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jenmangler's review against another edition
3.0
There is so much I liked about this book, but I'm a bit disappointed because I wanted to love it. A lot of my frustration had to do with making the Director the big bad, an over-the-top racist and Islamophobe. In the end, Layla just has to reveal how evil he is and their internment is over. Yeah, the Director was awful, but Layla and her friends were fighting against so much more than that, and this fight ultimately got lost in favor of the focus on the Director and his rage. That's too bad, because the book is at its best when it focuses on the apathy and disinterest of the masses and how so many "good" people just went along with it. Ahmed also does a terrific job in linking this to past injustices of other marginalized groups, and I would have loved to see more. That's much more interesting, and spurs more reflection in the reader, than a 100% pure evil single villain. Still, it's a thought-provoking and timely book and I would recommend it.
geckobookcooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
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? No
5.0
mcmoon's review against another edition
3.0
I love the book’s concept and main character. The first 100 pages were engrossing. The second half seemed less credible. Still a worthwhile read.
mdevlin923's review against another edition
3.0
In a terrifying dystopian future, Muslim American citizens are forced into an internment camp. Layla Amin, who has dealt with the political climate as it came to this point, fights for her freedom. With the help of her boyfriend outside of the camp and new friends within, Layla sheds light on the way people are being treated by the camp's director.
Internment is quite intense and worth reading, but I felt that the protagonist's actions were somewhat unrealistic/unbelievable given the situation. I still think it's a great book, but I was constantly frustrated with the MC.
Internment is quite intense and worth reading, but I felt that the protagonist's actions were somewhat unrealistic/unbelievable given the situation. I still think it's a great book, but I was constantly frustrated with the MC.
aleena662's review against another edition
1.0
Last year I picked up [b:Love, Hate & Other Filters|31207017|Love, Hate & Other Filters|Samira Ahmed|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498910824l/31207017._SY75_.jpg|51858775] by Samira Ahmed and had high hopes that were quickly crushed. That book made me so frustrated I got rid of it right after I finished reading it. A year later I saw that for school I had to read Internment and I got excited. I didn't realize who the author was and was curious about how the book would be. Somehow, I liked it even less than the book I read last year. Two stars is pretty generous for the numerous problems I had with this book; some of them being:
The Characterization
Oh wow did I have some problems with this one
First of all, the main character Layla made me want to cry with frustration. She felt so unrealistic and obnoxious at the same time. She would constantly go on condescending speeches about how unjust her situation was (which don't get me wrong, it was), and complain about not being able to see her boyfriend. It could just be me, but the farther I got into the book the more and more frustrated I got with her.
Next, one of the guards at the camp, Jake. He actually was a decently complex character and one of the few things in this book I liked. That being said, his involvement with Layla just felt not quite right. It started off way too early in the book and was way too rushed. He was so obvious with his intentions that you would have to be stupid not to catch he was working against the Director. The fact that he didn't get caught made this book seem so fake, and the Director seem even more like a cartoon.
And oh the Director, the Director. This man was literally just O'Hare from the Lorax. He was terrible at his job, his dialogue was full of dumb cliches, and he was as two dimensional as could be. I mean, you can't read this and not think of O'Hare:
Yeah, pretty sure that's just the villain from the Lorax.
The Setting
So this is the part of the book that actually made me mad and is kind of difficult to write about. The camp in this book actually isn't that bad. Yes, a prison is a prison and I understand that, but this was honestly an ideal prison. Each family stayed in a clean mobile home with working facilities and were given food that sounded better than what I get in a high school cafeteria. People weren't forced to do any labor, it was completely optional. In fact, they kind of just wandered around the camp most of the time without responsibilities.
Now again, a prison is a prison, and I get that it's more about why they were there and less about what it was like there. That would be fine and dandy except the author decided to compare this camp to the Holocaust, Guantanamo Bay, Japanese internment camps, the camps at the Mexican border, and the suffering of Syrian refugees. Layla even comments that her situation isn't as bad as these on the same pages she talks about how her experience is like the survivors of these situations. This is the only part of the book that truly made me mad. Maybe I'm being unfair, but it felt so insensitive to those who have truly suffered in history. The anger I felt while reading this makes me want to read about people in Japanese internment camps and the camps at the border, so perhaps something good came out of reading this book.
I really wanted to like this book, and I tried to give it a fair shot. It hurts that things ended up this way because these are really salient issues, but just executed very poorly.
The Characterization
Oh wow did I have some problems with this one
First of all, the main character Layla made me want to cry with frustration. She felt so unrealistic and obnoxious at the same time. She would constantly go on condescending speeches about how unjust her situation was (which don't get me wrong, it was), and complain about not being able to see her boyfriend. It could just be me, but the farther I got into the book the more and more frustrated I got with her.
Next, one of the guards at the camp, Jake. He actually was a decently complex character and one of the few things in this book I liked. That being said, his involvement with Layla just felt not quite right. It started off way too early in the book and was way too rushed. He was so obvious with his intentions that you would have to be stupid not to catch he was working against the Director. The fact that he didn't get caught made this book seem so fake, and the Director seem even more like a cartoon.
And oh the Director, the Director. This man was literally just O'Hare from the Lorax. He was terrible at his job, his dialogue was full of dumb cliches, and he was as two dimensional as could be. I mean, you can't read this and not think of O'Hare:
"The drone behind the Director rises up to shoulder level and turns its camera to me. 'Remember what I said, Miss Amin, I see everything. I will keep this camp safe. You can rest assured of that,' he says, the walks away, threats lingering in the dust of his wake."
Yeah, pretty sure that's just the villain from the Lorax.
The Setting
So this is the part of the book that actually made me mad and is kind of difficult to write about. The camp in this book actually isn't that bad. Yes, a prison is a prison and I understand that, but this was honestly an ideal prison. Each family stayed in a clean mobile home with working facilities and were given food that sounded better than what I get in a high school cafeteria. People weren't forced to do any labor, it was completely optional. In fact, they kind of just wandered around the camp most of the time without responsibilities.
Now again, a prison is a prison, and I get that it's more about why they were there and less about what it was like there. That would be fine and dandy except the author decided to compare this camp to the Holocaust, Guantanamo Bay, Japanese internment camps, the camps at the Mexican border, and the suffering of Syrian refugees. Layla even comments that her situation isn't as bad as these on the same pages she talks about how her experience is like the survivors of these situations. This is the only part of the book that truly made me mad. Maybe I'm being unfair, but it felt so insensitive to those who have truly suffered in history. The anger I felt while reading this makes me want to read about people in Japanese internment camps and the camps at the border, so perhaps something good came out of reading this book.
I really wanted to like this book, and I tried to give it a fair shot. It hurts that things ended up this way because these are really salient issues, but just executed very poorly.
keels_ap's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
oceannakolb's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
reader4evr's review against another edition
5.0
This will be a book that I stays with me for a long time. So powerful. Fantastic audiobook.
rogue_leader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
jennrocca's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to rate this book higher. It’s an important story at an important time. For the most part, the characters are meaningful and the story progression is alarmingly realistic. Where it fell down for me was the character that was The Director. The director of the internment camp was such a caricature of evil. There was no ambiguity in his character, there was no rationality that would allow us to fear him in the real world because he was not real; he was a cartoon. This is a shame because, had he been more human, the story would have been both more realistic and more alarming. It’s hard to fight another human, it’s easier to stand up to a monster.