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spauffwrites's review against another edition
3.0
A book that is heartbreaking and disturbing in places but has such a strong narrative voice that I kept reading. All of the characters are complicated messes.
dani17731's review against another edition
4.0
I could not put this book down. I read it when I was supposed to be working, I read it while eating, and I stayed up late to finish it.
The synopsis gives you hints of what's to come, but I still wasn't fully prepared for what happened. Not at all. Being inside Jasira's mind was frustrating at times, but her story was amazing. Sad, heartbreaking, and amazing. Her parents were emotionally neglectful and manipulative, but I think they cared somewhat, in their own way. I just felt sad after reading this, and I couldn't stop thinking about Jasira.
Highly recommended.
The synopsis gives you hints of what's to come, but I still wasn't fully prepared for what happened. Not at all. Being inside Jasira's mind was frustrating at times, but her story was amazing. Sad, heartbreaking, and amazing. Her parents were emotionally neglectful and manipulative, but I think they cared somewhat, in their own way. I just felt sad after reading this, and I couldn't stop thinking about Jasira.
Highly recommended.
glendaleereads's review against another edition
4.0
This was a reread for me, and I enjoyed it just has much as I did when I first read it. Though I know Jasira is young and a misunderstood preteen that lacks love from both her parents, its hard to like her as a person. Shes a frustrating character for me, but it made the novel interesting. I enjoyed the fast pace or the novel and the writing, fast but good writing. Glad I reread this.
sonia_reppe's review against another edition
5.0
I was 13 years-old in 1991, just like the protagonist Jasira (but I wasn't doing all the things that Jasira is doing, that's for sure).
I loved the 1st-person voice of Jasira and her views. Whereas a typical girl that age is shy about her body, she is proud of what a wonderful creation it is. She has an instinctual faith in it: "Mostly, I believed that my body knew best."
Usually I am turned off if sexual content involves such a young girl, especially when it involves an adult (the story would've worked just as well with a 15-yr-old), but this time it didn't bother me. I don't know why. Probably because Jasira was believable. Her behavior was not typical, but somehow her confidence and bold personality was believable. After all, she has a c-cup size at 13. And some people are just bold.
I flew through this, it was so good. It was the most erotic thing I've read in a while, and just this month I read actual erotica and a steamy Tom Perrotta novel. The paperback cover of this book is a better representation of the content and tone of this book.
This has depth. Jasira is a confused, thoughtful girl who perceives the hypocrisy of the adults around her, and has conflicting emotions. Very realistic.
I loved the 1st-person voice of Jasira and her views. Whereas a typical girl that age is shy about her body, she is proud of what a wonderful creation it is. She has an instinctual faith in it: "Mostly, I believed that my body knew best."
Usually I am turned off if sexual content involves such a young girl, especially when it involves an adult (the story would've worked just as well with a 15-yr-old), but this time it didn't bother me. I don't know why. Probably because Jasira was believable. Her behavior was not typical, but somehow her confidence and bold personality was believable. After all, she has a c-cup size at 13. And some people are just bold.
I flew through this, it was so good. It was the most erotic thing I've read in a while, and just this month I read actual erotica and a steamy Tom Perrotta novel. The paperback cover of this book is a better representation of the content and tone of this book.
This has depth. Jasira is a confused, thoughtful girl who perceives the hypocrisy of the adults around her, and has conflicting emotions. Very realistic.
kitty_kat21's review against another edition
4.0
A haunting coming of age story, this book gripped me from the first chapter. I really warmed to Jasira and her situation. This story is like a punch to the stomach, and I think Jasira’s voice was captured brilliantly. Not for the squeamish or faint of heart. Perfect if you need a page turner.
curiouslibrarian's review against another edition
2.0
This is a 2.5 from me.
I read this on a plane ride. I finished it, but I think it was more circumstances and a horrid fascination than actual interest. I wanted to make sure Jasira was okay in the end.
The poor girl is subjected to abuse (emotional, physical, and sexual), racism and neglect. And it seemed like the only thing this book had going for it was sex. As if that is the only thing 13-yr-old girls think about. In Jasira's case, given her circumstances and lack of information it makes a little more sense, but still I didn't need to spend a whole book hearing about the unfortunate sex life of a 13-yr-old. I had heard there was a lot of thought-provoking, groundbreaking meat to this book. But why? Because the girl was Muslim instead of some other religion? True, the book would lose what little outside bits of plot there was besides sex without it, but it didn't seem to impact the story much.
Not impressed.
I read this on a plane ride. I finished it, but I think it was more circumstances and a horrid fascination than actual interest. I wanted to make sure Jasira was okay in the end.
The poor girl is subjected to abuse (emotional, physical, and sexual), racism and neglect. And it seemed like the only thing this book had going for it was sex. As if that is the only thing 13-yr-old girls think about. In Jasira's case, given her circumstances and lack of information it makes a little more sense, but still I didn't need to spend a whole book hearing about the unfortunate sex life of a 13-yr-old. I had heard there was a lot of thought-provoking, groundbreaking meat to this book. But why? Because the girl was Muslim instead of some other religion? True, the book would lose what little outside bits of plot there was besides sex without it, but it didn't seem to impact the story much.
Not impressed.
kell_xavi's review against another edition
4.0
cw: child sexual abuse, physical and verbal abuse of a child by a parent, neglect, underage sex, racism including slurs
I was surprised at how much I came to like this book. I bought it at a used bookstore years ago, but I’m not sure I understood the premise until I read the blurb again, right before I opened it.
When I started reading, the carefree tone, very much that of a young teenager, combined with the sexual content, made me uneasy. Though Jasira, the protagonist, becomes more aware of what is and isn’t okay sexually as the chapters unfold, I worried that the book would lean towards sexualizing the child. The first few chapters, where Jasira discovers Playboy and considers the man next door nice because he likes her, made me apprehensive. After the set up, though, especially when Melina and Gil arrive, the narrative becomes less romanticized.
I had a strange sense in the first few chapters that I was reading a Judy Blume book. The tone I mentioned—Jasira is an adolescent girl who’s moved to a new place and is navigating racism, a changing body, new sexuality and attraction. The weight of it isn’t like Blume, but Jasira, and even Denise and Thomas, weirdly are. That said, I’m glad I read this with an adult awareness and not as a teenager. I think that, much as Jasira is confused, hurt, apologetic, excited, afraid, ashamed throughout, I would’ve had more trouble making sense of emotions and reactions if I was closer in age to her.
There’s a definite cognitive dissonance that goes on with a narrator who, while not unreliable per se, has the knowledge of a child, and one who’s grown up seeing her body and her presence as a problem. The events that occur are sometimes sad and disturbing, but she doesn’t know that, and definitely doesn’t know what to do about it. Jasira makes a lot of mistakes with her odd mix of an oppressive household, a polite character, and a desire to be special and to feel good.
It’s so weird to consider, because I had a crush on a teacher when I was 13, this kind of overpowering and distracting desire, and now I’m very glad he treated children like children. I had an online flirtation with someone 9 years older when I was 17, and it still feels both creepy and… special. It’s complicated, hence the need for adolescents to learn about their bodies, their needs, in a safe and protected way. Particularly those raised as girls, there’s a lot of trauma and embarrassment in simply having an AFAB body, even more so a racialized one. Alicia Erian captures this all with realistic nuance, practicality, and warmth.
So many of the adults in this book are extremely immature. Jasira’s mother is jealous and easily hurt by her child. Her father makes rules to hide his fear, is petty and angry and constantly trying to prove himself to people who don’t care. More than one man thinks the line between young teenager and adult is a lot less clear than it is. People take their problems out on Jasira constantly when she’s acting her age, and they are absolutely not.
Despite the difficult circumstances in this book, it wasn’t an overly painful read. The tone softens the blow somewhat, and Jasira is a resilient and smart character (yes, a resilient person gets that way because they live through hard shit, but the end made me believe she’d be okay). Also, Erian can be very funny. Jasira’s voice is often sarcastic, and at other times, the absurdity of things her father and mother say made me laugh aloud. There’s a ridiculousness to her father especially, and Jasira can often distance herself enough to note how silly it all is. She’s observant, she’s considerate, she’s curious, she’s a little mixed up—I was rooting for Jasira the whole way through, and I can honestly say I enjoyed reading her story.
I was surprised at how much I came to like this book. I bought it at a used bookstore years ago, but I’m not sure I understood the premise until I read the blurb again, right before I opened it.
When I started reading, the carefree tone, very much that of a young teenager, combined with the sexual content, made me uneasy. Though Jasira, the protagonist, becomes more aware of what is and isn’t okay sexually as the chapters unfold, I worried that the book would lean towards sexualizing the child. The first few chapters, where Jasira discovers Playboy and considers the man next door nice because he likes her, made me apprehensive. After the set up, though, especially when Melina and Gil arrive, the narrative becomes less romanticized.
I had a strange sense in the first few chapters that I was reading a Judy Blume book. The tone I mentioned—Jasira is an adolescent girl who’s moved to a new place and is navigating racism, a changing body, new sexuality and attraction. The weight of it isn’t like Blume, but Jasira, and even Denise and Thomas, weirdly are. That said, I’m glad I read this with an adult awareness and not as a teenager. I think that, much as Jasira is confused, hurt, apologetic, excited, afraid, ashamed throughout, I would’ve had more trouble making sense of emotions and reactions if I was closer in age to her.
There’s a definite cognitive dissonance that goes on with a narrator who, while not unreliable per se, has the knowledge of a child, and one who’s grown up seeing her body and her presence as a problem. The events that occur are sometimes sad and disturbing, but she doesn’t know that, and definitely doesn’t know what to do about it. Jasira makes a lot of mistakes with her odd mix of an oppressive household, a polite character, and a desire to be special and to feel good.
It’s so weird to consider, because I had a crush on a teacher when I was 13, this kind of overpowering and distracting desire, and now I’m very glad he treated children like children. I had an online flirtation with someone 9 years older when I was 17, and it still feels both creepy and… special. It’s complicated, hence the need for adolescents to learn about their bodies, their needs, in a safe and protected way. Particularly those raised as girls, there’s a lot of trauma and embarrassment in simply having an AFAB body, even more so a racialized one. Alicia Erian captures this all with realistic nuance, practicality, and warmth.
So many of the adults in this book are extremely immature. Jasira’s mother is jealous and easily hurt by her child. Her father makes rules to hide his fear, is petty and angry and constantly trying to prove himself to people who don’t care. More than one man thinks the line between young teenager and adult is a lot less clear than it is. People take their problems out on Jasira constantly when she’s acting her age, and they are absolutely not.
Despite the difficult circumstances in this book, it wasn’t an overly painful read. The tone softens the blow somewhat, and Jasira is a resilient and smart character (yes, a resilient person gets that way because they live through hard shit, but the end made me believe she’d be okay). Also, Erian can be very funny. Jasira’s voice is often sarcastic, and at other times, the absurdity of things her father and mother say made me laugh aloud. There’s a ridiculousness to her father especially, and Jasira can often distance herself enough to note how silly it all is. She’s observant, she’s considerate, she’s curious, she’s a little mixed up—I was rooting for Jasira the whole way through, and I can honestly say I enjoyed reading her story.
thoughtsfromtheafro's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so much more sexual than I could have ever anticipated. Given the author’s past, I see now that it may have included some of her personal experiences. I appreciated how the storyline led itself to overt and covert racial tensions and issues. The point of view (Jasira’s) was remarkably poignant and consistent; you don’t always get that from the main character.
She didn’t dive too deeply into the issues of discussing sex and intimacy in Arab culture, but I think that was a smart move. It would’ve been too much to tackle and keep relevant throughout the plot.
The end was a bit abrupt, and likely would’ve seemed less so with just a bit more incorporation of the pregnancy timeline once Jasira’s living situation changed. I think ending with the birth was a good idea, just could have been wrapped up more — given some semblance of a continuum.
She didn’t dive too deeply into the issues of discussing sex and intimacy in Arab culture, but I think that was a smart move. It would’ve been too much to tackle and keep relevant throughout the plot.
The end was a bit abrupt, and likely would’ve seemed less so with just a bit more incorporation of the pregnancy timeline once Jasira’s living situation changed. I think ending with the birth was a good idea, just could have been wrapped up more — given some semblance of a continuum.
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