Young Adult Fiction – Books and Libraries – Romance – Social Themes – Racism & Prejudice

RELEASE DATE: 5/7/2024 (WILL SHIP DIRECTLY FROM OUR SUPPLIER’S WAREHOUSE)

[Ahmed] employs high stakes, increasing tensions, romantic near-misses, and adult hypocrisy to powerful effect. Publisher’s Weekly, starred review

From the New York Times bestselling author of Internment comes a timely and gripping social-suspense novel about book banning, activism, and standing up for what you believe.

After her dad abruptly abandons her family and her mom moves them a million miles from their Chicago home, Noor Khan is forced to start the last quarter of her senior year at a new school, away from everything and everyone she knows and loves.

Reeling from being uprooted and deserted, Noor is certain the key to survival is to keep her head down and make it to graduation.

But things arent so simple. At school, Noor discovers hundreds of books have been labeled obscene or pornographic and are being removed from the library in accordance with a new school board policy. Even worse, virtually all the banned books are by queer and BIPOC authors.

Noor cant sit back and do nothing, because that goes against everything she believes in, but challenging the status quo just might put a target on her back. Can she effect change by speaking up? Or will small-town politicsand small-town lovebe her downfall?

AUTHOR BIO:

Samira Ahmedis theNew York Timesbestselling author ofLove, Hate, & Other FiltersandInternment. She was born in Bombay, India, and has lived in New York, Chicago, and Kauai, where she spent a year searching for the perfect mango. She invites you to visit her online at samiraahmed.com and on Twitter and Instagram @sam_aye_ahm.

“With pin-sharp attention to the complexities of grief, anger, and hope, Samira Ahmed gives us a main character who connects us with our own hearts and a story that connects us with our power to change our world.”–Anna-Marie McLemore, author of National Book Award nominee Self-Made Boys