youngling80's review against another edition

Go to review page

slow-paced

3.5

 3.5 ⭐ rounded up.

I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. Some observations/thoughts ...

1. The real hero of this story is Malala's father. Without his tireless commitment to education for girls in the Swat Valley, Malala would not be the young woman she is - which is nothing less than remarkable. His commitment, to the rights of girls receiving education, in the face of the Taliban's invasion and takeover is inspiring. The fact that his and Malala's activism elicited such a great price from her and their family is heart-breaking. One can only hope that the international platform it has given them, will help them to accomplish more in this area.

2. Malala's story is incredible, but I struggled with the writing. It reads somewhat like a stream-of-conscious narrative ... almost as if she was just sked to talk about her experiences and someone just captured them on paper. You know how sometimes when you tell a story and often add extra information that isn't really necessary to the story? "Last week when I was headed to the grocery to shop for rutabagas and asparagus, I saw a dog riding a unicycle!" (Do we really need to know what you were shopping for?) ... This book felt a bit like that, complete with many asides and tangents that aren't particularly necessary or relevant to the larger story. Much of it felt like a slog. Though the story was mostly linear, there were moments where the author jumped time in her memory/recollection. I feel like better editing could have helped make the story linear and easier to follow. Complicating the story further is the fact that the political world of Pakistan is a complicated thing ... there are many players from many parties and sects, all with seemingly differing ideologies that interplay into the complicatedness of those politics. As a reader, it was incredibly difficult to keep track of all the parties, to know which names/characters were playing a larger role and which were part of those aside that weren't truly necessary. When the story starts to truly zero in on the attack on Malala (this is somewhere around 70%), it gets much better - at that point the characters seem contained to Malala's family and friends, the team of doctors treating her, and very few political figures. When I hit that section, I felt relief because, prior to that, there were several times that I considered a DNF on this one.

I would be curious to see how the editing differs in the version of this book that was written geared toward teens. Is the editing better to make the complications a little more clear? I've thought about checking that out.

Regardless, Malala's story is an important one and one that I hope will continue to help pave the way for girls and women across the world to receive the education that they deserve. 

rhabarbaschorle's review against another edition

Go to review page

hopeful informative inspiring slow-paced

rmdange's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

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.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

mjbsw's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Few books have brought me to tears.  This was one of them.  Highly recommend.  

svenja15's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging informative inspiring slow-paced

3.0

passionatereader78's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kaitlizcolby's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

5 stars for Malala the human... 3 stars for Malala the book. It really is a compelling story, but there were significant sections that really dragged... Overall, worth the read.

sindhuuura's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.25

immortal_desi_reads's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Very powerful and inspiring! Malala’s story is one of strength and unbelievable courage, as she stood up for what she believed in despite the danger.

readbyashleyd's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

What an inspiring and yet heartbreak read!