I requested SAINTS
AND MISFITS by S. K. Ali because I think building a collection that
includes diverse characters is very important. And I honestly can see where SAINTS
AND MISFITS could appeal to students who already identify with
characters like those featured in this YA novel. However, for others who are less familiar I
feel like it might simply reinforce stereotypes, especially about treatment of
women and girls, unless they are willing to get beyond the first section where the Monster (Farooq) attempts to rape Janna (a self-described misfit). Still, the characters felt a bit immature and my reaction was less positive than other reviews.
Maybe it is because I recently also read DARING TO DRIVE
(non-fiction about women’s rights in Saudi Arabia) and SALT HOUSES
(novel about multiple generations of a Palestinian family) two books which
dealt with cultural expectations and women’s roles in the Middle East. What
made those books more appealing? Perhaps
it was more comfortable to look at these critical issues through a lens
involving some geographic distance? Or maybe they just allowed for a wider life experience beyond high school angst?
Ali’s SAINTS AND MISFITS received starred reviews
from Booklist, Kirkus, and School Library Journal so I decided to post it here, particularly because it does deal with standing up to bullies. I also am including a review of another recent YA novel, WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI, with
characters whose heritage is tied to the Indian subcontinent. In each case, perhaps our students will see
that finding oneself involves more than just accepting community and parental expectations, no
matter what background is involved.
In
all honesty, I also had mixed feelings about WHEN
DIMPLE MET RISHI by Sandhya Mehon even before I started the YA novel and certainly
while I was reading it. In many ways,
the cover with an obviously “spirited” girl conveys the tension throughout the
book between traditional Indian culture (henna on her hands) and American
independence and indulgence (she’s drinking an iced coffee).
WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI received starred reviews
from Kirkus and Yoya, plus positive reader feedback. “Cute” and “precious” were frequent
descriptors and this romantic comedy could make a fun movie. The debut novel does address important issues
like opportunities for girls in STEM fields, the power of privilege and wealth,
and being kind and thoughtful to a girlfriend or boyfriend. However, there is an increasing emphasis on
the romance between Dimple and Rishi and those sections seemed very repetitive
and somewhat unrealistic, given their upbringing and parents' views. Overall, it seemed that WHEN
DIMPLE MET RISHI will likely be a popular choice as a light
summer read from the public library or maybe more for middle school readers (School
Library Journal suggests grades 7 and up).
Please see me if you have read ANY one of these books – I am truly
curious to hear your perspective.
Earlier this month, Simon & Schuster’s Atria imprint released US
AGAINST YOU by Fredrik Backman; it is the sequel to Beartown, a book which has generated
some lengthy discussions at our high school. The stories in both novels take
place at a small town where hockey championships are truly a focus and “kids
get raised with the philosophy ‘the stats never lie.’ Either you’re the best,
or you’re everyone else.” As the new novel opens, reverberations from a sexual
assault by one of the key players are still being felt and there is talk of
disbanding the team. “The idiots won’t say it was Kevin who killed Beartown Ice
Hockey, they’ll say ‘the scandal’ killed the club. … their real problem isn’t
that Kevin raped someone, but that Maya got raped. … Women are always the
problem in the men’s world.” 
