Nancy A. (Chocoholic) reviewed on 12/31/2013 + 291 more book reviews

I really have mixed feelings about this book. It is a good read, but it is marketed to the young adult crowd, where I feel it might be inappropriate, depending on the age of your young adult. The protagonist is 13 years old, but I'm not sure I would give this book to a 16 year old, as it contains some pretty heavy topics. The story is about a 13 year old, Jasira, who moves from her mother's home in Syracuse, New York, to live with her Lebanese father in Houston. There she must deal with raging hormones, racism, her abusive and distant father, and a pedophile neighbor. As you might have guessed from the title, the book is full of racial epithets and slurs towards both the black and Arab communities. The book is pretty graphic regarding the protagonist's sexual activity, and it surprises me that it hasn't made more waves from those who have censored books for less. With all of that said, this is an interesting book though I didn't much care for the ending, which I thought was rather abrupt.

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