Elhillo's novel-in-verse is a heart-rending story of grief, displacement, and nostalgia through the lens of one young woman's experience. Nima's voice is stunning, and Elhillo's deftly handles the complex ways that, in our own grief and hurt, we sometimes hurt the people we love.

Home Is Not a Country by Safia Ehlhillo

10 Reasons Why
1. It’s written in verse
2. Nima’s grown throughout the story
3. Jinn (Which I never heard of until this book) Jinn /jin/ noun (in Arabian and Muslim mythology) an intelligent spirit of lower rank than the angels, able to appear in human and animal forms to possess humans.
4. Haitham- such a good friend. Loved his character so much.
5. Yasmeen, like what?!?!? Who is she really? Couldn’t put this book down after the intro of her.
6. That plot twist tho
7. Familial struggle and love
8. The tears of sadness and of joy
9. GROWTH!
10. That ending!!!

Conclusion
Home Is Not a Country was so good! I originally started reading it, but because it was in verse I knew it would flow better if I listened to it. I especially love that Safia is the narrator as well. She would know best how to read it. If you love books in verse you have to get this and listen to it!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.
This is a beautifully written book that is more like poetry then a “normal” book..take that in consideration when reading because it does take a second to adjust to the writing style. This is a story about Nima who looses her father and in that struggle of loss, starts to resent her mother, her life, and her self. She doesn’t see the value in her self, doesn’t think she is good enough for anyone and starts to fantasize about being the other version of herself, Yasmeen. What would she be if instead of Nima she had been the other name that her parents wanted; would she be prettier, more confident, more loved, especially by her father?!
“And through her eyes my name takes on a new polish like I am finally holding it up to the light.”
Her obsession takes on a weird parallel timeline..and this part I didn’t love, but through this she learns some valuable lessons about herself and how blessed she really is in her life.
“You have this whole big beautiful life and you’re just wasting it, wishing yourself out of it. How could you not want it?”
Overall, this is a beautiful, lyrical, different kind of book that will make you think and appreciate the life you are given, even the little ugly things we complain about!

An intimate but epic poem treating the notion of personal identity amidst the diversity and diversions of a difficult humanity, Timely and apt, joyful and sad, ultimately a great pleasure to read. Poetry speaks.

A beautifully written YA novel in verse that captures teen angst viewed through the lens of a Sudanese immigrant girl, Nima. Through magical realism and the spirit of a girl she might have been, she explores the country she never knew, a land that she dreams of, the family stories that haven't been told, and a past that she would like to change. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available!

Ethereal and dulcet are the words that come to mind when I think of Safia Ehlillo's prose/poet novel, "Home is not a Country." Narrated primarily by Nima, a young Arabic girl growing up in an Islamophobic country, Ehlillo captures beautifully the pain and heartbreak of coming to age, the melancholic nostalgia of feeling like you belong to a homeland you don't even know and the overwhelming desire to live. Reading this unique blend of poetry and prose was a form of magic on its own. The sparse dialogue and description is enough of an effigy but also enough to fill in with your own magic. A great read for folk of all ages!

This book is amazing! It tells an entire tale that is full of detail, longing, choices, confusion, isolation, love, and so much more, all in a long, epic poem style. It is lyrical in its quality, up there with any poem that you can name. It tells the story of Nima, a woman whose father has died and is being raised by her mother. Her father had wanted to name her Yasmeen, and now Nima spends a lot of time imagining what Yasmeen would have been like, how her life would be different if she were Yasmeen instead of Nima. I think all of us at some point have had a small (or maybe large) identity crisis, and maybe even a duality of the self. This book examines all of this with a stanza style of writing that is just amazing. It's so hard to describe, you just have to read it. Or better yet, listen to it if you like e-books.

Safia Elhillo is a name I think all of us should get used to hearing, right alongside Elizabeth Acevedo and Mahogany Browne.

This book tells the story of Nima and her mother. Nima has always longed to be somebody else, as being a Sudanese Muslim teen who does not feel like she belongs anywhere. As Nima must come to terms with who she is--and who she thinks she could have been--she comes to realize what home and love and family mean. As she struggles to determine her identity, she learns about herself, and it is undeniably a privilege to watch. I loved Nima, and her story broke my heart a hundred times, brought me to tears, and helped me heal in ways I didn't quite realize I needed. Nima's story is like those of teens everywhere--ones who don't feel like they have a true place in the world because it feels like they're from nowhere and everywhere all at once. This is a book that belongs in every collection because it helps us understand what life is like for those that are different from us, but also gives a voice to those who may be struggling.

A beautifully written novel in verse, Elhillo weaves a tale that takes unexpected twists and turns until it lands Nima, and the reader, right where they need to be.

Content: I do not recall any profanity, but there is bullying and Islamaphobic language, as well as difficult situations. Recommended for grades 8+.

I loved the concept of this book but the magical realism elements really confused me at first. Once I understood what was happening I was able to better appreciate it though.

Novel in Verse- Safia Elhillo reminds me a lot of a budding Elizabeth Acevedo. Her style, rhythm, and breaks in the verse are similar and outstanding.

I'm buying this book in verse for my high school library. I personally don't really enjoy books in verse but many that are coming out lately have been gripping, hard-to-put-down reads and this one is no exception. It is raw, beautiful, heartbreaking all at once and one that many will identify with no matter their culture or family history.

I've become a fan of novels in verse in the last year and this one did not disappoint. Each chapter flows beautifully right into the next. I will definitely read this one again.

Who has not that about how their life would have turned out differently if our parents had made different choices? I know I have. It made me think about that teen in me who wondered what it would have been like to grow up with a different parent or relative much like Nima does.

What is unique about the book is Nima is aware of what that could have looked like. She is a person who finds herself wondering if her life would have been better if she stayed in her mother's home country instead of emigrating to the U.S. or would she be more respected by her schoolmates if she stood up for herself more.

This is a book I wish I read as teen. I see myself a lot in Nima and I'm sure anyone else who reads will be able to relate also.

If you have been following me for a while on either Instagram or Goodreads, you might have noticed that I'm a sucker for books written in verse. So, naturally, when I saw this book, read the synopsis and discovered that it was written in verse, I knew I had to read it! If you are into reading verse too, I'd highly recommend this one because this was such a great and unique read. It tackled so many important topics, such as racism, bullying, loneliness, discovering one's identity, and family. Also, somewhere halfway through, this book pleasantly surprised me by taking on a magical realism turn, which I had never seen in a verse book before and which made it even more unique to me. I'm so glad I got to read this one and I hope it will get the attention it deserves.

I loved Home is Not a Country — it took me a while to get used to a novel in verse, but I was engrossed in Nima's story. Her struggle of feeling not at home, too other for either American or Arabic culture, and what her identity could have been were all important stories to be told.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This book offers a refreshing opportunity to consider identity development, mother daughter relationships, and home. I thoroughly enjoyed the elements of magical realism and the ideas of what is possible. Safiyah’s work is brilliant and poignant!

A lyrical, beautifully written novel in verse. It is about finding yourself and your connection to your family and friends. Highly recommend to fans of Elizabeth Acevedo.

Home is Not a Country is the moving story of Nira, a Muslim American girl whose mother left an unnamed, war torn country, (more than likely Sudan), to raise her daughter in the US. This beautifully written novel in verse draws the reader into a life that is haunted by a past Nira struggles to discover and understand. She shares her story with Yasmeen, her alter ego, in that Nira was supposed to be have named Yasmeen had things gone differently for her parents when her mother was pregnant.

Nira is a solitary teen, either ignored or bullied by her classmates. Her best friend is Haitham, (more like a brother to her than a friend), until a falling out separates them, forcing Nira into a series of events that are traumatic for her. As she tires to make sense of what "home" means, we are invited to follow Nira's painful journey.

Home is Not a Country is an exploration of identity. It is also a reminder of what many Muslim teens go through as they strive to find a sense of belonging -- as is the case with many adolescents who are from neither here nor there.

I usually find novels written in verse either lacking in a solid story structure or lacking in that prose you're looking for in a book of poetry. This genre has really let me down over the years, but this one manages to mesh the two aspects of a free verse novel perfectly.

Nima lives with her mom in America, having immigrated after the death of her father in a car accident. In addition to those struggles that come with fitting into a new culture as a teenager, she also struggles with meeting the imagined expectations of a name she almost possessed. She was told that her mother almost named her Yasmeen, and throughout the entire book, Nima grapples with this perfect, idealized version of herself who she wishes she could be. Through a twist of magical realism, she comes face to face with that girl and tries to learn to accept the real version of herself.

I loved nearly everything about this book -- the pacing was excellent, the character development was spot on, the prose was phenomenal. There were some minor sci-fi things that had me grumpy at the end, but I thought it worked for the story's resolution, and it was small enough to be forgivable for that 5 star review. My only qualms with this novel is that the poetry can't stand alone so I can excerpt it for use in my classroom. I will, however, be buying a copy for my classroom library!

The verse novel, Home Is Not a Country, is labelled for young adults and teens, but we shouldn’t let them have all the enjoyment. As if identity is not enough problem in adolescence, Nima lives in a suburban town far from the land where her mother grew up. The author, Safia Elhillo, never names the country but hints at Sudan in this lyrical verse novel. Nima relates too much to her current circumstances to fit into her mother’s culture and too little to feel like she belongs in her own. An early sample gives a taste of her ability to wrap feelings in words.

“in the dream i am back home & i am beautiful my country
wrapped like an embrace around me my god not hated
my language washed of all its hesitation my father
alive alive”

With no friends except her childhood companion Haitham, she lives the role of an outsider. In her mind she builds a better world around her dead lionized father. In that world she is Yasmeen, the name he chose for her, instead of Nima, her mother’s choice. A breaking point comes when she lashes out at the two people she can depend on – her mother and Haitham – and begins a trip into the world she thought she wanted.

Her venture into the spirit world in the magical realism of the novel brought a suspension of disbelief for me as complete as that of Scrooge with his three spirits in The Christmas Carol and a conclusion just as satisfying. In this excursion she finds what would have happened if she had changed places with her alter ego bearing the name Yasmeen, the name of a flower, that had been her father’s choice for her. Understanding comes in a flashback scene when an aunt tells her youthful dancing mother that she should have been named “Nima” for “graceful one,” and she replies that she will save the name for her daughter.

This is a book that conveys a compelling story in words worth lingering over and savoring.

Raw, powerful emotion spills from the pages of this book. This coming of age story touches on racism, identity, xenophobia, poverty, bullying, and other real topics. I cannot recommend Home is Not a Country highly enough and hope to see it in school libraries and classrooms.!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for a copy of this book.