This book was parts funny while dealing with a serious subject. I found that this approach taken by the author was the right one.

I loved Nadia and her eagerness to make a difference, while at the same time fighting with her own trauma. I am also glad that everything I thought I had figured out about Sara was way off the mark 😅

The secondary characters were also the right amount of great/complex/messed up to keep you on your toes.

Great read!

Thank you, Dutton Books and Tiny Reparations Books, for the free advanced e-copy.

A debut novel with lots of satire yet also a distinct commentary on the destructive nature of extreme religion and the hypocrisy and dysfunction of those providing foreign aid, 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 was both shockingly entertaining and full of insightful critiques.

Nadia is an incredibly complex character whose lack of introspection makes it hard to root for her. Despite this, she is a fantastically written main character. Nadia, raised in London by her Pakistani mom, essentially rejected Islam in college. After writing and obtaining her PhD, Nadia wrote an article about how she would re-patriot former fundamentalist brides. With her personal life in shambles and desperate to escape, she accepts an offer from the UN to work at the camps for the former wives and children of ISIS members.

Like most Westerners brought into a culture different from their own, Nadia is completely overwhelmed and has her idealistic expectations shattered. She doesn't know the language, can’t grasp the corrupt diplomacy, and is frustrated by the hundreds of layers of red tape. Ultimately, Nadia learned that even being a “hero” for others would not fix her broken self-worth and lack of direction.

I particularly enjoyed Nadia’s relationship with her mom and how layers of misunderstanding and hurt surrounding their differing religious views clouded it. Younis fully developed her characters, and I loved finishing the book feeling like I genuinely understood Nadia.

I truly felt for Nadia and her bleeding heart. While I am not Muslim, I could relate to the desire to want others to have the same “choices” she had in her religious journey. I felt one of the strongest points Younis made was that religious expression is a spectrum, and it is complicated to distinguish between “oppressed” and wanting to live/dress “conservatively.”

Her prose was outstandingly descriptive while retaining a humorous tone. The author pushed the boundaries in her characters, which I loved. However, if you tend to be offended by religious and cultural satire (there were lots of stereotypes), I would perhaps avoid it.

There are many extreme characters, from her GI Joe security guard to the California hippie reverted Sheikh. By using such extreme characters, she was able to encompass the variety of goals and motives of foreign aid workers, from idealistic to completely corrupt.

I appreciated Younis’ point that sometimes, in order to get things done, you have to play outside the book. However, as Nadia learns, there are consequences for those actions.

A smart, sassy, and super entertaining debut; I am really glad I picked this book up!

4.5

This was an incredibly funny, big-hearted debut about a queer UN worker trying to help ISIS women in Iraq. Heartfelt and whipsmart, I couldn't put this down and especially enjoyed it on audio. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I went into this debut completely blind based only on the appealing purple cover and its tag as 'wickedly funny' and boy was that accurate!! I would also add, wickedly smart and full of heart with a protagonist who is utterly flawed but endearingly relatable as she works as a UN aid worker in Iraq trying to help the ISIS women detained there. Nadia is an idealistic, queer, British, lapsed Muslim who is estranged from her mother because of her life choices but she is determined to try to do some good in the world. I really enjoyed this on audio and highly recommend it! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this! It was the perfect mix of serious subject matter and laugh out loud moments that caught me by surprise. Nadia accepts a UN job working with ISIS brides in Iraq, and forms an unexpected connection with one of them that reminds her a little bit too much of herself. While seemingly fumbling her way through much of her new job, she truly finds herself along the way.

Dr Nadia Amin travels to Iraq with the goal to de radicalize Isis brides. Dr Nadia was unlikeable, flaky, and shallow for the first 50ish pages and I disliked her immensely; then her entire character arc changed to someone who seemed to care. The beginning of the story almost felt disjointed from the rest and anytime the main character was written as proving she was a funny cool girl, never felt transitioned in. Just random.

The reader gets to know Dr Nadia from her progress with Sara, as well as her past relationship with Rosy. Which Rosy felt very underdeveloped and unnecessary for the most part. More than anything, when the author relayed the stories of her characters in the camp and why they were there, it felt the most genuine and honest. And the way the complexities of it all rolled out in some conversations in the end, felt like a very big a ha moment for Dr Nadia and perhaps the reader too.

I liked the plot, but not so much when it tried to force the humor. Like failed attempts at millennial lingo in places. The thing is, I really started to enjoy this one when it would finally flow naturally. It was the moments were it felt like it was trying too hard that would pull me out of - trying too hard to be funny, too hard to be cool. It would unfortunately stagnant the flow of the story from lack of consistency. I recommend reading the authors note at the end, it was interesting learning where her knowledge and inspiration came from.

Closer to 3.75 stars but will round up to 4.

Well. Here's the thing: I think there's a lot to like here. It's a good story, well written, at least mostly interesting. I don't know much about ISIS, and I surely don't know anything about the concept of ISIS brides, so I have very little knowledge on the context of this book. Still, it's written in an incredibly accessible style, chock-full of jokes. Really: I don't think there's a fully serious page in this thing. But (and it's a big but) I do have some issues with this book. I think a lot of my problems with this book are really truly *me* problems.

First: it's a pretty cynical book, right? I haven't watched BoJack Horseman, but I figure it's a lot like BoJack Horseman--darker themes with a comedic tone and everyone in it kind of sucks (at least, that's how I imagine BoJack Horseman is). Every character in this book is at least kind of and asshole (except for Farris, I will NAWT slander his good name), every organization is mismanaged, every political leader is corrupt. Cynical! and man, it just kinda dragged on me. It's also kind of a comedy of errors? like, it follows Murphy's law, methinks. Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Honestly, it was dragging me down so much that before about the 80% mark, I was thinking I'd give it two stars! ouch!!! but the end brought it back for me, at least somewhat. Maybe because, as with most books, the ending is more hopeful? Or maybe it was just a plain good ending.

I didn't love Nadia as a main character, but I think she was a very successful protagonist, if that makes sense. She reads as quite selfish for the bulk of the novel, and while I think that's kind of the point... wasn't lurving it. She's very well written, though, for what she is. She's just another cog in that cynical wheel that I, personally, don't love. whoopth!

Also, towards the middle of the novel I started really preferring the flashback scenes to the present-day scenes. I think that the main story was really interesting, but I really enjoyed reading about Nadia's past experiences and her relationships, familial and otherwise, and when the main story got too cynical I started preferring those scenes to the main story. Then I was just slogging through the main story hoping to get to the flashbacks, and the main story wasn't even that bad!! It's hard when you have a preference, 'cause then everything else feels like a bore.

But: not horrible overall. Relatively enjoyed. Again, the end brought it back for me. If you love BoJack Horseman, I think you'll really like this book. If you're not into that vibe, then you might want to stay away, unless you're really interested in the premise.

This is a good book, but a little lackluster for me. The story is a little confusing, but once the plot picks up steam, I thought it was a decent book. I love reading about different cultures, but this book just felt rushed and underwhelming.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC.

The premise of Fundamentally had me very intrigued. I had not read anything like this, ever. Parts of this book were really intriguing to me and I enjoyed the exploration of women's roles in family/culture, but on the other hand I struggled at times with the pacing and overall writing.

I apologize. I was unable to finish this book. It was a DNF at 20%. I think there was just too much going on in one book and I had trouble connecting with the main character.

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Tiny Reparations Books for the advanced copy!

I, admittedly, didn’t know a whole lot about Islam/Muslims before reading this, but I feel like I learned a lot. This was an incredible story told by an author who clearly knows her stuff. I didn’t expect this to be as humorous as it was, especially given the solemn nature of the plot, but I laughed and I cried. I was frustrated and inspired. I love a bisexual FMC and exploring an unfamiliar culture, especially in a way that was so well researched and believable. I really enjoyed it!

Such a humorous look at what could have been an incredibly serious and depressing topic. The women victims of ISIS trying to be rehabilitated and most of the people around them just want to burn or rape them. Nadia, with her fresh new doctorate and thesis, is brought to Iraq by the UN to turn these women's lives around, whether they or anyone else wants it. Her own life isn't in good shape either and this story follows her and everyone else as they try to take control of their own lives. I was very touched by how well the serious topic was presented with compassion and without judgement, but still what felt like a realistic manner. This was a great story to lose myself in and I found myself chuckling many times.

this was bridget jones meets zero dark thirty. that combo, for me, just wasn’t it. about an academic who flees heartbreak to lead a deradicalization program for ISIS brides, i wish there were more fact woven throughout the fiction so i could learn about this truly fascinating, relevant subject. however, the author was more focused on highlighting the protagonist’s flaws, which felt like a major loss. i’m truthfully a little bummed my queen dolly is blurbed on the cover.

I am so thankful to Tiny Reparations Books, Nussaibah Younis, and Netgalley for granting me access to this one before publication day. I really enjoyed this piece and look forward to more from this creator.

⭐️: 3/5

The premise of this one, a woman leading an UN effort focused on rehabilitating ISIS brides and helping them to regain citizenship with their home countries, sounded like an interesting read, especially because it felt like it could be a fascinating character study focusing on the impact of religious messaging. However, in practice, it was kind of a boring read with a not very likable main character.

There was something too overt about the language, messaging, jokes, and really all of it, which made it kind of cringy to read. The writing style felt kind of unpracticed and unsophisticated, which resulted in a lot of confusion while reading, especially surrounding the organizations that Nadia is traversing, and the impact of each on her cause. It just didn’t flow very well as a story, and the moments of levity that were attempted to be introduced only hit like, 10% of the time. There was also the issue that Nadia wasn’t very likable, and it wasn’t so much imposter syndrome that she faced, but blatant inexperience and naiveté, resulting in some big mistakes that as a reader, you could see coming from miles away. It just made it kind of hard to root for her.

I think the most interesting part of this, and the part that worked the best, was the examination of the role of family in some cultures, and the push and pull of the culture you’re raised in versus the culture you see around you, and how you as a person may reconcile with that compared to others. I think with a bit more finesse, this author could communicate the important topics that I think she wants to write about, but the writing and storytellings needs more growth, or maybe just more editing.

Thank you to @netgalley and @duttonbooks for this free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Fundamentally wins for the most unique and fresh idea for a book that I've read in a long time. Nadia is a recent PhD graduate who travels to Iraq to run a rehabilitation program for ISIS brides. In the process, she deals with her own relationship and history with Islam. As an academic myself, I was drawn in by the academic themes, but I found the content about ISIS and Islam to be much more interesting than I anticipated. It's clear that the author did a lot of work to make the characters feel genuine and relatable, and I really enjoyed reading something that was so different from everything else I encounter on the shelves.

Rarely do I laugh out loud but I did several times when reading this book. The humour draws you in and then the reality kicks you in the stomach. This book was so unexpected and I would have felt guilty to laugh if the author hadn’t been in Iraq and dealing with some of those situations. It made me think of Shamina Begum. Whatever she has done she should be in her country and facing justice here if required. All those young women just left in camps as people just want them to be out of sight and out of mind

I loved this book so, so much - it had me both laughing out loud and thinking out loud, which is a great combination in a book. Nadia is a recent PhD student who takes a job at the UN "deradicalizing" ISIS brides in Iraq, even though she has no experience in deradicalization and knows very little about the conflict in Iraq or the complicated political and societal dynamics. Without giving anything away, her woeful unpreparedness, the unending bureaucracy, and colorful cast of characters make for an incredibly entertaining and impactful read.

The very first sentence of this book sets the tone in an amazing way. This book is so witty and shrewd, and it really takes aim at the white savior industrial complex and the complicity of "well-meaning" aid workers in enabling further discrimination and oppression, without feeling heavy-handed or overly preachy. The book deftly explores Nadia's own relationship with being Muslim and her own difficulties fitting into society, and the bond Nadia forms with one of the women in the camp perfectly encapsulates how easy and seductive it is to project our own beliefs on someone else, and how we can flatten people to the barest facts about them and ignore their inherent complications. That was maybe a bunch of gobbledygook (what a great word lol), but I thought this book really powerfully depicted messy human relationships and how hard it is to understand anything about each other when we only have preconceived notions to go off. This book is hard to explain - just know I found it so much fun and also deeply interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks does not seem sufficient for the gift that was Fundamentally. And yet, thank you Tiny Reparations Books for this copy.

“You didn’t see Iraq before; it’s a miracle we survived. Foreigners get frustrated and leave, but this was the home of my mother, and every time it is destroyed, we thank God we are alive, and we rebuild.”

This is the type of review that starts with me inhaling and releasing a deep breath.

I have learned a lot in the last sixteen months. A lot of what I thought I knew about my country has changed. A lot of what I thought about the purpose of the UN has been altered. The way I have viewed the world has changed. And while it isn’t just me who has just begun learning about this, there is a deep shame boiling in my stomach that it’s taken me this long. In books written in the late 70s, I am hearing about the conflict between Palestine and Israel. All this time. All this time, I have blindly believed what I was told.

The blindfold is off, and I am learning as much as I can. Ceaselessly. Obsessively. As is my autistic way. It’s all or nothing. Burnout or bust.

So when Tiny Reparations reached out to me, I thought, sure. This is fine. But I did not expect the lessons Fundamentally would teach me. I did not anticipate the emotions I would feel.

To save from droning on, I have been “radicalized” time and time again over the last sixteen months. Witnessed people turning a blind eye to atrocities I can’t look away from. Let that settle. Witnessed the dismissive way the UN treats atrocities in the world when I thought their entire purpose was to prevent them. Let that settle. Watched the news try to scare me the way they have since 2001. Let that settle. Until all of that settling bubbled and burned up.

Dr. Nussaibah Younis uses humor and imposter syndrome to bring attention and light to a serious problem. A problem many middle eastern countries face because of the West. So many times I laughed out loud and then was slapped in the face with a reality check. “Two truths and one falsehood.” “Palestine, Palestine, Israel.”

Read this. Let it radicalize you in the best ways.

This is a laugh-out-loud interrogation and satire of how best intentions can go very wrong in aid work. Nadia is so real and her voice is so incredibly funny. I loved how everything became more and more ridiculous as the story progressed - literally LOLed reading on the treadmill when we met Sheikh Jason and absolutely cackled at the biblically accurate description of HEAT training. I could not put this down and read it in just 2 sittings. Loved the scene with the other aid workers talking about programs that had failed.

My only complaint is with the ending - <spoiler> it felt a bit too neat and tidy. There are no consequences for our protagonist (realistic though tbh)? We worry that Sara is going back to ISIS for about 20 pages and then it's magically resolved by her seeing her estranged parents and getting a job? </spoiler>

Overall a great read and I have already been yapping about it to all of my colleagues in the aid sector!