Spilled Ink
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- 109,00 kr
Publisher Description
In this insightful and affecting YA novel by well-loved author of books for adults and middle graders Nadia Hashimi, an Afghan American teenager's small town is thrown into controversy and violence when her brother, taking a stand against hatred, plays a prank that some think went too far…
When Yalda hears that her twin brother, Yusuf, will be performing with his band at a local venue, she lets her friends convince her to sneak out to see his show. But the night has something else in store: After the opening band makes some ugly jokes about “terrorists,” Yusuf uses his time in the spotlight for an impulsive stunt responding to the hate speech.
Suddenly, simmering tensions begin boiling over in their Virginia town, where many Afghan refugees have sought safety. When a video of Yusuf’s performance goes viral online, it seems like everyone in town turns against their family’s restaurant, leaving their livelihood in jeopardy. And then Yusuf is seriously injured in a mysterious fall.
Despite her grieving and frightened family, friends she is not sure she can trust, and a town that no longer feels like a safe home, Yalda must try to find her own voice—and do what she can to change her world for the better.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Afghan American 17-year-old Yalda Jamali is much more private than her guitarist and songwriter twin brother Yusuf. As Muslim immigrants who run an Afghan restaurant, the twins' parents "would be less than thrilled" to learn that Yusuf has been sneaking out to play with his band at "funky, punky" WhereHouse, especially since racial tensions have increased within their predominantly white Virginia town due to the arrival of Afghan refugee families. When an opening band encourages the audience to engage in racist rhetoric, Yusuf responds by leading the audience in a sing-along. He teases that it's a profession of Islamic faith: "Say it three times and you're officially converted." Social media backlash follows, impacting their parents' restaurant, and when Yusuf doesn't come home one evening, the family finds him unconscious outside a strip mall. Utilizing Yal's sharp-witted first-person POV, debut author Hashimi exposes how the prevalence of unchecked and unchallenged racism can lead to violence, as well as how American-born Afghans are othered and recently arrived Afghan refugees are scapegoated. Clever dialogue between the vividly individualized characters lightens harrowing depictions of anti-Islamic hate crimes in this tightly structured and engagingly paced read. An author's note concludes. Ages 13–up.
