Title: All-American Muslim Girl Author: Nadine Jolie Courtney Genre ...

Title: All-American Muslim Girl Author: Nadine Jolie Courtney Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Romance

Reviewer Name and Grade: Yaseen V., 10th Grade Date Reviewed: June 22, 2021

Nadine Jolie Courtney's book centers on Allie Abraham, a girl who seems to have a perfect life: straight A grades, close friends and family, and a popular boyfriend. However, Allie's family is also Muslim. While this may not seem to be a big issue, Allie's boyfriend Wells has an incredibly conservative father. Jack Henderson, Wells' father is known as "America's most famous conservative shock jock" and Allie panics at the thought of her religion being found out. Allie fears the rejection and overall reaction others have when they find out her religion. This pressure, along with the fact that her family does not fully practice Islam, she finds it hard to figure out where she fits in. However, as Allie observes the increase in Islamophobia and hateful rhetoric in her small town, she begins to understand the importance of her faith. Taking place in the busy city of Atlanta, Allie has been brought up to keep her heritage and religion to herself. This notion sheds a light onto the way people of color are brought up in America, perhaps to avoid persecution and harassment from others. However, despite her upbringing, Allie begins to embrace her true faith. Although this leads to many obstacles along the way, Allie discovers more about herself and what it means to shed the illusion of her "perfect" all American girl image. By doing so, she ultimately exceeds the average lens and begins to recognize the varying perspectives of others. This book does a great job at introducing topics that seem controversial but should be talked about. It allows readers to dig deep and question if there is something beyond what the eyes can see. How do you define a person of true faith? Can being a Muslim - especially a Muslim girl in America ever truly fit in American society? Overall, this book tackles subjects that encapsulate the experiences of many Muslims in America and shows how Allie learns to accept who she truly is.

Did the plot (for fiction) or presentation of information (for nonfiction) keep you interested? I believe that the plot of this book was very well thought out and that it keeps the reader engaged throughout the chapters. I think that because the author herself is Muslim, she offered perspectives that she may have personally gone through. This kept me invested in the storyline because I was interested in how Allie would change from the beginning of the book to the end. Was the pace of the book too fast, too slow, or just right? I believe that the pace of this book was just right. I think it did a great job at highlighting important topics and expanding on them. I was able to understand the events and when they were happening throughout the book, and did not get lost in the details. Overall, the pacing was at a good speed for readers to enjoy. What grade level(s) is this book appropriate for? Based on the plot and the contents of this book, I think it is suitable for readers in 7th grade and up. The genre of this book is considered to be Young Adult and Romance, but the book offers a great story of how a Muslum girl comes to terms with her identity, which makes it important for young people to read.

What type of reader would you recommend this book to? I think that this book would be great for young Muslims and readers who appreciate stories that offer new perspectives. This book really delves into the experience of a Muslim girl in the middle of an Islamophobic town. Overall, this type of book is great for people with maturity and patience, as the plot takes time to evolve. What other information do you think would be helpful for teens to know about this book? One thing that I believe would be helpful to know about this book is that the author herself grew up as a Muslim with a Muslim father and a Roman Catholic mother who converted to Islam. This information is significant because it means that the scenarios portrayed in the book could have been inspired by Nadine's experiences as she navigated life as a white-passing Muslim who didn't look like the "traditional" idea of a Muslim. This means that many of the experiences Allie faced could be relatable to other Muslims.

4 stars: I enjoyed this book and found it worthwhile reading. Overall, I would give this book four stars. I really like how this book delves into the topic of Islamophobia, especially in rural America and the nation as a whole. I think it does a great job at expanding on the challenges young Muslims in this country face because it is not something that is written about often. This Muslim representation is nice and shows people how Allie navigates the obstacles in her life. I really liked reading about how Allie felt throughout the book and found it incredibly interesting how her mindset changed as the book went on. Ultimately, this book relates to many of America's youth, with its engaging and realistic content of today's society.

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