I Am Thunder
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Fifteen-year-old Muzna Saleem is passionate about writing and dreams of becoming a novelist. There's just one problem - her super-controlling parents have already planned her life out for her:
Step 1) Get educated
Step 2) Qualify as a doctor
Step 3) Marry a cousin from Pakistan. Oh, and boyfriends are totally haram.
No one is more surprised than humble Muzna when high school hottie, Arif Malik, takes an interest in her. But Arif and his brother are angry at the West for demonizing Islam and hiding a terrible secret. As Arif begins to lead Muzna down a dark path, she faces a terrible choice: keep quiet and betray her beliefs, or speak up and betray her heart?
A stunning new YA voice which questions how far you'll go to stand up for what you believe.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Khan's debut, inspired by the well-publicized radicalization of three British schoolgirls who flew to Syria to join the "self-proclaimed Islamic State' " in 2015, traces the coming-of-age of British-born Pakistani Muzna Saleem, 15. Muzna's strict parents, cultural Muslims who immigrated from Pakistan, severely limit her personal choices: her mother's dictate against waxing a growth of facial hair leads to bullying at school, and Muzna's desire to study English challenges her father's expectation of a medical career. When he loses his job under unfair circumstances and the family is forced to move, Muzna transfers to a different school, where she meets a handsome, charming new classmate: Pakistani born-again Muslim Arif Malik. Along with his charismatic older brother Jameel, he slowly influences her toward his radical interpretation of Islam, including taking her to hear fundamentalist preachers. Though understandable, Muzna's naivety and willingness to go along with his ill-planned decisions are occasionally frustrating. Nonetheless, a gripping story line, supported by a nuanced exploration of Muzna's family dynamics and immigrant experience, draws a clear distinction drawn between culture and religion (frequently conflated) and focuses on personal meanings of devotion, providing valuable touches. Ages 12 up.
