via www.hafsahfaizal.com Synopsis People lived because she killed. People died because he lived. Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya―but neither wants to be. War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds―and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine. (via Hafsah Faizal) Book Club discussionI would pitch it as a Hunger Games meets An Ember in the Ashes series but with inspirations from the Middle East! Hafsah is also a fan of Assassin's Creed and parts of the book is inspired by that. 1. What is an important message from the book? Defying the status quo. This is something that applies to both Nasir and Zafira. Additionally, the book also talks about the Middle East in a way that many American readers have not seen a portayal like that before. 2. Did you know that the Arabic in the book is the real Arabic from the language? It's not made up and it's easy to tell if you know a bit of Arabic, like I do. Although, if you want proof, Hafsah also verified it in her interview with Teen Vogue! 3. Biggest takeaways for this book? The PLOT TWISTS IN THIS BOOK WAS INCREDIBLE!! But, in all honesty, I loved how Hafsah shed some light on the beauty of the Arab world by showing the food, the types of people, and the culture in this epic fantasy book. 4. Favorite side character? Altair. Definitely him. He kind of grows on you ... like a fungus. Honestly, the way all the characters are written makes it incredibly hard not to love them all. 5. Character with the most development? Nasir. His uprbringing is heartbreaking but I loved how he changed over the course of the story. Everything from the chracters to the designs on the pages is lyrical. If you're into YA dystopian fantasy, then this is for you! My RatingAlright, I already mentioned that I love this book. But, it took me awhile to get into it. I would start it and then read other books. However, once I started reading it and got past the beginning part it was actually remarkable! I would recommend this for anyone who adored Red Queen, An Ember in the Ashes, The Hunger Games, or YA books with a whole new world will love this!
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
THUG Life = The Hate U Give little infants f*cks everyone. It's a message about racism and it discusses how Black children face a different reality to others that can lead to a lifetime of challenges. (Chapter One, page 21). 2. Throughout the book, Starr talks about how she’s different “versions” of herself. She’s one person in Garden Heights and a different person at her school, Williamson Prep. This is often called “code-switching” when a person feels they must speak and act different in one social situation than in another. Do you think Starr switches successfully between the two places? What other characters do you see code switching? Are there any instances when someone doesn’t switch and makes things socially awkward? Is this something you can relate to? In the beginning, Starr was incredibly skilled at doing this. However, towards the end I loved that she embraced who she was. I think to an extent Seven probably also acted this way between Starr's family and his Mom's family. I don't recall any instances where someone didn't switch in the book but if you do, let us know in the comments below! I remember back when I went to a public school and was the only hijabi there it definitely felt like I acted different in school compared to at home. But I don't know if that necessarily counts as code-switching. 3. Starr’s got a lot of members in her family. How does she define family and how is that different from how you define what it means to be a family? I think it shows that family can mean a lot of things to various people. It's not always easy and it's not always clear who's family and who's not. However, I think another powerful message that the book has is that you don't need to be blood related to be family. 4. When Khalil dies due to police brutality, there are variations of the story that’s told. How do you think that resembles what is going on in the media to what happens in the book? Do you think anyone got it right ? In regards to George Floyd and countless others, the difference is that now others can record what occurs as evidence. Before, it was one person's word against another so you can guess who sided with who. Even in Nic Stone's Dear Martin, she shows the various stories that occur after the shooting. 5. Starr often refers to The Fresh Prince of Bel- Air and Harry Potter. Why do you think she and her friends related to The Fresh Prince of Bel- Air and Harry Potter the most? (i.e.: by mentioning Harry Potter we're not condoning what the author is up to, but this is being discussed because it was mentioned so often in the book). In the book, she talks about finding solice in these characters that she feels like she can relate to. She talks about how Khalil, their other friend, and her related to these characters. They would reennact scenes from the book and talk about the characters when they were kids. 6. How has this book changed your perspective on life ? What age group is ideal for reading this book in your opinion? Since I read it last year and re-read it again this year there are a lot of nuances that I got by rereading it that I overlooked the first time around. I think this book and Dear Martin by Nic Stone are the perfect gifts for any high schooler. I believe the ages should be 15+. There are other books written by Black authors for the younger crowds and the older crowds that you have probably already seen in other articles. 7. What was a scene from the movie that resonated with you? Honestly, there were many scenes. I'm going to discuss one that wasn't already mentioned in a previous question. I think the scene where Starr and her mom discuss Hailey is another important scene. 8. What did you think of Brook Falls in comparison to Garden Heights. It's different. Brook Falls is closer to their school, but Garden Heights is their childhood home. 9. One of the most important messages in the book is that silence is violence . What are your thoughts on that ? Although I agree with that, I'm aware that others might argue well, you don't know how much that person is donating or what they're talking about outside of social media. However, if there's something you really care about you'll talk about it both online and in person. If you're aware of the influence you have on others, then I believe you should use your voice for good. But, before you do that spend sometime listening to Black voices and stories. Amplify their voices and do your own research before asking your friends questions about it. You're going to make mistakes along the way and that's okay. Just make sure you apologize for it instead of acting defensive. 10. When Chris says he doesn’t see color, why is that problematic and what are some steps people can take to start educating themselves ? Before I dive into my answer, you should take a moment and watch the video below.When you declare that you don't see color, you're essentially erasing marginalized communities. Basically, during that scene Chris was telling Starr that her situation didn't solely apply to Black people and that he and his white friends could have been the ones murdered by police in the same exact way which is not true. Want to discuss the book with us? Leave a comment and we'll get back to you ASAP! |
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