I finally caved and requested this book thanks to Gretal (yet again). It's always weird reading a book written by an author you kind of know. Or in this case, you know their twin sister. I was worried I wasn't going to like this book like so many other muslim contemporary books, but I really enjoyed this one.

This book made me laugh, it made me emotional, and it made me angry. The release of this book coinciding with the genocide in Gaza and the world waking up to the terrorism that is zionism and Israel could not have been more perfect. Everything Nida goes through are things we've been experiencing and seeing with our own eyes. The rage she feels felt like our rage at the world right now. And the hope she has inside of her, is the hope many of us have that something will be different this time.

The interview scene was probably my favourite scene in this entire book. It made me so angry I wanted to break something, especially after seeing this exact scene play out on the news the first few weeks of this genocide when Palestinians were being interviewed and asked to condemn Hamas. Watching Nida fight back and say everything I've always wanted to say was so satisfying. I loved seeing her take charge of her story and find her voice, and also realize she doesn't have to write poetry because of her mamou or stop writing poetry because of her mom, but she can write as a way to express herself and her anger and her truth.

Also shoutout to the Shia side character in this book, Rayan. It was so nice to see that seamlessly added to this story, especially considering people forget we exist most of the time.

My few issues with the book were Jawad. He was just so mean to Nida. I'm glad there was no romantic subplot between the two of them, but I think he could have been more understanding of what Nida was going through and realize just because he would do things a certain way, doesn't mean everyone else should.

The magical realism aspect of this book was interesting, though the entire time I thought it was a manifestation of her anxiety, before it was revealed that it's actually a family curse. I wasn't really expecting this in a contemporary book so it did take me out of the story sometimes.

The only other issue I had was some of the dialogue didn't flow super well or feel like an actual conversation between two people, which might have been changed since I read the arc.

Also the arc has horrible formatting for the poems if you read it on the Kindle app which was kind of annoying 😭

But overall, this was a pretty good read and I'm glad I picked it up!

3.5/5 stars

This book was so well written and thought provoking! I loved every second of it. The characters are all so interesting, relatable and complex. As were all the relationships.

I loved the poetry that was intertwined throughout the book. I thought it moved the story forward in such an interesting way and really helped us get into the minds and feelings of the characters.

The subject matter and struggles of the characters really opened my eyes and made me question a lot of what we’ve been told as Americans. I think the message of this story is an incredibly important one and it is told so beautifully!

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and statements are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

Pick this up. Grab your tissues. Get ready for an experience that will haunt you, and stay with you. What an experience.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Hope Ablaze follows Pakistani teen poet Nida in the wake of a racially driven illegal frisk that was permitted by a Democratic senatorial candidate.

In the grand scheme of things, I think this book does a lot of good. It certainly starts a lot of conversations -- about racism, political responsibility, religious persecution, identity, self-expression, voter responsibility... the list goes on. My primary issue with it is that though it starts all these conversations, it doesn't really finish them, or flesh them out in a way that feels meaningful by the end of the book. Other than finding her voice -- or finding the confidence to use her voice? -- it doesn't feel like Nida goes on a satisfying journey as a character, either. Rather, she is a vehicle for her lived experiences, and for the thematic issues raised by those lived experiences. Beyond that, because there are so many ideas on the page, it's hard to figure out what really was the plot, or to feel like this was anything beyond essentially an empty space where the author poured all of her political perspectives out for us to see.

That said, I think there absolutely is merit to this story, because it does work as a foundational point for so much nuance and understanding of the intricacies of Islamophobia, as well as its history in the world and in America. I think most people who pick this book up will learn something new, and will want to learn more because of it.

Nida is frisked at a political rally where a candidate does more than just turns a blind eye to the actions of the police. Enraged by her experience, Nida writes a poem to help her work through her emotions. Through no actions of her own, her poem is entered into a contest, and the result will have implications far beyond a simple content entry, that will affect not only Nida, her family but also her community.

Nida’s story is beautifully written. You can feel the hypocrisy from society in every action that is done onto Nida. Yet despite her age she’s able to articulate her point across better than people twice her age. Well I don’t understand and love poetry (and probably never will) and only quickly read through the chapters of interjected poetry throughout the book. Nida's passion and the way she uses it as a tool to express herself, is definitely something I can stand behind.

This story explores Islamophobia and standing up for your convictions in a thought provoking way. The events are wholly realistic and Nida’s reactions are raw and visceral.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In Hope Ablaze by Sarah Mughal Rana, a young woman, Nida, after a humiliating experience due to the misunderstanding of her religion and culture, wants to use her voice. At the same time, her journal is sent to a competition, and her world is upended. She needs to find her bearings fast, or else there are repercussions. Expected Publication is February 27, 2024.

In all honesty, it is very difficult to review a book like this. Not because I don't have opinions, but because it is an author's narration using her voice and choice in a polarized world. As a South Asian immigrant and a brown person, I have faced marginalization and microaggressions in spaces that I have occupied, so I can definitely relate to this book in many ways. Religion and culture are so important to each one of us in some form or the other. And when these two are misunderstood with colonialism and radicalism added into the mix, that's when wars, dehumanization, and human rights violations happen. Just look at the world right now. I am just going to leave it at that.

The blurb of the book says that the prose is mixed with poetry, but I won't call it poetry. It's more of a young girl's musings or thoughts in a journal.

Thank you, Wednesday Books, @wednesdaybooks , and St. Martin's Press @stmartinspress for this book.

An incredibly powerful book that will have you crying from the first chapter...

Seriously it says something about Rana's writing if it can make me feel so much pain and anxiety in such a short time. This book was in impactful, the poetry gave me chills, everything about it was a masterpiece.

This is certainly a very hard book to read, emotionally. I really had to take my time with it but it was absolutely worth it to push through the pain.

This is the only SMP title I will be reviewing until the boycott ends and SMP has address the harm their racist employee has caused.

Growing up and finding yourself is difficult, and even more so when you’re thrust outside of your comfort zone and put in situations you were not ready for. I didn’t know what to expect from this book going in and it told such a profound and reflective story.

I really enjoyed the poetry aspect of this book, especially since that’s how I found my voice as a teen too. Our protagonist Nida comes from a long line of poets who weave stories about their family and the suffering that they have endured for generations at the hands of multiple colonial and hypocritical powers. While Nida treasures her poetry, she knows the possible repercussions of what could happen if her poetic letters become public. When a close friend betrays her by making a letter about her being illegally frisked at a political candidate’s event, Nida is thrown into the dangerous waters that is the American media who twists her words to fit their narrative that overlooks the true meaning of Nida’s work. Her fight to find her voice and retain the narrative to fight racism and Islamophobia was brutal and difficult and all too real. It paints an eerily similar picture of the reality too many are scared to acknowledge in today’s world but was necessary to tell. Nida’s rise to the occasion alongside her support system of close friends and family was touching and a reminder of the importance of collaboration for a cause.

A difficult yet touching and absolutely necessary story, this debut will have you wanting to break your own blue thread that’s holding back your truth.

I thought this book would be in verse, so I was a bit disappointed when I realized it wasn't! But I thought I would still give it a try.

This book felt dated at points, almost as if the book was written 5-7 years ago. There were some scenes that made me feel uncomfortable, not in a way you would hope a politically or diverse book would be, but because there were moments where the very diverse characters made decisions that were very out of left field in a way that I would think someone who was not familiar with their culture was the author.

This could still be a good first step for the young adult audience to learn about Islamophobia, so if you have a curious teen, I would recommend it.

3 stars

_Hope Ablaze_ is an intriguing title for this work, but I admittedly saw a lot more of Nida - the m.c. - being on fire than finding hope (though the latter does come into play, too, of course).

While I enjoyed the concept, there are parts of the novel that I struggled with consistently. Some aspects of it felt dated, and some of the cultural connections were a bit clumsy at times. Because teen readers are more socially and politically aware these days, I suspect they'll be more likely to interrogate the comparisons than they might've been a few years ago. That's good for them but maybe less so for the unity and credence of the narrative.

I love to learn while I read, but I'm not necessarily looking for a fully didactic experience in my contemporary YA novels, and I really felt that from cover to cover. At times, character development and plotting suffer in favor of LESSONS. For me, this felt distracting too often.

Overall, this book does fill an important niche, and there are clear elements that make me want to give this author more chances. This is a promising debut and I look forward to the evolution.

I feel so bad but I could not get through this book. I tried multiple times to read it but I was forcing myself to get through every chapter. I dont think this book is that long but it felt like it never ended and I only managed to read 20%. The writing was good but I did not care about the plot at all, especially the poetry part.

A Pakistani American Muslim teen girl uses her poetry to share her love of her religion and culture and speak out against racism and Islamophobia in America. Powerfully moving, this debut is perfect for fans of The Poet X or All this rage and excellent on audio narrated by Farah Kidwal. Highly, highly recommended! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!!

I will not be providing a written review nor posting it until SMP/St. Martin's meets the demands of the SMP Boycott.

This was a very powerful and important book about a Muslim teen in post 9/11 America. I love the title because throughout the book it felt hopeless. But, as the author states, we have to keep speaking up for good causes.

I am not someone who can relate to being Muslim or Middle Eastern in America and the type of discrimination a person can face. But I can understand the human condition, and I really felt for Nida. When someone submits a controversial poem about a politician to a poetry competition on Nida’s behalf, Nida becomes a pariah to not only the general population but also her family and community. I think it was important that this was told as a YA story because a lot of people can relate to feeling this way.

Each chapter ends with beautiful poetry about what’s happening in the book at that time. I overall liked this, although it could run long. There’s an abrupt almost timeline shift towards the end of the book that had me disoriented while reading. But I ultimately understand what it was showing the reader. Overall I found this to be a good and resourceful read.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalleyARC I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book, or relate to it, but I enjoyed reading it. I think that for me as someone who is not Muslim or Middle Eastern, this was a great beginning story to read to begin to try and learn more and understand the cultures. Is it perfect? Nope but it's a decent read and a good starting point. What I enjoyed the most was the poems that were interwoven throughout the story, those were great. I think that with what's currently going on in our world, and with the upcoming election, this is a book that should be read and shared to help start conversations.

Hope Ablaze by Sarah Mughal Rana, 384 pages. Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2024. $20. centering me, get off my back, teach this book
Language: PG13 (28 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
The summer before senior year, Nida was illegally frisked when she tried to pray in a park. To cope with her feelings about the experience, Nida turned to words. She wrote a letter poem to the parties involved and tried to move on. Until the letter got out, backlash came at her from every side, and Nida had to decide whether to do something or nothing.
Through Nida, Rana brings to life the injustices faced by those in our country every day. Nida’s experience of feeling violated brings out the indignation of readers on her behalf. Her words are twisted, she is manipulated, and even those who should be her support seem to be against her. Reading about Nida dredged up those feelings of times I have felt marginalized and misunderstood, and multiplied those feelings by ten. The injustices physically hurt as I read.
Nida and her family are Pakistani, Jawad is Somali, and Alexis is White. A significant portion of the characters are Muslim, from Nida’s community. The mature content rating is for tobacco use, a terrorist joke, illegal activity, and themes dealing with racism and Islamophobia. The violence rating is for mentions of guns and shootings.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Hope Ablaze by Sarah Mughal Rana was such a raw and beautiful story.
I loved everything about this book and couldn’t put it down!
The characters were diverse and well-rounded. The emotions were very relatable.
A powerful story with remarkable writing. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what Sarah Mughal Rana creates next.

Thank You NetGalley and Wednesday Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book was not what I was expecting. I read a review that made Hope Ablaze sound like a novel in verse. Ultimately, I couldn't get past the book not being in verse. I DNF around 20%. I just didn't feel super invested in the story. It wasn't griping me like other novels. I did like the Muslim representation and the strong community in Nida's life. The elders cracked me up! Perhaps I will give this book another shot in the future. Thank you to Wednesday Books for the ARC.

The cover caught my eye because we could always use more stories about Hijabi women, and the premise of this sounded amazing. It did not disappoint! There are so many poignant lines and things that stood out. It is a weaving of intergenerational trauma and curses, with the hope of community and surviving. There were many elements that wrecked me, but it was so worth it to read Nida’s story. Every time I tried to set it aside (because I read many things at once), I couldn’t put it down for long because I needed to see how Nida would move forward. Jawad is such a fantastic friend and even though he was blunt, I loved how he kept giving Nida truths that she had to sit with and contend with. The whole community of Al-Rasheed was so fantastic and multi-layered and so obviously full of love. I really loved this book and look forward to more from Sarah Mughal Rana.

- HOPE ABLAZE is the kind of book I love to see in the YA genre - spotlighting characters and cultures that don't usually get to be the stars, tackling complicated questions, and showing characters figuring out who they want to be.
- I also very much appreciated that this book shows that Democrats and liberals are not always the inclusive, antiracist people we assume them to be. It's a bit of nuance that of often left out of novels.
- Unfortunately, I think the power of this book was diluted by the pacing and length. It started off with a flurry of activity and then slowed way down, conversations and events becoming repetitive.