There's no lack of elements I loved in You Truly Assumed. From Sabriya, an aspiring Black ballerina, to Zakat who is struggling with a new friendship, and Farah who is exploring the halves of her family. There were pieces of my heart that resonated with each of these characters. While the blog, You Truly Assumed, and the islamaphobia they experience on and offline is a huge part of the story, so are their individual journeys. The micro and macro aggressions they face and endure unfolds as their lives begin to intertwine.

On a broader level, You Truly Assumed explores how we feel safe, carve safe spaces for ourselves, and navigate new spaces. Asking contemporary questions about internet safety and the power people feel in anonymity, this book asks numerous relevant questions about voicing our opinions online. At the same time, it also explores our how dreams can wither from lack of representation and the importance of examining our own friends and family. The power we have not only in our own voice, but in the influence we have over our loved ones.

The writing was authentic and straight to the heart. I enjoyed the various perspectives and was really able to experience what it would be like as a black Muslim during an event like this.

This book definitely has a 5 stars potential. The story and premise were great, but what this book failed at was the execution.

Longer and more comprehensive review to come!

This book needs to be one of your most anticipated reads of this year, it is enthralling, enlightening, empowering and conversational.
A brilliant #ownvoices novel that explores the aftermath of a terrorist attack in DC & the sort of awful harm that can and does result from white fear.
In this story we follow Sabriya, Zakat, and Farah, three Black, Muslim teens on the verge of graduation and college applications, who on top of this must deal with numerous macro and microaggressions from others around them and with their blog, You Truly Assumed.
Sabriya's main storyline is she loves to dance, but has been told all her life she doesn't look the part, both outright and subtly. She must relent to volunteer work all summer to help families in the aftermath of the attack, where we have a lovely slow-burn plotline with the only other black teen in their volunteer committee who she previously assumed to be majorly annoying, her character growth is mainly learning how to stand up for herself and share her thoughts, understanding her perspective is important in a world that constantly tells her it isn't.
Zakat loves art, and wants to go to school for it, but her parents are protective and would rather see her closer for school, she grows up in a tight-knit Muslim community, however is one of very few Black members. She has to work with someone who was previously bigoted all summer and she struggles with trusting her instincts lest she have a confrontation, but her main character growth is to do with making decisions for her own well-being, putting herself out there, how to deal with confrontation.
Farah is a coding whiz and is in charge of blog layout. She has to stay with her absent father for the summer when he suddenly wants to reappear in her life, along with his brand new family. She and her boyfriend Riley are going to be apart when college begins, and she is convinced she has to break up with him now so it won't hurt so much later on. Her main character growth has to do with forgiveness, learning to trust and rely on others, and opening up her heart outside of her comfort bubble with her mom.
I was completely engaged and enthralled with the characters and the story the entire time I was reading. My emotions and anxiety spiked a few times reading, imagine living this reality every single day and not just reading about it, the experience ending once you put the book down .This is an amazing depiction of the experience most Muslims face in America and beyond. the added element of anti-blackness was just so disheartening, but so real. The intersectionality of two identities that don't seem to coincide with each other in most perceptions, yet many people make up these blends of ethnicities in the religion of Islam. To deal with racism as well as Islamophobia is unfortunately most Muslim peoples' experience. Everybody should read this book, for the reason alone that nobody should be ignorant to the behavior towards certain religious minorities perpetrated all of the time by hateful white people. Also, though loads of elements are very real, this story is fictional, and it's really delightful and easy to follow. I read right through it because I couldn't stand to put it down.
Lastly, I'll add a really lovely quote from the book that I really resonated with;
"It's gross that people get to have racist, Islamophobic, or homophobic or any of the other countless "phases" that get written off as them simply being children."

Sabriya (Bri) hoped to spend her summer focusing on ballet but when a terrorist attack occurs in Washington DC that leads to a surge in Islamophobia around the country, auditions are cancelled and her plans get scrapped. Her sister suggests a private online journal as an outlet and Bri writes her first entry of You Truly Assumed. When the private blog accidentally gets posted to the public and starts getting quite a response, Bri decides to keep writing it publicly. She soon realizes she needs help and recruits Farah (Rose) to help with the technical side of the blog and Zakat (Kat) to contribute her art. These 3 girls have different interests and side stories going on in addition to dealing with backlash their blog causes. YTA is a space for community and conversation between young black Muslim women but in the wake of the terrorist attack, they are inundated with vitriol and backlash from those with hateful ideologies both on the blog and in real life. As all three tackle challenges in their personal lives their bond with one another continues to grow stronger as they support one another and fight to keep YTA up and running. This one started kind of slow but I really ended up loving all three characters and really enjoyed their perspectives. Will recommend.

Wow, this was an incredibly powerful book! As a Syrian American I always appreciate being represented in books because growing up there was never representation of the middle eastern culture. There truly wasn't anything I didn't love about this book!

this was a great and fun debut novel! i got attached to the characters and their storylines (my favorite was Farah). as a black and muslim woman, i have never read a novel that featured women who shared the same "intersectionalities" (is that a word) as me. i think it's the first time i was kinda represented in a story.

i think the audience for this is like 11-17 years old? the characters felt very juvenile, but they are teenagers navigating a lot of things, so i understand their reaction even if sometimes i felt like rolling my eyes (i couldnt help it!!!). in the end, everything was okay so i was happy.

i try to stay away from books dealing about trauma and racisms or islamophobia, but i am so glad i received an arc of this one and read it.

i absolutely recommend it to everyone!

I honestly didn’t enjoy this book. I felt that it was pretty slow and shallow. The story line also could have been better!

I think this book just wasn’t written for me. I’m not a Black Muslim living in the US, yet the author asked for readers to review her book who were Black and/or Muslim, so I went into this expecting that I’d relate to some aspects at least. Besides for one character who wears the hijab and mentions praying, the other two don’t mention anything about Islam (besides having an Allah necklace and mentioning Ramadan and Eid). They also both date/end up in a relationship by the end of the book. None of these things are explained or challenged in any way. It’s considered normal and accepted. I did speak to a friend about it and she said it could just be how Black Muslims express their faith differently than us, but I think this would just leave non-Muslim and Muslim readers more confused. If it was clearly stated that “hey, I date and don’t pray, which I know is not something Muslims do, but I still call myself a Muslim” I could maybe understand? Even our one hijabi character has a best friend who throws parties at her house and invites guys too?? And they both go to an all girls Islamic school? The book seemed to focus more on islamophobia but without the Islam part. The blogposts were super general in the sense where it talks about wanting to be yourself and stand up for what’s right and how difficult it is being Black and Muslim, but we just don’t get that “Muslim” aspect to it. I don’t know, this just wasn’t written for me and even then I went in thinking it could surprise me, but I was disappointed instead.

You Truly Assumed follows three Black Muslim girls who create a blog as a space for young Muslim girls to come together after a terrorist attack in DC. This is a thought-provoking book that deals with important and relevant issues. The three main characters are all feeling a bit lost in some ways, and the blog allows them to find a safe space that helps them grow in their own lives. I was really interested in seeing how these characters navigated the difficulties in their individual lives. The blog is part of the story, but it is more so about identity, friendship, community, etc. YA books are hit or miss for me and the writing in this book is why I rated this lower. Despite not connecting to the writing style myself, I think this book is important and worth the read.

*Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for this eARC!

A book about assumptions, truths and owning your identity, ‘You Truly Assumed’ by @lailasabreenwrites was a treat to read ahead of publication. I was so thankful I was given a copy to review by #NetGalley, and look forward to the publication by @inkyardpress/@harpercollins on 2/8/22.
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Sabriya, a Black Muslim teen, was supposed to be spending her summer in intense ballet courses, but a terrorist attack nearby at Union Station in Washington DC interrupts all those plants. Sabriya begins processing her feelings via writing on a blog she thinks is private, but accidentally posts it to the world. There, she connects with Zakat and Farah, other Black Muslim teens living in different parts of the US, who begin contributing in different ways to the blog. Pushback against the blog and within their own communities heats up, and one of the girls gets threatened. Should they take the blog down, or risk everything to be heard?
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When I shared with a colleague that I had recently read a story about three Black Muslim American girls, she was sure she had heard me incorrectly. ‘They’re Muslim and Black?’ she clarified. Yes! The different lives the girls live, and the different ways that their Blackness and faith plays out in their lives, drew me into the story. This story will break your heart and throw the reader into the uncertainty of adolescence, as well as the pain of being othered for faith. As someone who does not share this faith, it is illuminating for me to read to understand a sliver of someone’s identity that is different from mine. The themes this book explores - from religious and racial identity, family, friendship, love and belonging - are important and rich and play out against anti-Muslim sentiment and incidents in the girls’ respective communities. This is representation that is difficult to find, and surely should be celebrated. The ending did feel a bit rushed, but didn’t take way from how much I appreciated the story. I am excited to add this to libraries after it is published in February.
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#diverseteensbooks
#diversebooks
#diverseYA
#weneeddiversebooks
#teenbookrecommendations
#muslimYA

(this will appear soon on www.instagram.com/missrookesbooks )

What do a ballerina, an artist, and a techie have in common? Nothing and everything. Bri, Kat, and Rose are the pseudonyms of three female black Muslim teens that are reeling from a recent terrorist attack and the repercussions they face based solely on their skin color, sex, and religion.

I'm a white, middle-class female with no real "religious" leanings. I've experienced misogyny and been subjected to inequalities when it comes to the patriarchal society we live in. The catcalls, the pay differences, the lack of respect when involved in a "male dominated" field. But, after reading You Truly Assumed my experiences were no where close to what these three ladies dealt with.

I was in the fifth grade when 9/11 happened. I remember the fear that swelled behind people and can only imagine what that fear morphed into for people of the Muslim faith. After reading this, I supposed I don't have to imagine too much. I don't remember being afraid or wishing harm on people who looked like those that committed the act; but I also don't remember standing up for people who looked like them either. This novel has put a lot into perspective and I've taken quite a bit of time to reflect on my own views. I don't judge people, I try to always be fair and honest, to judge individuals on their actions rather on the actions of people who look like them. But micro-aggressions exist. And even though we believe ourselves to be fair and good and not judge by appearance, we might indirectly be exhibiting micro-aggressions. This novel was an extra push to be ever-mindful of those as they can be just as, if not more so, damaging to those communities.

Teenage girls attempting to find a safe space to express their fears, worries, and even their joys is something to be celebrated. To have outside forces (in this case adult men) making that space feel wrong and dangerous is disgusting. I literally could feel my body recoil when reading some of the comments and actions taken by "pillars of the community". Laila Sabreen did a wonderful job of immersing you into their worlds; and allowing you to experience a small percentage of what it must be like to live in their skin. It was beautifully done; tragic, and yet one of the most uplifting pieces I have read this year.

You Truly Assumed was filled with young women that find hope and joy, and themselves, are worth fighting for. They were inspiring not only to the people they came in contact with throughout the novel, but to me as the reader. These women also came from tight family units, that even when they disagree with one another, are supportive and understanding in the ways that matter. I would have liked to see a family dynamic that didn't necessarily support their child; because unfortunately, that happens. Just because someone is family, does not mean that they value or respect you the way they should. There are moments when we need to stand up and against our family -- which, we do see in this novel, but I felt like this moment was rushed. This plot point was a huge moment for all parities involved, and I felt like it deserved a little more "screen time". But overall, bravo.

This entire novel was about speaking up. Sharing truth even when the threat of this truth could cause additional harms. I was sucked in and wrapped up in the lives of these three brave, talented, and dynamic characters. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Inkyard for the copy. My review is unbiased and honest.

I can’t speak to the experiences in this book as a non Black Muslim, so I won’t be talking about that. I can say, however, that it was really insightful seeing these three unique Black Muslim experiences in this story.

I think the book did a really great job of creating this impactful and emotional story while also having some really great friendships and family relationships.

I loved the way the blog brought these three girls from all over the states together, even amidst some tragedy and struggles. It was great to see this friendship blossom!

There were a lot of quotes that really hit hard and a lot of instances where I could feel the emotion and passion. I would definitely recommend this for a story of power of a small action to start big change.

I do think that there were a lot of times throughout the book where I had a bit of a difficult time remembering which character was supposed to be doing what. While the three girls had distinct storylines, I felt like I wasn’t catching the changes in voice style, so I had to keep going back to remember who was supposed to be talking.

While I also did find the three separate stories really interesting, I felt like because of that, the larger story was put to the side and the story felt a bit choppy because it felt like too much was trying to happen. And because of the separate storylines, it felt like I didn’t get as much of an inside look into the friendship between the three girls as much as I’d have liked. The problem was that I wanted more and it felt like it was all being compressed into too short of a book to properly fill all the gaps.

Of course, I really did love the individual storylines. I loved how they each grew into their own. I especially loved Farah’s story as it was more family orientated and really heartwarming to see.

Actual rating - 3.75★
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was beyond excited to read a story about three Black Muslim woman who bond and blog after a terrorist attack hits DC. The writing style was really good and I liked reading about the different experiences of Sabriya, Zakat, and Farah. It was very impactful but the characters didn't click for me. Their development and bonding was often told of but we don't see them actually unfold. Each character's voice was unique but didn't really mesh with the other characters. I did feel that I was reading three different stories at times but I liked reading about them embracing their identities. I would definitely be looking forward to reading more of Laila Sabreen's works in the future.

Thank you Netgalley and Laila Sabreen for the book arc!

3.5 stars

“You truly assumed that the world would heal and stay healed while spinning constantly. A spinning driven in part by accepted half truths and rumors that get taken as facts.”

I’m not big on contemporary fiction but when I heard about You Truly Assumed and that it’s about three Muslim black girls I knew I had to read it. I requested it immediately and I was lucky enough to get an arc from the author!

I haven’t read any black Muslim women stories so it was very nice to finally see them represented in books (which we desperately need!!).

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You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen is her debut book which is about three black muslim girls; Sabriya, Zakat and Farah, who get together after a bombing occurs in DC, through a blog that Sabriya created called ‘You Truly Assumed’.

Sabriya started You Truly Assumed as an online journal, which was supposed to be set on private but turned out it wasn’t. After the likes, comments and support she got she decided to turn it into an official blog to create a community for young black Muslim women.
Zakat decides to reach out and join YTA to contribute her art into the blog, and Farah offered to help design the website.
We see how they deal with islamphobic people and how they turn it into a stepping stone instead of a brick wall.

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This was such a quick and fun read. It’s was really inspiring to read how these characters showed how proud they are of their identities and didn’t try to separate them to fit into society.

Their friendship is so nice to read about and see how true friends can be made online. Each showed how talented they are and how much they cared about protecting their community.

The reason I rated this a three stars is because the dialogue felt awkward and stiff at times and didn’t sound natural. This also applies to some events.
The characters didn’t seem to have their own unique voice. I wish their personalities were more developed so you can feel more attached to them.

As for the Muslim rep I believe it’s different for everyone. I can’t speak for black Muslims but in general it was okay. I personally prefer Muslim rep that are similar to the one in ‘Love From A to Z’. This one leaned more towards ‘A Very Large Expanse of Sea’ which I wasn’t a big fan of (I’m not comparing the books as much as comparing the muslim rep in them).

Other than that I enjoyed this book and hope to read more books with Muslim representation!

After a terrorist attack near her home, Sabriya’s summer plans are thrown out the window. Instead, she turns to an online journal to express her feelings. You Truly Assumed (the blog) becomes a hit as Muslim teens gather around the new community. Soon, Zakat and Farah join the team to help, but as their numbers rise, so makes the malicious comments. And the community they’ve worked so hard to build might just come tumbling down if they don’t speak up.

You Truly Assumed is a story that had a lot of potential. And I feel like it almost hits the spot but fails to keep its momentum. Let’s start with the plot. Three girls, Bri, Zakat and Farah. Bri is a ballet dancer whose summer auditions are cut short after a terrorist attack makes her hometown standstill. Her sister encourages her to put her pen to a digital paper and sets up an online blog to discuss her thoughts privately, or so she thought. Instead of auditions, she’s helping the terror attack victims while YTA thrives. She recruits Farah, who is currently spending the summer with her estranged father and joins the team to help run the tech side of the blog. Zakat’s artistic flair brings a new image to the blog; however, her family aren’t supportive of her future in art. When Bri notices an influx of hate comments, a physical threat almost tears them down, and they have to figure out how to control it or risk shutting the site down.

You Truly Assumed thrives in concept. I adored the idea of three young women using the blog to tell their stories, creating a community where they can discuss what they want on their terms. It also highlights the voice and individual levels of three young Black Muslim girls. I really enjoyed seeing the diversity in their lives and how Sabreen explores the different ways a person can experience Islamaphobia and racism.

My main issue with You Truly Assumed is that while the plot is engaging, the writing simply isn’t. It felt weird reading the story of Sabriya, Zakat and Farah because it reads like three stories forced into one book. It’s one big book telling the readers what happens and not an ounce of showing. We are told their blog is thriving, yet we only see three, maybe four, posts within the book. If I can recall correctly, only two of them were actually blogging content. We are told these girls have become close friends, but their conversations are limiting and most of their development happen off-page. This entire book hinges on the emotional connection between these girls, but the emotion isn’t there, so readers are left just to watch it all happen.

Overall, I wasn’t impressed. The heart of the story is so there and close within our reach. It feels like a story incomplete, and it was exhausting to read, mainly because I was imagining what the book could’ve been.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
I enjoyed the characters right away in this book, but I felt that there were times that the dialogue and inner-dialogue was sometimes clunky, and at first it bothered me. As I got farther in and more attached to the characters, however, I forgot about it and by the fantastic ending I was completely on board and decided in total this was an easy five star. Really enjoyed this. You will love the characters!

I read this in one sitting and going forward will be reading everything that Laila puts out cause this was such a great book. I loved all the characters and seeing them come into their own and stand up/deal with the issues they were facing outside of the blog was such great. (Please if you have one shots etc please release them I shall read them all). Each girl's interpretation of their faith and how they saw/handled? their blackness was interesting, I also found the side characters response to microaggressions and situations that our MCs were placed in very interesting as well . <spoiler> Jess can go kick rocks, I did not like that woman, it was so hard to see her actions as that of a concerned parent and then she was trying to say like it was because she cared for Tommy and the kids and didn't want them to get hurt if Farah didn't stick around but in no way made her home welcoming to Farah so that she might have stuck around. Also Lucy can kick rocks too. Bri telling that nasty old man to buzz off was gold. </spoiler>

SN: I loved the lil romances that were taking in the novel as well , they were very cute <3.

A lot of very important questions are asked in this book, and a lot of potential avenues for answer are explored. But what was most important is that no firm, clear answer was provided. And this is such a great reflection of what reality is like. Activism is no easy path to pursue, and there are so many more questions than answers to be found. But when treating the various ills of society—in this book, Islamophobia—it is necessary to take a scientific approach (reflect, consult, study, and act), which is slow, tedious, and quite honestly, most of the times, feels like it’s bearing no fruit at all. And while books focusing on “quick result” activism can be very energizing, ones like this are even more important as we wade through the muck, cleaning it up one little bit at a time, in a bid to create a just world.

4.5 stars

What a debut!

Sabriya (Bri), Zakat, and Farah are the three main characters in this rich debut novel, and readers alternate between their perspectives. Anyone who reads YA regularly is familiar with this format and its potential pitfalls, but one of the greatest successes of this novel is Sabreen's ability to pay equal attention to each character's development. I felt as invested and interested in each character's storyline all the way through, and that not only reflects Sabreen's skill but also heightens the importance of individuals and communities in life (and in contemporary realistic YA).

After a terrorist attack hits close to home, Bri unwittingly creates a public blog - You Truly Assumed - that becomes popular for all of the expected (good and bad) reasons. Zakat and Farah read the blog, and each reaches out to Bri to get involved with their respective skill sets. The blog is really the backdrop for each character's individual growth and experiences. This ranges from budding romances to personal experiences with Islamophobia to challenging family dynamics. Though I love how the m.c.s are developed throughout, I do think they had it particularly easy in terms of their family lives. There is some diversity depicted in this area, but overall, these young folks come from almost unnaturally supportive home environments that left me wondering if I have read too much YA and have become jaded about family relationships in the process. Though I'd have liked to see a little more challenge at home - as well as at least one central queer character here - I really loved the intersectional aspects of the main p.o.v. identities: Black and Muslim. While we are thankfully getting more representation of both identities in modern YA, there's very little that includes both, so Sabreen offers up something unique and essential with this fact alone.

There's a lot to like about this novel, which I expect will shock (in a good way!) fellow shallow folks like me who HAD to pick up this read for its cover alone. I'm already looking forward to reading more from this author and excitedly recommending this work to my students for a long time to come.