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tl;dr Review:
A good story about the struggles of immigrants and refugees and their efforts to assimilate.
Full Review: 
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not usually one for young adult books. But since lately I’ve found them to be really well written and poignant, I decided to give another YA novel a try.
This time it was Sadia by Colleen Nelson. Taking place in Canada, this book had some slight differences from what high school in the States would be like, but overall that didn’t affect the story line.
Here’s the story’s synopsis from the publisher:
Sadia wishes life in high school was as straightforward as a game of basketball.
Fifteen-year-old Sadia Ahmadi is passionate about one thing: basketball. Her best friend Mariam, on the other hand, wants to get noticed by the popular crowd and has started de-jabbing, removing her hijab, at school every morning. Sadia’s mom had warned her that navigating high school could be tricky. As much as she hates to admit it, her mom was right.
When tryouts for an elite basketball team are announced, Sadia jumps at the opportunity. Her talent speaks for itself. Her head scarf, on the other hand, is a problem; especially when a discriminatory rule means she has to choose between removing her hijab and not playing. Mariam, Sadia’s parents, and her teammates all have different opinions about what she should do. But it is Sadia who has to find the courage to stand up for herself and fight for what is right — on and off the court.
As the daughter of an immigrant, I am always fascinated by the stories of immigrants coming to new countries and what their experiences are like in trying to assimilate or not. While this story had more simplistic themes than other ones I’ve read (see: I’m Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter), it still paid tribute to the struggles that immigrants face when they leave their homeland.
What made this story special though was how it really highlighted the refugee experience. This was the first time I’d read a novel that focused on that aspect, and it brought to light many issues that are specific to refugees that don’t always occur when someone is solely an immigrant. I never really sat and thought about what it would be like to have to flee my home in the middle of the night with only what I could carry. It brought home what it might be like to not know what had happened to family and friends that were left behind.
I really appreciated that part of this book, as well as its tackling of the issue of de-jabbing. Not being a Muslim myself (nor Christian – I’m agnostic), I had never thought about how much of an emotional impact de-jabbing might have not only on the person doing it, but also on others who choose to keep their headscarves on.
A third surprise in this tale was that it showcased the issue of racism. Obviously, no one in the US is a stranger to that but I always thought (silly me) that Canada was better and immune to the racial issues we have here in America. The author brought this dark viewpoint to the forefront in different parts of her story and it opened my eyes to how this isn’t just an issue impacting the US.
Overall, while this book is not on the level of The Hate U Give, it is definitely a strong story and includes aspects of the immigrant experience that are different than most novels I’ve read.
I give it a 4 out of 5 thumbs up.
