This book crushed my soul, but left it with hope. An intense rollercoaster ride of emotions and what it's like to experience a grief so profound it feels like an anchor holding you down when all you want to do is break free. Filled with questioning of faith, the aftermath of 9/11 with racism and raging islamophobia, broken friendships, and love so pure it feels like it's killing you. All I can say is wow!

Thank you NetGalley for a chance to review an early copy of An Emotion of Great Delight!

rating: 3/5

I'm not exactly sure how to feel about this book. I think it's a very beautiful and heartbreaking novel on an incredibly important topic. The story itself was good, it was fast paced and engaging. I Just couldn't get past the writing, which is just based on personal preference. I've read Tareheh Mafi's Shatter Me, so I shouldn't be surprised by the writing, but it still felt a bit too distracting. I haven't read any of Mafi's work since 2015, so I might have just outgrown the dramatic, poetical writing style.

The content of this book was wonderful. I was looking forward to reading her contemporary books, and I'm glad I did. She did a wonderful job at capturing the complexities of our emotions, and I wished that had been explored even more. The only thing that took away from my experience was the writing, which as I said is completely just personal taste. I'd still really recommend this book!

This #ownvoices book by Iranian-American author Tahereh Mafi is brutal in its honesty. It takes place in 2003 after the United States declares war against Iraq. Iranian-American teenager Shadi’s life is falling apart. Her older brother has died, her father is in the hospital, her mother is emotionally unwell and is cutting herself and her sister is trying to get away from it all. The other anchors in her life, best friend and her best friend’s brother, have also removed themselves. A lot of things are pounding down on Shadi, including the rain. Early on, there’s a scene where she gets completely drenched in a downpour when walking to her night class and you can just feel her despair.

All of this gut wrenching family drama is playing in front of a backdrop of extreme distrust against the Muslim community. FBI agents have infiltrated their mosque and are trying to get other members to inform on each other. News headlines cut like a knife when Shadi reads them. These reflections are eye opening and are a big reason why #ownvoices books can be so powerful.

This was a stunning gut-punch of a read. We follow Shadi, a grieving teen trying to her best to navigate a world determined to see her fail. Mafi's prose steals the show here, deftly capturing the magnitude of Shadi's heartbreak and pain. I never stop to highlight sentences as I read, but there were so many in this book I wanted to revisit that I had to give in and note them all. A delicate, layered, gorgeous novel.

The main character in An Emotion of Great Delight is a hard feeling girl. As a Muslim living in a post 9/11 world, she deals with the normal issues of a every teen ever and then some. A father who is dying, a brother already dead, a former best friend who seemingly now hates her, a mother who self harms, and now her friend's older brother might be in love with her?

I am really curious to see how my students feel about this book. The title is kind of misleading-there's not that much happiness in this book at all! OR.... is there? It will be interesting to see the kids' take on whether or not simply making it through life's everyday struggles is enough to make oneself happy. Then again, is there a simpler happiness that comes with being comfortable in one's true identity? Perhaps that's the message here.

2.5 stars full review on goodreads
I just can’t decide how I feel about this author. While ideas are fresh,and books like this one have important themes in them. The language is just too extra, especially when it comes to feelings and love moments. I also find so much unrealistic. Didn’t hate it but didn’t love it.

I was very much looking forward to reading An Emotion of Great Delight, because I was shook to my core after reading A Very Large Expanse of Sea - Tahereh Mafi's style and voice was stunning, poetic, and powerful in that book, and it turned me to read her fantasy books as well. Because this seemed to be in the same vein of AVLEOS, my expectations were very high. Unfortunately I DNF this book. When I hit the 50% mark, I was completely lost in everything Shadi has going on, and based on other reviews, it was obvious that things weren't going to improve in the second half. What surprises me is not that Shadi had the extremely challenging struggles - that was expected based on the storyline. I simply couldn't believe I was reading a (near) final draft - the craft just wasn't what I expected from Mafi and the disjointed thoughts, strange word choices, and descriptions felt very discordant. It's hard for me to write a negative review, but I had to be honest here that I DNF a book, which I typically see through, and explain why. Hoping to fall back in love with her stories again in the future.

Absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. It was a whirlwind of emotion going on this journey with Shadi, but I’m so glad I had the chance to do so! I felt so hard for her and connected with the character on a deep level even though I have not experienced anything close to what she did. It’s just the magical feature of Tahereh’s beautiful, lyrical writing that captures you whole.

I want to thank Harper Collins for providing me with an ARC of this book.
Honestly, I didn't even read the synopsis. When I saw it was Mafi, I just requested it because I really do love her writing and thought for sure I would enjoy this one as well.
The book gives a dive into the life of a Muslim teen status post 9/11.
I will say I didn't like the main character. That may have been some of the intention with the book, though. After all, 17 year olds are usually quite self-centered and Shadi came off as exactly that. She made some poor life choices throughout the book. And it's not until the end that she owns up to that, at least somewhat.
I liked how Mafi gave us a look into what Muslims were experiencing status post 9/11. It was also an interesting look into a different culture for me. I will confess to not knowing much about the Muslim religion or about Iranian/Persian family life or culture. I do wish she had expanded on it just a bit. I found the relationship Shadi had with her family more superficial than I would have liked, given her strong emotions about them. A deeper dive would have been welcome.
Overall it was a quick read but not my favorite YA contemporary. It did feel a bit rushed with how short it was.

It is so hard to read a book so close to home, so close to me as a person, and to walk away feeling so conflicted. I wanted so badly to like this review, to follow Shadi's journey. But there is so much done wrong in this book, that I felt so frustrated.

The first problem I had with this book is that there is just way too much going on, in a short amount of time. We meet Shadi, and we learn the following
* Her Dad is in the hospital
* Her Brother has died
* She lost her best friend
* She likes her ex-best-friend brother
* Her Mom is depressed
* She lives in a post 9/11 world

I just felt like everything was too much, and because we had so many problems, nothing was adequately explored. We didn't find conclusions to ANY of the problems addressed, which left me feeling angry. I don't think it's okay to introduce so many problems but provide not a single path to healing.

Additionally, I think Mafi didn't tackle the idea of Muslim Identity well in this story. I do not expect Shadi, a 17-year-old girl, to have herself figured out as a Muslim-American, and to expect so would be unreasonable. However, Mafi switches back and forth between Shadi being totally in tune with God and religion to someone who found it to be excessive and strange. I understand the feeling of dichotomy and feeling so divided, but I think that some of the thoughts she had were just irresponsible. For example, the talk she has with Noah about the burqa is just so wrong on so many levels, and I found it ironic because it is no different than what people say about Muslims wearing a hijab.

This book had so very little to do with post-9/11 America. It was mentioned like once or twice, but overall this story could have taken place in 2020 with no problem. I think that it was a mistake to market it as such. It would have done way better to market this book about a girl's problem with identity and grief, which is at its core.

There is also a BIG problem with Mafi's writing. I have always disliked her writing style because it has always felt flamboyant with a lack of substance. And reading the first chapter gave me such a hard whiplash because what teenager even talks like this? At all? I was once 17 not that long ago, and I have a sister who is 17. Her descriptions and style become so much it's suffocating, and it really takes away from the idea that Shadi is a teenager.

The ending was so rushed it hurt, and the whole plot with Ali was such bullshit I can feel it hot in my blood. I hated how fast the ending happened and how the ending gave us absolutely NOTHING. Zip. Nadda.

I can go on and on about what I had problems with, but I just feel disappointed. I can tell that Mafi wrote from a place of genuine hurt and pain, but it is just too complicated and hurried. Most of all, as a Muslim-American myself, I did not love what was being written and I could not see myself in the story. I wanted so badly to love this book, but it's just a depression ride with very little clarity, direction, and insight.

When it comes to Mafi's writing style, you either love it or it's not for you. She writes so delicately and poetically, it's like a Monarch butterfly fluttering softly, landing on your shoulder - OH NO, she's got me doing it now, too. But really, the writing style that is consistent throughout her work is present in this story as well, although there is a marked change in tone from the beginning of the story to the end.

This is a solid contemporary YA story that focuses mostly on the experiences of a Muslim American high school girl in 2003. There are horrifying experiences, mundane high school experiences, and lots of introspection in between. There is loss and grief yet also hope and love.

My favorite of Tahereh Mafi's books.

Mafi's prose is one of my favorites of contemporary young adult authors today. I absolutely adored a very long expanse of sea and this novel did not disappoint. It was extremely heavy at times, but in the best way that makes you think about current issues from a different perspective and makes you want to do something about it. I loved Shadi's voice, and gobbled up the family dynamics. I hope that fans of Shatter Me will give Mafi a chance within her new genre - I think this is her best work so far.

GUYS: This is very different then the Shatter Me series. I know we all love that series, but Mafi proved she is a lot more than that with this book. It is very sad and emotional and so interesting!

I finished this book in 2 days. I should not be surprised because I read A Very Large Expanse of Sea in one day, but it made me feel completely different. Aside from similar central topics and breathtaking covers, these stories were polar opposites, in the best way.
Shadi is a Muslim teenager trying to finish high school in the years following 9/11. On top of the difficulties the Muslim community is experiencing, her own life is on the verge of unraveling. Tahereh Mafi tackles the loneliness that only occurs during grief. Shadi is trying to be the one person in her family who has it all together, yet when she is alone, she is anything but. Her best friend has cut her off, her brother is dead, her mother is withering away, and she doesn't know how much longer she can keep the tsunami wave of feelings at bay. And that is exactly how I felt the entire time reading this. Tears were stationed behind my eyes and I was waiting with baited breath to see how Shadi's story would unfold.
This book is not lighthearted in the way one expects. It ask difficult questions of the reader and forces them to examine how they handle their own feelings in a way that can only be done after reading such a story. While this book is *about* a Muslim girl, that is not all it is. It is about grief and rebirth. Love in the midst of extreme loneliness. It is about finding that singular moment that evokes the Emotion of Great Delight and using it as an anchor to guide you back from the cliff.
Tahereh's use of metaphors and figurative language might have seemed excessive at moments, but it made the story lyrical and played a large roll in the pacing. She has hit another homerun with this one and I cannot wait to recommend it to everyone upon its release.

~~ received as an ARC from NetGalley ~~

TW: Self-harm
3/5 Stars.

I LOVED Mafi's AVLEOS but An Emotion of Great Delight fell flat. The constant jumping between the events (I'm not sure I'd consider them flashbacks) and the addition of some characters who absolutely didn't need to be added. This story could have been much stronger had it focused on THE EMOTIONS within it -- grief and joy. I also did not like how little it focused on Shadi's mother and the struggles she had.

Saying the cons, I also have to talk about the pros. Mafi's writing is BEAUTIFUL as always. Her voice is clear and expressive, and it makes her books easy reads. The integration of Iranian culture, Farsi, and a post 9/11 world create a masterpiece. Had the plot been better and stronger, this would be a 5/5 for talking about grief and regret...but it also didn't talk about recovering from grief enough to warrant any more than 3 stars.

Right now, I'm giving it a 5/5, but I might have to mull over it a little more.

I'm gonna say it right off the bat—this is, if not the most, one of the saddest, heaviest, most emotionally propulsive books I've ever read. Chapter after chapter, there is something new happening, something thrown in the main character's way, and the way Tahereh Mafi describes it is just beyond good. She makes you feel it. My heart wrenched as I read this. I read this so fast because I needed to know what happened next, needed to see what would come after each scene. I was obsessively flipping pages, not because this easy or fun or exciting to read, but because it was so horrifying and real and raw that it was impossible to turn away. I was slack-jawed most of the time while reading this and I just could not stop. The character development was impeccable, the writing, as always with Tahereh Mafi, was exquisite, and the plot was enrapturing. I really loved how we got the chapters that take place the year before the story's start because I think it added a lot to the novel.

My only critiques that make me question whether this is a full 5/5 is that I think this book needed MORE. This is a short book with a fast pace, but most of the time, I couldn't stop thinking about how it was so narrow-focused. There was the main focus and then the only real side plot was the romance and even that could've used a little more development. AVLEOS was so amazing because it dealt with more than what the character was feeling. We weren't so confined to her thoughts and feeling; we got to see more of the world outside of her and see how Muslims were treated in that time. In AEOGD, we did get some of that but not enough in my opinion. It's a little difficult to explain without spoilers, but I felt like this book could've just been bigger. We could have had more scenes and interactions, but instead, I felt as though we were stuck in Shadi's head. It wasn't as well-rounded or expansive as AVLEOS, but then again, it could have been intentional, which is why I'm more forgiving and overall, enjoyed the story. We just could've gotten more outside of plot. I do wish we got more character stuff between Shadi and the other characters and just simply moments outside of the rollercoaster of traumatic events she was experimenting, but yet again, this could have been a conscious decision.

I might lower my rating to a 4.5 or 4 in the future, but for now, I'm keeping it at a 5 because...wow. I know I'm going to be thinking about this for years to come just like AVLEOS. It is achingly beautiful and a must-read for sure. Please, please, please read this book when it comes out on June 1st because it is definitely worth it!

EDIT: ooh, also, I just read another review about the very ending of this book. I interpreted it one way, but it seems the other reviewer interpreted it another way so...I'm interested to see was the general consensus will be.

<i> Thank you so much to HarperCollins for sending me an ARC (advance reader copy) of this book. All thoughts are my own, of course. </i>

Shadi is a Muslim American teen with a lot on her plate. After her older brother dies her family is torn apart by grief, guilt and blame. Each of those left is falling apart in their own way and no one understands, or even tries to understand, what's happening beyond their own nose. Some of the story is told just post 9/11, showing the reader the isolation and anger at the community. Most of the book though focuses on Shadi's relationship with Ali, the brother of her former best friend. It's a quick read, and compelling, but it feels very unfinished to me. Almost nothing is concluded. The book seemed to be building to a confrontation with Zahra, the former best friend, but nothing happens. Shadi never tells the secrets of what's happening at home, never gets help. She finally admits her feelings for Ali, but because she took no other action to save herself or her family, it seems like he's supposed to be her savior, an impractical thing to ask of a teenage boy and an unwanted ending in this age of girl power. Review from e-galley.

The setting of An Emotion of Great Delight is well constructed and important to the story-- 2003, when the United States felt so lost and broken. Which is how our main character, Shadi, feels. Shadi grew up in a strong, traditional Muslim family and now feels the pressure of an entire nation's prejudice and fear. To make matters worse, her family is in a state of its own turmoil and brokenness.
The story is strong, yet because of gaps that go unanswered for the majority of the book, I can only give it 3 stars. I liked it, but it feels like something big is missing at the end. . .the "so what."
In my library, the book will serve as a mirror into what American Muslims had to endure after 9/11.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Tahereh Mafi's previous realistic fiction release A Very Large Expanse of Sea is one of my favorite books, so I was excited to see another non-fantasy book. The writing in An Emotion of Great Delight is equally as beautiful and poetic. The plot felt a little loose to me, perhaps because of the movement between past and present, but I couldn't put the book down because I cared so much about Shadi's progression. I love a character driven book and this one was no exception. I look forward to listening to the audiobook once it's released as I feel the poetic language and Farsi will make for a beautiful listen, just like AVLEOS.