” Set in a horrifying near-future United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.
With the help of newly made friends also trapped within the internment camp, her boyfriend on the outside, and an unexpected alliance, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the camp’s Director and his guards. “
bookshop.org
Potential triggers…
- Islamophobia
- Internment camps
- Violence/physical abuse
- Murder
- Torture
This is one of those books I’d never heard of, I just happened to stumble on it when I was looking to make a big bargain book order. In all the months I’ve been on Booktok I’ve never heard anyone talk about this book before…which is suprising.
Looking at other reviews, of this book, I found myself laughing at the amount of people who rated it low because it was “too woke.” Um…did you not read the summary of the book? How did you expect this dystopian book to play out? I’m genuinely curious.
I found myself marking different passages, that spoke to me, and there were many. So many lines reach out to me and made me realize I could, and should, be doing more. Layla was so strong, confident, and vocal in her feelings about everything.
I’ve always been more like Layla’s parents, trying to be quiet and go with the flow hoping that it will all turn out well. For years, as a child, I was trained that I should not be seen and I especially shouldn’t be heard, that nothing I had to say was meaningful or important. Having that mindset is hard to break.
Having always felt like an outsider I’ve always tried to understand everyone I meet, no matter their race/religion/gender/sexuality, I try to see who they are as a person before I judge them. Are they kind? Do they treat others well and fair? That’s what matters to me. I’ve found it always best to judge others on their actions and reactions rather than on what skin color they have, which bathroom they feel comfortable in, or what religion they practice.
As a parent I find it important to make sure my children know they have voices, and that their voices are important. I want to ensure they treat others well and have open and inclusive hearts. Although I’m still, in many ways, finding my voice…I hope to raise my children knowing how important theirs are and never have them feel afraid or ashamed of using theirs.
I hope more people read this book and take to heart that something like this isn’t as far from reality as we’d like to think. It’s up to all of us to ensure this (internment camps) never happens again.
NoelleLovesBooks 