Janna Yousef is a hijabi Muslim who is tormented by a sexual assault from a pious big man at the mosque. She is also struggling because of her parents' divorce, a crush on a white guy, and a mean girl at school.
At 325 pages, it feels like it takes a while for things to really happen and sort of resolve. I appreciate that to some extent not a lot happens outside of Janna's scarf, that it's mostly internal learning and deepening of familial and friend relationships. For me it was a little slow, but there's some great writing, including clever bits like
I'm so angry, I study the Civil War for four hours straight. I decide to never give up my room to Mom and Muhammad's confederacy.
and
I split my ponytail in half and pull to tighten it.
Janna is divided--with her Indian secular dad in Chicago and her Egyptian religious mom at home, with her Muslim and non-Muslim friends, with her rage at the would-be rapist, and all that goes with being a teenager. I just love that image though of using the divide to make it stronger.
I know I haven't been glowing in this review, but I do recommend this book wholeheartedly.