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It’s 2002, a year after 9/11. It’s an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of being stereotyped. Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. She’s tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments - even the physical violence - she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. So she’s built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons break-dancing with her brother. But then she meets Ocean James. He’s the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin. It terrifies her - they seem to come from two irreconcilable worlds - and Shirin has had her guard up for so long that she’s not sure she’ll ever be able to let it down.
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0 0Would've liked just one line wherein Shirin actually states what it is about Islam that keeps her wearing the hijab. She goes on about how it's to symbolize her faith, but never the faith of what, which is doubly perplexing when she doesn't follow any of the other hallmarks of Islamic practice (except fasting). The cynic in me needed an explanation to prove her hijab choice is more than a plot device to complicate her life.
Other than that I loved the romance, as cheesy, messy, abrupt and reactive as it was. That's just life innit. Great sibling interaction too! What really sells it is her struggle to let down her walls after being hurt by ignorance or hate one too many times.
Was a really fun read and I can't wait to recommend it to my book club. :D
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