Down and Across by Arvin Ahmadi

Summary: Scott Ferdowsi has a track record of quitting. Writing the Great American Novel? Three chapters. His summer internship? One week. His best friends know exactly what they want to do with the rest of their lives, but Scott can hardly commit to a breakfast cereal, let alone a passion.

With college applications looming, Scott's parents pressure him to get serious and settle on a career path like engineering or medicine. Desperate for help, he sneaks off to Washington, DC, to seek guidance from a famous professor who specializes in grit, the psychology of success.

He never expects an adventure to unfold out of what was supposed to be a one-day visit. But that's what Scott gets when he meets Fiora Buchanan, a ballsy college student whose life ambition is to write crossword puzzles. When the bicycle she lends him gets Scott into a high-speed chase, he knows he's in for the ride of his life. Soon, Scott finds himself sneaking into bars, attempting to pick up girls at the National Zoo, and even giving the crossword thing a try--all while opening his eyes to fundamental truths about who he is and who he wants to be.

Pages: 329

Release Date: February 6th, 2018

Rating: 4/5 Star

Review:

Down and Across follows Scott, a rising high school senior who has a summer internship that does not interest him. He is known to start something and lose interest fast. After discovering the research of a Georgetown professor on 'grit', he decides to travel to D.C. and enlist her help on fixing his lack of 'grit.' Along the way he meets a girl that helps him change his outlook on life and hi-jinks ensue. Down and Across is Arvin Ahmadi's debut novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. He perfectly captured some of the pressures put on high school students and I deeply related to the novel. I highly recommend reading it, especially if you are entering your senior year, and I am excited to read Arvin's future publications.

I wish Down and Across had been published a few months prior to its release date. It was published during the end of my senior year of high school and unfortunately I was unable to read it until after I graduated. I feel like a majority of teens and high school students can relate to Down and Across. Students are pressured during high school to know what they  want to do and who they want to be. Like Scott, I barely knew what I wanted to eat for lunch, let alone what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. During my senior year, I had created a picture of where and who I wanted to be for the next four years, but that plan was uprooted by college admissions decisions. It was a difficult time for me, I though my senior year was the year everything would fall into place, but nothing came out the way I had originally planned. While there are portrayals of other "confused" teens in YA fiction, I feel like a majority of YA characters already have their life path picked out for themselves. I commend anyone who knows their life goals that far in advance, but it is nice to relate to others that are not as knowledgeable about he future. I only wish my past self could have had this novel to think about during the rough patches of senior year.

While I related to Scott's self-doubt and confusion, I did not take Scott's route by ditching an internship and traveling to D.C. I related to Scott and enjoyed his character; however, I did not always approve of his choices. I do think that he grew substantially in D.C. and I would not recommend others to take that route, but I do not think he necessarily needed Fiora to grow. I did not find Fiora to be that beneficial to him. She was a bad influence and got him into more trouble than good. Her character was not completely unlikable, I did find her interesting, but I did not like her endangerment of Scott. While they were close in age, he is still an underage teenage boy that is wandering around D.C. without his parents even knowing he left Philly. I found Fiora to be cliche character in general. She is the female character that allows the male character to discover his full potential. I think her purpose in the story could have been minimized.

One of my favorite components of Down and Across was its setting. The District of Columbia is one of my favorite places and I absolutely loved the inclusion of it. I discovered more cool hangout spots and learned more about the universities in the area. Through the descriptions, I felt as though I was in D.C. It was such an enjoyable part of the story. While I may not have always approved of the characters' actions, I enjoyed the settings and wherever they chose to take their antics. 

Overall Down and Across was a relatable novel that I would definitely recommend to high school students or recent graduates. The characters were enjoyable, but sometimes infuriating; however, I did enjoy their journey. I might be biased, but the setting was perfect, I love D.C. I enjoyed Arvin's debut and I am excited to see what he publishes next.

A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi

Summary: In a country ripped apart by war, Tareq lives with his big and loving family . . . until the bombs strike. His city is in ruins. His life is destroyed. And those who have survived are left to figure out their uncertain future.

In the wake of destruction, he's threatened by Daesh fighters and witnesses a public beheading. Tareq's family knows that to continue to stay alive, they must leave. As they travel as refugees from Syria to Turkey to Greece, facing danger at every turn, Tareq must find the resilience and courage to complete his harrowing journey.

But while this is one family's story, it is also the timeless tale of all wars, of all tragedy, and of all strife. When you are a refugee, success is outliving your loss (Via Goodreads.com).

Pages: 288

Release Date: January 23rd, 2018

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Review:

I read A Land of Permanent Goodbyes earlier this year and it has resonated with me since. The novel follows Tareq, a teenage boy living happily in Syria until a bomb hits his town and he must flee with his surviving family members. While I already knew about the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis, this novel made me consider the impacts of the crisis on Syrians and the world. I had never really thought about the crisis before and this novel made me think and address my ignorance toward the crisis. Since reading the novel, I have considered pursuing a law degree and eventually working in immigration and refugee laws.  

While the novel follows Tareq, it also features a second main character, Alexia, who has alternating chapters with Tareq. She is an American volunteer helping refugees once they have reached the Greek coast. In addition to these two characters, a narrator of sorts is  featured, who embodies the concept of "Destiny." It reminded me of the narration of Death in The Book Thief; however, I felt as though the execution was not as strong as Death's role in The Book Thief. 

I enjoyed Tareq's character; however, I never fully understood the point of Alexia's character. She was on a completely different continent than Tareq and, while they eventually meet, she resembles the white-savior trope. She provided no subsistence to the novel. While she aided refugees, she could have been anyone. Her character was not nearly as developed as Tareq's. She had no real role or necessity. I never felt particularly attached to her because there was nothing defining or special about her. I understood the value of Tareq's story and character, but not hers. She was interesting, but she could have been featured in any other novel, she had no groundbreaking purpose in A Land of Permanent Goodbyes.

Atia Abawi's writing was extremely engaging. While the story was enough to keep the reader engaged, her writing was extremely addicting. My heart was beating during the Mediterranean crossing and I was mourning for the loss of characters along the way. She developed a fantastic story and tough characters that were able to beat even the worst of circumstances. Her characterization of Tareq was perfect. He was a sweetheart. He loved his family dearly and did all he could to support them. He is a fantastic brother and an extremely loyal companion. It is unfortunate that teens and children have to undertake such frightening, dangerous, and exploitative tasks. 

I absolutely loved A Land of Permanent Goodbyes. While I had some issues with the characters, the story was phenomenal and extremely powerful. I felt a range of emotions throughout the novel and I am excited to read Atia Abawi's other novels. The Syrian refugee crisis is an extremely important topic and I am glad to see it being featured in literature. Whether you are extremely knowledgeable about the Syrian refugee crisis or not, I would highly recommend A Land of Permanent Goodbyes. It is an emotional, engaging, and quick read, I highly recommend it.

Love, Hate, and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed

Summary: A searing #OwnVoices coming-of-age debut in which an Indian-American Muslim teen confronts Islamophobia and a reality she can neither explain nor escape—perfect for fans of Angie Thomas, Jacqueline Woodson, and Adam Silvera.

American-born seventeen-year-old Maya Aziz is torn between worlds. There’s the proper one her parents expect for their good Indian daughter: attending a college close to their suburban Chicago home, and being paired off with an older Muslim boy her mom deems “suitable.” And then there is the world of her dreams: going to film school and living in New York City—and maybe (just maybe) pursuing a boy she’s known from afar since grade school, a boy who’s finally falling into her orbit at school.

There’s also the real world, beyond Maya’s control. In the aftermath of a horrific crime perpetrated hundreds of miles away, her life is turned upside down. The community she’s known since birth becomes unrecognizable; neighbors and classmates alike are consumed with fear, bigotry, and hatred. Ultimately, Maya must find the strength within to determine where she truly belongs (via Goodreads.com).

Release Date: January 16th, 2018

Pages: 281

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Review:

In Samira Ahmed's debut novel, she explores the presence of Islamophobia in American society. Love, Hate, and Other Filters follows Maya, a Muslim American teen, dealing with normal high school problems, such as where to attend college, overprotective parents, and love issues. All of those problems, however, are diminished when a terrorist attack in a different city by an apparent Muslim American man that shares Maya's last name occurs. Her entire world is turned upside down and all the hopes she has are put aside because of societal opposition to her religion. 

One of the most powerful aspect to Love, Hate, and Other Filters is the switch in tone that occurs within the novel. While the chapters alternate between Maya and a mysterious person seemingly planning a terrorist attack, the tone for the mystery person is continuously ominous; however, the tone in Maya's chapters drastically changes. If you were unaware of the synopsis and read this novel, it would appear as though the novel was a typical contemporary romance from the first half of the novel. It mainly focuses on Maya's love life and typical problems of high school students. The terrorist attack, however, transforms the tone and focus of the novel. The story no longer follows her typical life. It follows a wave of Islamophobia against her and her family.  


While I was aware of Islamophobia before reading this novel, I never realized how quickly it could escalate. The man responsible for the attack was not even confirmed, but the attachment of a Muslim American to it made the town turn on Maya and her family. They were not even related to him, but they were targeted because they were Muslim and shared the same last name, which is common for people of most backgrounds. This is not the first time people have shared the same religious faith and last name without being related. There is only so much originality in the world. I will spoil part of the novel, which is the fact that the Muslim American man did not even commit the attack. He was an innocent bystander killed by a psychotic white man. No white people were harmed because a white man committed this crime, but Muslim Americans were harmed because a Muslim American's name was attached to it. He was not even confirmed to be the perpetrator, everyone just assumed.  

In addition, not only was the livelihood of Maya and her family endangered. The attack led her parents to forbidding her from attending her dream school, NYU, because they were worried for her safety. Her parents rationalized the decision because their family's business and Maya was attacked because a Muslim American man was thought to have committed the terrorist attack, but what if another attacked happened and a Muslim American was actually responsible. She disregards her parents and attends NYU anyway, permanently damaging her relationship with her parents, specifically her mother. While I had hoped there would be a happy ending, there really was not. Maya may be attending her dream school, but her family is somewhat estranged from her because of Islamophobia. Maya and her family have done nothing wrong to receive this type of mistreatment, but they have still suffered as a result of it. 

I preferred the second half of the novel. While I did not enjoy seeing the damages of Islamophobia on Maya and her family, I did not necessarily enjoy Maya's relationship with her crush. He was a decent character, but I did not find him particularly charming or endearing. Their romance was fine, but it was not something I wanted to continue reading about. While the rest of the novel was rather depressing and made me wish for the romance, Love, Hate, and Other Filters was an extremely powerful novel and the contrasts within the novel nicely distinguished the story. The novel still would have been powerful without the beginning, but the first part of the novel complimented the second part of the story perfectly.

Love, Hate, and Other Filters is a groundbreaking debut novel that I highly recommend. Samira Ahmed captured me with her powerful story-telling and I am extremely excited to read her next novel, Internment, which is slated for release in March of 2019. Love, Hate, and Other Filters was one of my favorite novels of 2018 and I am ready for her next emotional read.