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ayudkin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
starrysteph's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Hollow Fires was an engaging, enraging, and innovative young adult thriller about racist ideology – and the power and hope of honest storytelling and journalism.
Safiya is a future journalist and the editor of her high school paper, and works hard to present facts to her readers. She tries not to let her emotions and biases get in the way, but when she learns about Jawad’s story, she can’t help but get personally involved.
14-year-old Jawad was arrested for possible terrorism after one of his teacher’s thought his homemade jetpack costume was a bomb. The media sunk their claws into him, racist bullies at school leaned into hate, and soon he winds up missing. And then dead. And Safiya finds his body.
With Jawad’s voice haunting her, Safiya pushes through dismissive cops and those assuming “Bomb Boy” got what he deserved and is determined to tell his whole story … and find out who killed him.
It’s a tough read at times, covering topics like silence & inaction, how media shapes us & how it can be used as a tool of systemic racism, and how easily young white men can become radicalized, with algorithms morphing to dig them into deeper holes and inflame prejudices they already held. There are threads of alt-right recruitment that are really compelling.
Safiya’s chapters mostly begin with a truth, a fact, a lie, and an alternative fact - or some combination of the above. I thought this was a super interesting throughline and delivery of how journalism can be biased and manipulative, even if you have honest intentions.
The story is loosely based on a real life murder (though the white supremacy elements - as well as some other modern additions - were fictional). There are also legitimate sources and quotes sprinkled throughout the text.
As an adult reader, the antagonist was very clear from the beginning. I’m not sure how many younger readers would pick up on it immediately as well (whether they’re an amateur detective :) or just someone who has experienced this kind of deceit), but that aspect of predictability didn’t take anything away from my reading experience. It might have even enhanced it, because I’m often frustrated when books have a twist just for the sake of a twist. This reveal - as nauseating as it was - made perfect sense.
Jawad’s ghostly chapters were heart-wrenching, but I did at times feel like the paranormal elements took away from the reality of the story. I think it would have been really interesting to do something like interspersed journal entries from when he was still alive, since we’re already hopping back and forth through time. But either way, I appreciated that his voice was highlighted.
There were really lovely friendships and family relationships depicted here. And a hugely diverse range of Muslim experiences, which I really appreciated.
At its heart, it’s a story about two Muslim teenagers trying to figure out how to navigate a dangerous world and be their full selves. It’s realistically depressing and heart-wrenching, but there’s fierce hope here and optimism for a future of media where more voices can be amplified. I was all in.
CW: murder (child), racism & slurs, islamophobia, hate crime, xenophobia, violence, gaslighting, kidnapping, grief, antisemitism, religious bigotry, classism, misogyny, toxic relationship, car accident
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avalete's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book for its recent and ongoing commentary of crime against non-white individuals and how the overall system of justice is rigged. Some parts I feel were a little rushed, but this is a YA novel so I can understand why focus was given on Jawad specifically. And Jawad’s chapters are heartbreaking, but I love that the priority of this story is to give more attention to the kids like Jawad who unfortunately are forgotten everyday due to how news is handled.
kaylaaaaa's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
mitskacir's review against another edition
3.0
This is a high quality YA book, so probably would call it 4 stars for younger readers. For me, everything was very explicit and there wasn’t a lot of work for me to do intellectually while reading. I knew who the Ghost Skin was right away as well, despite the “it’s not who you’d think!” narrative trying to mislead me. The most valuable part of this book is definitely the perspective of the narrators, two young Muslims navigating a racist system, and how it addresses the radicalization of young white men.
fatherofcats's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
evvelln's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
It was interesting, and I would recommend it to any lover of mystery thrillers. Not my genre, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have.
kem_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
anikaisreading's review against another edition
5.0
This book is one of my favourite reads of the year. It was so difficult to read but so gratifying at the same time. It was also relatable considering how I literally had similar experiences as of late so it was amazing to feel seen AND understood. So 100/10, I loved safiya and jawad and how this book was unapologetically brown and Muslim
gibbygibson_'s review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5