I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm still digesting what I think about this book. I love the premise and the characters we follow.

I think it's interesting to have a Muslim character where her religion is not her main identity and to have this experience play out as an immigrant family living in a city entrenched in the KKK and other anti-Black history. This book touches on a lot of sensitive topics from Islamophobia to human trafficking.

But this read is a rollercoaster. It definitely has a YA feel while delving into difficult experiences and racism and what that looks like. There is some suspension of belief required, but I was definitely curious to see how the story would end and how everything would turn out for these brave kids.

Race to the Finish Line is a very relevant and thought-provoking read. The characters are very easy to connect with and it's nice to get to know them as the novel progresses. The only thing lacking is there could be more of the mystery element promised in the info section.

This book was so unique and I loved reading about a diverse character. The book was kind of predictable, but I was still on the edge of my seat wanting to know how much worse it could get for our character. It was amazing to read about such a strong, young, female character and all the other characters were fleshed out very well. I would recommend this!

Anyone reading this on NetGalley: if you want to add this book to track it on Goodreads I made a page for it!

I received a Netgalley e-arc of "Race to the Finish Line" by Aisha Yusuf in exchange for an honest review. Some parts of this review will contain spoilers, but I will mark those parts accordingly.

Things I loved:
The setting was strong and it was easy to visualize the events taking place in the different locations.
The majority of characters were well written and interesting.
The strong theme and how the story was constantly focused.
The mystery/investigation into the disappearance of Lewis.

Things I wasn't crazy about:
The pace: My only criticism of this book was the pacing of it.

Note: I was reading this arc off my phone so that could have impacted the layout.

There were a few times where I was confused about what was happening as there appeared to be no clear marker of a change in scene or paragraph. (Again, this could very well be down to the phone.)

SPOILERS AHEAD.
For example: When the gang decide to break into Liam's apartment. It seemed to jump to this scene rather suddenly, which would have been fine with a little more context. Liam was the only character I felt needed a little bit more work. He appeared to be a threat for so long, but then it turns out he's an undercover cop investigating this town. Which was a good twist! But I was waiting for him to turn on them again, because he was so sketchy throughout the rest of the book.
Another minor note I have is, I wanted to know what happened to Lewis. I was thinking we might get a better sense of what happened to him after he disappeared once the FBI got involved, but we were merely told he's probably dead. This is very much the case with a lot of victims of trafficking, so I do understand why the author did it, but Lewis' story had such an impact on the main characters and it would have been nice to find out if they got the closure they needed and Lewis got the justice he deserved.




SPOILER FREE ZONE HERE

Other than that, I really enjoyed this book. It had great addictive quality and dealt with some very important topics, such as racism, Islamophobia, and trafficking. It's an easy read and the main characters are a lovely little group that are easy to get attached to.

I was attracted to this YA novel by the striking but shocking cover. The novel is equally hard-hitting and sadly relevant, dealing with issues of identity, racism, Islamophobia and human trafficking. Set in small town America where the KKK is still prevalent this coming of age story for a black muslim girl is not easy. Sounds a bit far-fetched? Sadly in Trump's America some of the issues and ideas in this book are all too familiar. A great read but some of the mystery elements fall a bit flat. More of a story of issues rather than a mystery but still worthwhile.

I want to thank Aisha Yusuf and NetGalley for an advanced readers' copy of Race to the Finish Line in exchange for an honest review. When I first read the synopsis of this book, I was immediately pulled it. However, this book exceeded every expectation that I had for it.

I want to first say that I loved these character so much. Aalyeah was smart, spunky, resourceful, and strongwilled. She was everything that I wanted to read about in a YA character. I also adored her friends, Brianna and Matthew. My only wish was that Aalyeah's brother played a larger role in the book so that it would have been that more meaningful when he was used as bait for the FBI.

For the last third of this book, I was completely on the edge of my seat. Everything was fast paced but it felt natural. While I cannot speak entirely on the discussion surrounding racism, as I am not a woman of color, I found it brutally honest. While it was hard to face at times, I think it was necessary. I also was extremely surprised by the discussion of human trafficking in this book. It is becoming a huge issue in our world today, but there are not a ton of books that center on it, ESPECIALLY children/young adult books when I think that they may need this information the most.

My one issue with this book was Aalyeah's relationship with her parents. They seemed extremely close and some moments were very sweet to glimpse like their sleepover after Aalyeah does not want to be left alone. However, there are moments where her parents felt very flat and simply there as a reminder that Aalyeah is so young. Her mom is a lawyer, but allows Aalyeah to make the calls on how to handle their vandalized car - which is ultimately to drop it. There is also another moment in the book where they are sitting (Aalyeah is in her senior year - by the way) and Aalyeah just comes to learn what her father does for work. She is able to pretty much figure out an entire human trafficking ring, but not what her father does for a living which moved her to her racist new town in the first place. I would have just liked to see a lot more development with her parents.

When I first finished this novel, I gave it four stars. However, after sitting with it for a day and realizing how impactful it truly was, I have decided to bring this up to a five star read. I will absolutely be recommending this book to anyone and everyone!

Race to the Finish Line by Aisha Yusuf is a YA mystery novel featuring a young Black Muslim girl’s journey navigating and adjusting to her new unexpected environment far away from home. Aalyeah underestimates the dangerous that surround her as her and friends pursue clues to uncover a dark truth.

The twists and turns in this book had me clutching my invisible pearl necklace. The adult me wishes to be transported back in time just to read and experience this book as a teen. As a lover of mystery and thriller books, I have not come across a novel that centres dynamic and diverse characters like Aalyeah, her family, and her friends. The author does not shy away from exploring painful truths of society. She tackles touch subjects in a reader-friendly way, yet doesn’t appease the readers by giving them desired conclusions. The author weaves together a creative tale while preserving the authenticity of the characters and their struggles. Any reader will find themselves quickly getting attached to Aalyeah and her friends and will be heavily invested in realizing their mission.

This book wasn’t around when I was growing up and desperately needed it, but I am happy it exists now. I am excited for readers to get their hands on this insanely relevant and timely book.

Reading Aisha's words at the end of the novel resonate with me as a teacher. I seek out titles that include diverse characters and reflect the backgrounds and beliefs of the students I teach. Yusuf weaves modern and historical narratives in "Race to the Finish Line" where she uncovers the scary realities of people of colour. This book has the reader at the edge of their seat as they uncover the mysteries of Aaleyah's new town in rural America. I appreciate the strong female lead breaking down barriers in many capacities. I feel this book is better suited for middle school rather than upper elementary.

Race To The Finish Line tackled many issues about race and religion and the KKK. Aaleyah and her Mum and Dad move to a small town in America from Canada for her Dad's work. Her brother stays in Canada as he is going to University. When Aaleyah starts high school something doesn't feel right for her about the place. When Club day happens Aaleyah joins the journalism club and they welcome her with open arms, as another member of the non-white community. Aaleyah is subjected to severe racial abuse which is horrific. Aaleyah fights back though with Mathew and Brianna. They embark on a journey to discover what happened to Lewis Mathew and Brianna's friend, who was kidnapped, as part of a national competition. The results of their findings are shocking. Overall a really well written book and an amazing captivating plot.

“It’s much easier to hate someone who looks different from you than taking the time to understand them. Instead of celebrating our differences, we detest each other for it.”
^ I loved this quote! ^

This was a great coming of age story about a young girl who is both Black and Muslim overcoming serious, scary, and detrimental obstacles in a small town she is forced to move to. Overall, I enjoyed this book but there were some things I thought fizzled out a bit. When I first read the description of this book on NetGalley, I was pumped. A mystery book with BIPOC voices at the forefront? Sign me up! Uncovering a dark secret in a small town? I am ready! Unfortunately, I didn’t feel as if this book delivered what it promised to in its description. While I learned a lot from the conversation of racial identity and what it means to be Black and Muslim in America, I didn’t feel as if this book had a plot outside of that. I kept waiting for a mystery to unfold and it barely happened. This book should have been marketed more as a YA narrative on race rather than a mystery novel. The mystery was minor in comparison to the rest of the narrative and you didn’t get a sense of a plot line until about 50% into the novel. I am not saying the race and identity narrative wasn’t good. I just think the book description doesn’t fit the actual plot of the book.

Takeaway: Check out this book, I think you will really enjoy it! It is a very necessary novel for 2020. Just don’t expect to find a big mystery plot.

Race to the Finish Line is an intense story of hatred in a small town. Aaleyah is intelligent, brave, and facing more than any young person should have to. While dealing with oppression, she fights to solve the disappearance of her friend, often putting herself at risk in the process. Yusuf tackles the realities of US society, presenting the problems of overt and internalized racism, microaggressions, and how confronting these issues doesn't always garner the response we hope. This is a heavy book and definitely worthy of a few content warnings prior to reading, as it might not be for everyone.

4/5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Aisha Yusuf for an e-arc of this book.