expect unity to grow from seeds of self interest?"

This book was real, raw, and an incredible look at how mental illness can impact a life completely. The main character was relatable and oh so likeable, and I really appreciated that in the midst of the chaos in her city and in her mind, she wasn't also given a love interest to be bogged down with. This was her story, within herself and her relationship with her mother, and it was very well done.

The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf

Rating: 5/5



This debut novel by Hanna Alkaf was such a beautiful and emotional story of a teenage girl named Melati who suffers from OCD and anxiety. The story takes place in Kuala Lumpur in 1969 when political and racial tensions were high. Things get intense when Melati gets separated from her mother during a 24 hour curfew due to the riots in the city. 



Let's start with the very first page. From the get-go, the author gives a trigger warning. This deals with anxiety, OCD, death, and racism. I haven't really read a book where that has been detailed from the first page and that was really refreshing! On top of that, I found it incredibly interesting to learn the background of why the author chose to write the novel and why it was based during this time. I'm not very good with history, and learned some new information! 



Melati has severe anxiety, but during this time, most mental illnesses are played off as basically being possessed by a djinn (which Muslims like myself believe in). Now I know this takes place in 1969, but as a medical student in Pakistan, I really understood and appreciated the spotlight on mental illnesses! I've had patients right now say that they're sick because of a djinn, so it's not even a thing of the past!



I did have to put the book down a few times because it really was so heavy and loaded with emotion. I could feel the tension and the anxiety Melati felt as she worried for her mother and feared for herself. The way this is written really did have my heart racing as Melati struggled to count in threes to get rid of the djinn. 



Not only was Melati written really well, but I loved Vincent. He's a Chinese boy that helps Melati (a Malaysian) despite the fact that the riots are based on a feud between the different races. I loved reading the relationship between Vincent and his family, and I especially loved how kind he was with Melati. There were so many scenes between the two of them that brought tears to my eyes!



And it was really great seeing Vincent's brother and how he struggled to be kind because of the tensions. I really thought it was important to see how different their views could be even if they were raised in the same family. And I thought it added a layer to the political discussion that was made in the book!



And most importantly, I really appreciated the emphasis on family in this book. Melati and her mother's dynamic was such a beautifully written story. It was ups and downs but all love.



Like, seriously, I CRIED. Also, I read this book so fast it's INSANE. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of diverse books (who isn't?), someone who wants to learn something about history, wants Muslim/Malaysian rep, wants to read about dealing with anxiety and death and racism, and wants to learn about the power of love and friendship. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to cry because of a heart wrenching story of a daughter who would do anything to be with her mother. And I would recommend this to anyone who loves the Beatles as much as Melati!

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1969, a trip to the movies turns dangerous for Melati and her friend when a race riot erupts between Chinese and Malaysians. For Melati the tension intensifies her constant worries that a Djinn is threatening her mother’s life. This book is about the events surrounding the riots which took place on May 13, 1969 in Malaysia when violence erupted between Malaysians and Chinese after opposition parties gained seats from the ruling party during the general election on May 10. Being a YA novel the focus is on the effect the riots have on Melati a Malaysian girl with OCD rather than the politics. Alkaf immediately shows readers how OCD affects Melati and how it affects her everyday interactions. The violence unfolding around Melati's only intensifies her symptoms. Alkaf provides an unflinching portrayal of Malay-Chinese violence, which is graphic at times. The depiction of the riot shows humanity at its worst, but there are also glimpses of kindness from both Malaysians and Chinese. Highly recommended for libraries looking to expand their YA historical fiction collections beyond Western perspectives.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC for this book.

I first heard about The Weight of the Sky from Twitter and was intrigued by its premise: Malaysia during the 1969 race riots. Frankly, growing up in the US, I'd never heard of this event, having never learned about it in school, so I knew that this book would teach me something new. And it did! Complete with a historical, non-Western setting, The Weight of the Sky delivers a new side of YA, one where we expand our Western-centric boundaries.

Although I had no knowledge of the 1969 race riots, it is not far off from some of the events occurring in the US today. I won't conflate them, but here, strong tensions existed between the Malay, the Chinese, and the Indian peoples. From what I understand, this was a very delicate racial issue; although the sides blamed each other, there was no singular group in the right. Personally, I think Hanna Alkaf depicted this well, how all the different groups of people belonged in Malaysia, but I would strongly encourage you to find #ownvoices reviews.

The writing was, I think, my favorite part of this book. Alkaf's prose is just one of those that you can fall, head over heels, in love with. She writes how I think, and everything just flowed so easily.

Melati's OCD and her faith are very much tied into the plot; the author included a note at the beginning, describing the limits of mental health treatments back then, as well as the existence of djinn in Islam. I found this incredibly informative, and it provided more context for non-Muslim readers.

I loved all of the characters, so so so much. I loved Melati's perseverance, Vince's compassion, Auntie Bee's generosity. Although you bear witness to many horrible occurrences throughout this novel, you also get to see the kindness and the consideration of people, bold in the face of atrocities.

This novel is so necessary today; I think this is a step in the right direction, a path that will bring more inclusivity to YA, so that it won't be so Western-centric or white. If you're looking for a historical novel, one with a non-Western setting (Southeast Asia, or more specifically Malaysia), or OCD rep, I wholeheartedly recommend The Weight of the Sky.

This was an incredibly powerful, emotional read. I’m thankful for books like this that preserve survivors’ stories. The book is also a fantastic example of a story serving as both a window and a mirror. Readers will be engaged by the action, the historical context, and the emotional struggles. Very highly recommended.

I mean, I knew I would love it. How could I not? This touches on an era of history not taught (like, at all) in Western schools, and it means so much to me to have a book that honestly grappled with this time period (and on top of that, OCD). This was stellar, and I can't wait to hold the hardcover in my hands.

I was unable to download this arc to my ereader but will be recommending it to my students anyway because of the historical content.

- This book was absolutely brilliant - it was emotional, thoughtful, compelling, and tense.
- I loved that this book covered the racial riots of Malaysia. This was particularly personal to me, as my parents survived the racial riots that targeted Chinese-Malaysians, and it was important to me that (a) I got to learn more about my family's history, and (b) now the world will be able to learn about what happened (given the immense censorship the government imposed regarding the riots).
- I loved the representation of Malaysia and Malaysian culture. It was meaningful and absolutely delightful seeing parts of my identity and heritage on page. Because of this, this book meant a lot to me, and I will do my absolute best to champion this book, Hanna, and her story.
- The non-stop action - whether in plot development or character development - was excellent. I was engaged throughout, wanting to know what happened next, and how the story developed did not disappoint in the slightest.
- I loved the themes explored in this book; the trauma, cultural difference, prejudices, and what strength and solidarity looks like in a time when difference could mean life or death. All brilliantly executed and emotional as well.