If you are familiar with Sabaa's previous books (An Ember in the Ashes series), you know that Sabaa writes about loss, family, grief, and hope. This book is no different. In fact as Jodi Picoult blubs, "this is not the Sabaa Tahir you know...but it's the Sabaa Tahir you NEED to know" and she's absolutely correct.
Sabaa explores the cost of an American dream and what it's like for an to hope and to lose and to hope again for a better future. This heart-breaking and beautiful story crosses generations and continents.
This book read like letters or journal entries and the character's stories felt deeply personal. I really appreciate the inclusion of Misbah's narrative; it gave me a way to understand life through an adult's perspective.
The characters felt very real to me, as if I wasn't just reading their stories but was there with them too. Sal and Noor have such hard life and every time that you think it possibly can't get any worse, it does, but Sabaa shows that even in the midst of so much chaos, there's always hope and prayer for guidance. Noor turning to faith and to prayer at her lowest moments felt deeply emotional for me.
Often in YA books, the characters go through either financial difficulties, or bullying, or aduse or parental problems but in ARM the characters go through them all and Sabaa shows us a more realistic version of YA contemporary characters.
If you are an immigrant, or a muslim, or a desi you need to read this book. This story gives you a taste of Pakistan and when I read it, the story, specifically Misbah's reminded me so much of back home and the people, the vibrant culture and the delicious food. It woke a deep longing within me and brought tears to my eyes because after a long long time did I finally get the representation I unconsciously craved.
As for the muslim representation, I think it was done in a respectful manner. While muslims are forbidden from drinking alcohol and dealing drugs, there are people out there that struggle with addiction and often don't get help because of the sigma that comes with it. Now, I don't think I need personally relate to every bit of the story for the representation to be labeled "correct", I just need it to be respectful and Sabaa does exactly that. I did not relate to much of the character's struggles but again, muslims are not monoliths so please be mindful of that when you read this book.
AMR is marketed as YA but a lot of the issues that's a part of the story deals with adult themes too so please please read the trigger warnings before reading this book.
Trigger warnings for All My Rage : drug and alcohol addiction, physical abuse, Islamophobia, mentions of repressed sexual assault, tense exchange with law enforcement, death.
Sabaa explores the cost of an American dream and what it's like for an to hope and to lose and to hope again for a better future. This heart-breaking and beautiful story crosses generations and continents.
This book read like letters or journal entries and the character's stories felt deeply personal. I really appreciate the inclusion of Misbah's narrative; it gave me a way to understand life through an adult's perspective.
The characters felt very real to me, as if I wasn't just reading their stories but was there with them too. Sal and Noor have such hard life and every time that you think it possibly can't get any worse, it does, but Sabaa shows that even in the midst of so much chaos, there's always hope and prayer for guidance. Noor turning to faith and to prayer at her lowest moments felt deeply emotional for me.
Often in YA books, the characters go through either financial difficulties, or bullying, or aduse or parental problems but in ARM the characters go through them all and Sabaa shows us a more realistic version of YA contemporary characters.
If you are an immigrant, or a muslim, or a desi you need to read this book. This story gives you a taste of Pakistan and when I read it, the story, specifically Misbah's reminded me so much of back home and the people, the vibrant culture and the delicious food. It woke a deep longing within me and brought tears to my eyes because after a long long time did I finally get the representation I unconsciously craved.
As for the muslim representation, I think it was done in a respectful manner. While muslims are forbidden from drinking alcohol and dealing drugs, there are people out there that struggle with addiction and often don't get help because of the sigma that comes with it. Now, I don't think I need personally relate to every bit of the story for the representation to be labeled "correct", I just need it to be respectful and Sabaa does exactly that. I did not relate to much of the character's struggles but again, muslims are not monoliths so please be mindful of that when you read this book.
AMR is marketed as YA but a lot of the issues that's a part of the story deals with adult themes too so please please read the trigger warnings before reading this book.
Trigger warnings for All My Rage : drug and alcohol addiction, physical abuse, Islamophobia, mentions of repressed sexual assault, tense exchange with law enforcement, death.