Rebels by Accident
-
-
4.8 • 6 Ratings
-
-
- $9.99
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
"A powerful coming-of-age story."—Publishers Weekly
A fresh, authentic coming of age story about a rebellious Arab-American girl who finds herself in the middle of a uprising. On her quest for love and adventure on the streets of Cairo, she finds that revolution is everywhere—including in herself.
Miriam just wants to fit in. That's not easy when she's the only Egyptian at her high school and her parents are super traditional. So when she sneaks into a party that gets busted, Mariam knows she's in trouble...big trouble. Convinced she needs more discipline and to reconnect with her roots, Mariam's parents send her to Cairo to stay with her grandmother, her sittu.
But Marian's strict sittu and the country of her heritage are nothing like she imagined, challenging everything Mariam once believed. As Mariam searches for the courage to be true to herself, a teen named Asmaa calls on the people of Egypt to protest their president. The country is on the brink of revolution—and now, in her own way, so is Mariam.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Editor and journalist Dunn debuts with a powerful coming-of-age story (originally self-published), set on the brink of Egypt's January 25 Revolution in 2011. Egyptian-American Mariam struggles with the contradictions of being Muslim in post-9/11 New York City. When the 15-year-old and her best friend Deanna get arrested at their first high school party, Mariam's strict parents send both girls to stay with Mariam's sittu (grandmother) in Cairo. As the girls discover boys, explore the pyramids, and test the limits of their fears and friendship, Mariam finds that Sittu is far from the "Darth Vader's evil sister" she imagined she is clever, loving, and tuned in to social media and the rebellious, hopeful pulse of her country. As Mariam and Deanna are swept into the protests of Tahir Square, they learn the price and the promise of rebellion: tragedy and hope inexorably intermingled. Dunn allows Mariam's voice its space making it tentative, passionate, doubting, and utterly believable while creating a cast of Cairo youth, rebels, and expatriates that upend Mariam's preconceptions and will do the same for many readers. Ages 12 up.
Customer Reviews
Truly amazing
This was a very loving, heartbreaking, and humorous book. It's a great book for teens like me.
characters will feel familiar and real as they work their way through a very unfamiliar environment
I adore books that open a door into the ‘similarities’ that we all have, despite our differences, and Patricia Dunn does this with her uniquely voiced character Mariam. Born in the US to Egyptian parents, she is railing against her parents’ rules, their ‘not-American’ traditions, and the way she feels ‘constrained’ and can’t wait to be old enough to live on her own and make her own rules.
But, being a teenager and wanting to fit in often means that you make some bad choices, and she snuck out to attend a party that got out of hand, and she got caught. Her father, really at the end of his rope and thinking that she needs to discover her roots and arranges for she and her best friend to travel to Egypt to stay with her Grandmother.
A complete change for a girl used to the western life and freedoms, the hustle and bustle of Egypt, the chaos, scenes, sounds and customs are not wholly unfamiliar, but are wholly shocking. A bit of the “I can’t BELIEVE” moments, feeling very much the outsider in a time when the country is on the brink of the Arab Spring , her unfamiliarity with the country and her anger at her parents for ‘banishing’ her to such an experience are clearly detailed, and feel very appropriate.
Characterizations in this story are beautifully crafted with depth and nuance, Mariam and Deanna are complete people who function (and feel) just like friends should. When one is leading, the other follows and compliments beautifully, without becoming a shadow. The undoubted third character of great importance in this story is Egypt itself: Dunn adds imagery, explains tradition and paints a picture that gives a feel and perspective of the people and the country that is far more complete than a travelogue without becoming a tourist guide. Of course, nothing beats experience firsthand, but Dunn adds in interactions, tension and the overwhelming chaos of the time that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The dangers inherent in a time of turmoil, keeps readers tense and brings memories of news reports of those days: the deaths, damage and chaos.
There are several different elements that converge in this story, and we see Mariam learn and grow significantly: gaining more confidence, connecting with the long history that is her heritage and even connecting with her grandmother. We won’t ignore her first romance and kiss, or the moments where her own insecurities had her feeling jealous twinges about her best friend: all of these elements added to the layers of the friendship making it even more solid.
I was intrigued and engaged throughout the entire book: whipping through the pages and sad to see it end. Patricia Dunn has created a story that is perfect for the tween through teen readers: the characters will feel familiar and real as they work their way through a very unfamiliar set of circumstances.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.