Summary: Michael has always been raised to be against the immigrants in his home country of Australia, especially Middle Eastern immigrants. However, when he meets Mina, a Muslim refugee from Afghanistan, his perception on the world begins to change, and Mina isn’t going to let the racism and xenophobia in their community go on any longer.
Review: My favorite thing about this book was how quick and readable it was. It felt like I finished very soon after starting it, and this isn’t a backhanded compliment or anything. I genuinely appreciated the fact that it didn’t slog on page after page of drooling nothingness like some books do.
It really did feel like there wasn’t a huge plot in this book. It was primarily the characters just discovering themselves and each other, which is totally fine with me! By the end, the plot did change just a bit more to be about Michael versus his family and the focus on Mina was lost a bit, but there still wasn’t a huge plot, moreso just an interpersonal conflict. I also really appreciated that you didn’t need to know a ton about immigration and Australia in order run-on empathize with the characters and understand the story. I was worried at first that some of the plot would be lost on me, but it wasn’t at all, which was excellent. Also… I realized that this story was very much Romeo & Juliet, and I’m ashamed to admit that it took me 374 pages to realize this.
The xenophobia in this book, while necessary, was a bit uncomfortable. Not only was it just yucky to read, but it also was a bit poorly written and felt too forced. Michael’s brother at one point said, “I had the best time in my entire life! Except I didn’t like the security check at the airport.” And then their dad proceeds to rant about terrorists and how Muslim people are to blame for TSA and making their lives worse. I understand that this was a way to shoehorn in some xenophobia, but I just really didn’t find it to be well done at all.
As for some of the characters in the book, Nathan (Michael’s brother) was a very positive addition to the story. He very clearly had autism, and I loved seeing how protective everyone in the family was of him. It was super cute. I was a bit unsure on how to feel about the fact that the author never actually said he had autism, but the signs were there.
The parts of the story where Michael was openly questioning his parents and their beliefs to their faces were my favorite. It felt very empowering to me. They’re the types of anti-racist discussions that need to be happening in many families around the world to get some pigheaded people to (hopefully) reach some realizations. Going with this, I appreciated how Michael and Mina both recognized the fact that Alan (Michael’s dad) is incredibly personable and charismatic, yet still holds and preaches racist ideologies. I think it’s important to understand that these two things (likeability and racist) are not mutually exclusive; some of the most beloved people can hold hate in their hearts. r hearts. I really wanted the parents to “see the light” basically, but in reality, a lot of parents and their children disagree politically, so I did appreciate that reality.
I also really enjoyed the way that the author focused primarily on the positive aspects of Muslim culture. Yes, there were some racist rants happening from the side characters, but other than that, it was very positive. The common stereotypes and tropes were avoided. Mina didn’t experience helicoptering or sexism from her family; the reason she wasn’t allowed to date was because she’s young, not because she’s a Muslim woman. She can’t be out late because they’re concerned about her safety, not because she’s a woman. It felt refreshing.
The only thing I really strongly disliked about the book was the lack of concrete closure on Terence. He was such a total, absolute asshole, and he got told off by several people in the book, but damn did I want MORE! I wanted to see this kid expelled! He was horrendous.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Recommended reader: Anyone who likes:
- Realistic Fiction
- Immigration
- Racism
- Elements of romance
- Stories about friendship
- Stories about family
- Characters with autism
- Art
- Poetry
- Muslim characters
- Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez
Discussion Questions:
- How are all of Mina, Michael, and Paula impacted by their parents, their beliefs, and their actions? What theme does the author want readers to learn from their experiences?
- While at the art exhibit, why did the pictures of Ghana upset Mina? How were these pictures similar to Mina’s experiences?
- Examine Michael’s art piece described on pages 243-244. What does each piece of it represent? How does this art project display growth from Michael?
- How does Baba (Mina’s father) perceive their status in Australia as refugees on pages 360-361? How do Australians view these refugees according to him? Does Mina agree with this? Why or why not?
- What message is Mina trying to say with her poem? How do her experiences throughout the novel inform her message in the poem?
- What importance do friendships hold for people? In the story, how are the characters impacted by their friends and their perceptions/opinions? How do the characters go against their friends at times? What theme could the author be trying to convey through this?
Specifics of the book:
- Genre: Realistic Fiction
- Lexile Level: HL690L
- Accelerated Reader Level: 4.8 (11)
- Content Level: 7th
- Pages: 389
- Controversial Issues: Mild drug usage; Underage drinking; Mild cussing
Young Adult Lit Reviews 