Reviews with content warning for Violence - Ich bin Malala

I’ve contemplated reading this book ever since my mother told me about a Pakistani girl my age being shot in the head by the Taliban and, somehow, eking her way to a miraculous recovery. Through I Am Malala, the author reclaims her own story, providing a clarity and comprehensiveness untouched by the frantic news reports of the time. Part I is rather slow and tedious, as she painstakingly retraces her familial ancestry and the political history of the Swat Valley in Pakistan. Though this provides necessary context (and is important and impressive as a political chronicle), her habit of mentioning so many one-off players, as if out of compulsion to include their names and brief sketches of their stories, detracts from the focus and flow of her narrative. Once the Taliban come into the picture, in Part II, the book’s pace certainly picks up, becoming steadily more riveting throughout. Overall, I Am Malala is an impactful literary debut telling a very necessary story. The author’s age (15 years) is strikingly evident in the writing, and the plentiful passages about God’s greatness are a little much for me (one would have sufficed). I have to wonder how she would have written it differently – if at all – twelve years later.

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passionatereader78's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

5.0

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sheralbeereads's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

This book is inspiring through and through. We get to meet Malala, the person, the young girl who loved going to school and learning. She gives details about her world and life while providing context about the happenings in her hometown, region, and country. I was constantly impressed by Malala's capacity for empathy and ability to reflect deeply. She showcases herself honestly in this memoir and I am grateful to have had the chance to read her book, because she was able to write a book in the first place. Her cause is dear to my heart, and I wish only success for her. I couldn't help but think of her as a little sister after reading her book. It is a pleasure to get to know her before she became renowned for surviving a shot to the head. While I thought some of the book was slow, I would recommend it wholeheartedly, especially as a casual/leisurely read.

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rhiannon814r's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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