IN SUMMARY: INTERNMENT burdens a visceral, provocative and realistic subject matter with regrettably mixed results. The powerful message at its core is bogged down by melodrama, one-dimensional characters, and a weak voice. Ultimately, INTERNMENT tries to be a thought-provoking wake-up call, but ends up as falling short in every element.

MY THOUGHTS:

I tried so, so hard to enjoy this. INTERNMENT was one of my most hyped novels of 2019; I absolutely loved LOVE, HATE & OTHER FILTERS, particularly the compelling heroine and voice, so naturally I was stoked for INTERNMENT. However, it becomes quickly clear that this novel is nowhere near as thoughtful or nuanced as it tries to be.

First, it's pertinent to note the subject matter and how viscerally relevant it is to today. Cracking down on the perils of current politics, INTERNMENT describes a modern America that could very soon come to pass (and indeed has before), and we are thrown headfirst into the topic without stopping. For the most part, whilst the blunt delivery of these ideals can work and is necessary for a novel like this, the attempts here come across as heavy-handed.

Compare to THE HATE U GIVE, which also tackled provocative subjects of anti-black racism; THUG manages to balance teen life and heartfelt family drama with the harsh reality of racist America. Striking that sweet spot can be done. In INTERNMENT, however, the subject matter isn't given the depth it deserves in favour of melodrama.

Aside from that, it was the story craft that was main problem.

Though I liked Layla as a character well enough, her voice does not stand out. She was just... average, and the 1POV prose was just average. There was hardly anything to like or dislike about her. She had no layers, no quirks, nothing to discern her from the hundreds of other voices in YA.

Likewise, side characters are one-dimensional and lack depth. Didn't care when particular characters were taken, killed or betrayed. The relationship between Layla and Ayesha had little depth beyond that they just happen to meet each other and like Star Wars and pop culture. Internment guard Jake's motivations are never stated; I'm already struggling to believe an internment camp guard could be sympathetic to a Muslim internee, but then to build their relationship without exploring why he helps was a baffling choice, especially when it's white men who put Muslims in interment camps in the first place. He could've been so interesting, but instead he was more a convenient plot device than a person.

Their relationship was actually better built than Layla and her boyfriend, David, however, which is really saying something. He was just... there. Occasionally. There was a severe lack of chemistry and development between them, so much so that the only trait of David's I can name is "Layla's boyfriend".

To end with the characters, the villain did not help when trying to invest myself in this novel. The Director is so over-the-top he's comic, like a villain in a cartoon. He goes from 0 to 100 at the slightest provocation to show how awful he is (usually when someone could report on him). I have no doubt people like this exist in the world, but in his role as the main antagonist, he is laughably cringe.

I've been struggling to articulate my thoughts on this properly without taking away from the subject matter of this novel. The best way I can put it is that I'm glad INTERNMENT is out there in the world, and it's an important addition to bookshelves, but I think it needed to be reworked before it hit shelves.

WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR? Yes. Though I may not have personally enjoyed this, I cannot discount INTERMENT's importance and I think everyone should read it. I still like LH&OF plenty, so I'm excited to see what Ahmed comes up with next.

Internment is a timely and politically urgent young adult novel which explores life as Muslim-American in the not too distant future. It's an all too real tale of division and hurt between communities but also hope. Islamophobia and racism are at the heart of it all, and I think the reason it's been causing such a stir is because people realise that it isn't too far from becoming our reality. This is a stark warning, a call to action, and an order to stand up, be counted and resist the bigotry, racism, xenophobia and corruption simmering below the surface.

It's an intense, authentic tale of hope and resistance with a compelling and wholly engaging narrative. You can tell that Ahmed Is passionate about these topical issues and it really packs a punch with its messages and encouragement. In fact, part of the narrative is playing out right now in the US with the use of intern camps. It's a very clever way of informing and mobilising youngsters - using fiction as a device to spread the word about what could happen if we're not careful. The author has used her status as a bestseller to impart some important messages. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Atom for an ARC.

Set "15 minutes into the future," Internment focuses on Layla's story. Layla is seventeen, she has a boyfriend and used to look forward to prom and college. But not anymore. It started with her being pulled out of school, then a curfew, her boyfriend's parents forbidding him seing her, and then, white people show up at her door late at night and take her and her parents away, telling them they have ten minutes to pack and that's it. They end up branded, in a camp. Why?, you ask. Because they signed a form saying they were Muslims. So they end up in a camp with other Muslims and things actually go down from there.

Passionate and powerful, Internment shows us what the world could become, is in the verge of becoming.
The plot was deeply engaging and I was often enraged. I laughed at times, cried some and yelled in anger a little bit too.
The story sucked me in from the first chapter to the last, I was captivated through all the twists and turns.
The characters were layered and so very interesting. I loved them all. Layla was the most interesting since she was the one we got the most information on but I also loved her friend, Ayesha and all the other secondary characters.
The dynamics between the characters were very interesting too, and perfectly written.
But the most engaging and captivating part, to me, was this world and how it was inspired by both current events and all the horrible things that happened during WW2.

This book is not only a powerful story, it's a warning. I truly think this could happen if Donald Trump was more smart evil than dumb evil. And in a way, it is happening with the detention camps for migrants. And we must do what this book, what Layla, teaches us. Resist.

This is such an important book. I recommend this to everyone, no matter what your political/ social views- Samira Ahmed did an amazing job of bringing this story to life. I haven't read her other books, but when I was approved for this, I was OVER THE MOON!

Highly recommend- probably one of my faves of the year!

This was a scary book. Scary because it was so utterly believable.

The story takes place in an America where Muslims are sent to domestic internment camps. Layla, a 17 year old Muslim, and her parents are sent to one such desert internment camp simply because of their faith. Layla soon chafes against her imprisonment and leads a resistance movement within the camp. She is aided by her Jewish boyfriend David, her new friend Ayesha, and Jake, a guard at the camp.

I really liked Layla's character and it was interesting to see a different kind of Muslim portrayed in a YA novel. I liked how she was nerdy and spunky although, as with all novels peppered with current pop culture references, they age a novel horribly. I thought the writer did a good job of highlighting the different interpretations of the Islamic faith and the sheer diversity of those who identify as Muslim. The different 'tiers' of discrimination e.g. white passing Muslims being treated better than black Muslims was also explored.
 
The villain of the story was a bit pantomime-y and I struggled to take his character seriously. Some events dragged a bit and the hint of a love triangle will repel some readers, especially considering Layla is 17 and the other character is presumably a fair bit older. It made me feel a little uncomfortable and it didn't add anything to the story

Overall, an important and thought provoking book. The afterword is also worth reflecting on, one quote that stuck out for me in particular was-

'When fascism comes to America, it will come draped in the flag'.

When.

A thought-provoking, timely read. I'm really glad to see a book like this published for a YA audience. It focuses on the younger generation of Muslims and their fight against the injustice they face as Muslim Americans forced into internment camps.

I would've liked to see more of the context leading up to the situation Layla is forced into. It's described as set 'fifteen minutes in the future' and it does still hit that mark. It felt horrifyingly real and there were some powerful historical references as well that emphasised that this type of minority oppression is not new.

I felt it barely skimmed the surface of this topic, and I personally struggled to engage with some of the teenage interactions and relationships, but that doesn't take away from the fact that this was a book I'm glad I've read. Internment covers an important, shocking topic, in a way that is accessible to teen readers.

Simultaneously terrifying and delicate, Internment was an overwhelmingly thought provoking novel. Whilst at times I felt like Ahmed didn't quite push the idea far enough, I realised over the course of the book that this made it all the more effective. It really felt... real. Despite the initial horror of Layla and her family being taken away against their will, once they are in the internment camp things only get worse very gradually. Kind of like the way chefs put a lobster in tepid water, and then heat it up gradually until the water is boiling. Whilst Layla and the other muslim internees probably know that the water is eventually going to boil, some of them feel a false sense of security -- and more than that, the people on the outside world convince themselves that it would never go that far.

At times the political allusions to real life figures and movements were a little too on the nose for my taste, but I understood the necessity of highlighting this for younger readers. It meant there was no wiggle room when it came to identifying Ahmed's viewpoint and intentions in writing this novel. There were also moments with pop-culture references that felt out of place or cringey, but I soon realised that this was placing the book in history: and it was indefinitely set right now.

At first I wasn't keen on the inclusion of Jake's character -- he felt like a cliche but also out of place at the same time. I wasn't sure why we were supposed to sympathise with a guard. However, as the novel went on and his true role was revealed, I definitely warmed to him. I liked the way that Ahmed didn't make things completely polarised. not only were there guards willing to help the internees, but there were members of the muslim community who had turned on their own. The behaviour amongst the internees also varied; from those who wanted to resist like Layla, those wanting to keep their heads down like her parents, and some who loudly disapproved of the resistance.
David was not a character I felt particularly strongly about either way, however his inclusion created another interesting dynamic. Being Jewish with relatives who'd survived the holocaust, he acts as a reminder of the past repeating itself. Whilst he is eager to help Layla, his parents are not. Again, it reminds the reader that institutional racism and Islamophobia do not always come from the places you may expect, and rely on the compliance -- or silence -- of the whole society.

Sophie’s first book of the month was Internment by Samira Ahmed. Set “15 minutes in the future,” this book imagines an America where Muslims have been suffering increasing restrictions on their freedoms. Finally, several thousand have been rounded up and forced into an internment camp in the California desert, just a stone’s throw from the Manzanar camp where Japanese Americans were interned during the Second World War.

The book follows seventeen-year-old Layla who has been forced into the camp with her parents. Layla is a nerd and uses this to bond with new friends inside the camp and distract from her loss of freedom, recalling lines from favorite movies—rebellions are built on hope after all. Soon, the young people of the camp begin to work together to resist, making unexpected allies and taking on the racist Camp Director and the government as a whole.

Sophie really enjoyed Internment, as much as such a chilling tale could ever be considered “enjoyable.” The future Ahmed has imagined is almost indistinguishable from our present, which makes the whole book feel uncomfortably real. Sophie found it interesting to think about how modern technology including drones, social media, live video streaming, and the 24-hour news cycle would impact a situation like this where history is effectively repeating itself. How would the internment of Japanese-Americans have differed if they had access to these tools?

On the downside, Sophie found herself rolling her eyes at the insinuated love triangle subplot and wished that the “other man” could have remained as nothing more than a helpful ally instead of pushing an unnecessary angle to his relationship with Layla. She also felt that Layla’s resistance organization was too easy to be realistic with several situations bordering on deus ex machina. However, without it, Layla’s situation would have been thoroughly hopeless and Sophie thinks we all need to see some hope associated with this vision of a terrifyingly believable future.

This book was incredible. It was so atmospheric. It brought every feeling right off the page and into your heart. The undercurrent of fear and tension that existed inside the camp felt was there in every page of the book. I sympathised so much with all the characters having to live that way.



It was really good how much Ahmed delved into history while writing this book. She brought in so much about the concentration camps from the holocaust as well as the Japanese internment camps in America. Having the camp that Layla is sent to near to one of the Japanese camps was a really good way to remind both the characters and the reader what these camps could become. I found the Japanese camps more relevant because that also happened in the US, so it gave us a good idea of what the US government has already proven to be capable of.



I loved the characters so much. Layla was so strong, but also such an ordinary every day girl. She talked about Star Wars and missed her boyfriend and made friends in the camp. I think it's so important in these types of stories to really ground the characters in things that the reader can relate to. It brings it home to you and makes it feel more real. And adds a little bit of nerd humour for everyone to enjoy.



Obviously this is a book that has some quite tough subject matter, but it's also a really good story about friendship, family, survival and resistance. The issues raised are so, so important but it's also a really great book in it's own right.

Given the nature of the current political climate around the world, Internment is a frighteningly stark, no holds barred, powerful YA contemporary set “15 minutes” into the future within a US internment camp for Muslims.
Some books you read for pleasure, and others you read because you should read them and you need to read them. Internment is an uncomfortable read because it’s so believable. Previous examples of internment camps are referenced and discussed by the characters, particularly the Japanese Americans interned during WW2 and this constantly reminds the reader that this isn’t just fiction, this has all happened before and could easily happen again.
By focusing in on the main character Layla’s experience, Internment becomes a really personal story and really emphasises how crazy and arbitrary the idea of these camps are. Layla and her parents go from being normal American citizens to prisoners within a single night, with little explanation from those interning them.
The conditions described in the book are atrocious, made all the more horrifying for façade that the government have put up to make it seem as if the camp is not a prison- individual caravan type homes for each family, a mess room to eat dinners in and schooling/work schedules. Samira Ahmed explores human rights in a really interesting way, depicting how quickly people interned in this way become grateful for the smallest of privileges when just the week before they were normal citizens with complete freedom.
I really liked the dynamic between Layla and her parents. Layla is a very strong, determined woman and her parents are torn between encouraging this as they have previously, and wanting her to keep her head down inside the camp to keep them all as safe as possible.
At times I did find the actual plot of the book lost its way a little and could have been a bit tighter. I didn’t much care for Layla’s boyfriend David and found his sneaking into the camp the most far fetched aspect of the whole book (which is actually terrifying when you think about it…)
Overall Internment is a gripping, terrifying reminder about what governments can do given the power if we don’t all fight against it. It’s depressing to know that in 2019 a book like this is still so relevant and important. Samira Ahmed’s writing is very accomplished and the story is written so realistically which makes it all the more effective. This book should be required reading in schools.

When my request for the ARC of Samira Ahmed’s Internment was accepted, I was so excited because it was one of my most anticipated 2019 reads and I just knew it was going to be an such an important, powerful book when it hits the shelves. And let me tell you, Samira Ahmed’s exploration of politics and a very probable future in the landscape of fascist America in which Muslim Americans are taken from their homes and imprisoned in internment camps and have to fight for their freedom does not disappoint.

Internment begins with what seemed as normal a night as any for Layla in the version of America she lives in. If normal can possibly be staying out after curfew just to see her boyfriend for just a few minutes, before racing home in the darkness, afraid of being seen by authorities. Despite dealing with extreme racism every day of their lives, Layla and her family are glad to still have their faith and the every day comforts of home. But everything is about to change for Layla and her parents, as they are forced from their home in the middle of the night and taken to an Internment Camp for American Muslim citizens. Alongside new friends in the camp, an unexpected alliance and help from her boyfriend from the outside, Layla begins a resistance against the Director, a fight for freedom for herself, her family and her people.

It’s disgusting to me that such a future like this for Muslims in America really is such a possibility. I can’t fathom it, but Samira Ahmed’s depiction of this happening in the future is all too real that I don’t even need to imagine it for myself. Through Layla’s perspective, Samira Ahmed writes a compelling, hopeful and often horrific story that explores human rights in the face of fascist evil. I was completely taken through the story by Layla’s strength and her will to fight, to get back her old life. Though her life on the outside was not perfect, she dreams of freedom, of having every day comforts like hot water, good food and her comfortable bed. She dreams of being with her boyfriend again and of giving her parents the life they had back. I was in awe of the fight and bravery depicted in Layla and many other characters throughout the story. The characters are all written with feeling, and it is through their struggles that we readers can really understand what it would be like to be imprisoned in a camp, to protest for your basic rights, to feel helpless and watch on as people are hurt in the face of a rebellion. And oh wow, Samira Ahmed does a fantastic job of writing a villain in the Director. He was absolutely appalling.

I say this book doesn’t disappoint and for the most part, that is completely true. However, there were a few things about the book I found just a tad unrealistic. Nothing to do with the overall premise, because like I said and like Samira Ahmed writes, America is only one step away from this actually happening to Muslim families in the future. It’s more some of the plot points and the way the plot develops seemed unrealistic or perhaps far-fetched and that has everything to do with the help Layla gets in her fight for free speech an escape and also the time frame of some events. I just wasn’t completely sold on some of the plot elements, but I can’t say more on that without giving spoilers away.

Overall, Internment is thought-provoking and too-real account of a version of America and our world today. I am in awe of Samira Ahmed for writing this book at this time in history. It’s a book I really believe everyone should read. It’s educational, powerful and honest to the point that it hurt me. Put yourself in Layla’s shoes, or even in her boyfriend David’s, when you read this book. Reflect on the lives lost in the history of war and fascism, and let’s hope with all our hearts that one day it will all end. Here’s to fighting for freedom and equality.

What if the President of the United States opened internment camps for Muslim American citizens? What if Layla, a young Muslim American teen, and her family are arrested in the middle of the night and taken to an internment camp?

The concept of Internment is utterly brilliant and wholly horrifying. Recent political developments have shown that Layla's world is really not far off the one we live in now, with President Donald Trump's so-called 'Muslim Ban', the infamous proposed wall on the US-Mexico border and the numerous hate crimes and targeted assaults and murders carried out on Muslim Americans - just some of the many news stories that have dominated US news in the last few years. I was enthralled after hearing the synopsis of this novel and immediately picked it up, thinking this would be an effective call-to-arms for a new generation, exploring very timely themes through a YA lens. While I stand by the fact that novels like Internment demonstrate the strengths of YA fiction in tackling important and controversial themes in an inspired and innovative fashion, I was nevertheless a bit disappointed by its somewhat lackluster execution.

To be clear, I did really enjoy much of this novel and I sped through it. I was often impressed by the topics that Ahmed handled in quite an accomplished fashion. However, I was also left feeling a bit disappointed as I did feel like there was some missed potential in Internment. The novel follows a young Muslim American teenager, living a normal middle-class upbringing in California whose life has been upended in a matter of months, with new regulations in place legalising discrimination against Muslims. In a few short weeks, her parents have lost their jobs, her father's books have been banned, Layla has had to drop out of school after being suspended for kissing her Jewish boyfriend, and a series of restrictive curfews have been instigated. One night, Layla and her family are arrested and taken to a reclusive newly-built internment camp in the Californian desert after being labelled as threats to American security. However, despite this promising start, Internment was more down the lines of a poor man's The Hunger Games, rather than an awesome addition to speculative fiction canon a la 1984 or The Handmaid's Tale.

I think a large part of my disappointment was probably due to the fact that I had very, very high expectations going in, which is regrettable in hindsight. It felt like Ahmed knew exactly what themes and topics she wanted to explore but, especially once we got to the internment camp, she had no real story to tell about these characters. Much of the plot surrounds Layla's attempts to revolt and reunite with David, her boyfriend, a character which we spent very little time with so it was difficult to feel any attachment; instead, I was left feeling a bit exasperated by Layla's conduct. Layla risks her safety and her friend and family's security as well as wasting valuable opportunities to communicate with the outside world about the goings-on inside the camp (while she does eventually start trying to affect change through this, this was second in priority to a quick snog with David) in order to give her boyfriend a five minute cuddle.

Alongside this, I was disappointed by the relatively little character development we see in any of the main characters. The head of the camp is just two-dimensional evil and the most cardboard cut-out Disney villain I have read in a book in a long time. I was just not convinced by many of the characters as they did not seem to have much depth. Layla's only defining characteristic is her impulsive nature and otherwise her voice was relatively bland. Jake was even more of a mystery. Layla befriends a guard who is clearly facing a major internal conflict; his strong adherence to authority as a result of an army background is challenged when he begins to question the government's treatment of Muslim Americans. It would have been incredibly interesting to see Jake grapple with his struggle for integrity more concretely. However, it was not dealt with in a particularly sophisticated manner and, instead, I was left convinced that Ahmed was just laying the groundwork for an emerging love triangle as Jake continuously embodied many YA tropes of the male love interest. At this point, I am still not sure whether the author was intending her readership to ship them as a potential romantic pairing. As it stood, I just found the entire situation wildly unrealistic as well as romanticized in a really juvenile manner.

On a related note, in a novel where the characters' religion plays such a significant role, it did feel almost deliberately secular. While there are mentions of Arab and Islamic culture throughout the book, I was left surprised that there was not greater exploration of the religious/cultural experience of a Muslim American being discriminated on the basis of their religion. Where Ahmed does explores this, it is primarily relegated to relatively minor characters, such as the young women wearing hijabs and how their experiences of discrimination varied to Layla, whose Muslim identity seems to be more of a cultural, rather than religious, identity, at least on face-value of the text.* While I can understand the motivation behind it - obviously, Internment is, at base-level, a depiction of a 'normal' teenage girl, and, perhaps, Ahmed did not want to muddy the waters of this message by potentially discussing aspects of her character that may "other" her, I think it could have added some nuance, showing protagonists where faith and religion (specifically, a Muslim faith) does play a significant role in their lives and nevertheless remains compatible with 'American' values.

With all that being said, I have still rated this 7/10, as I truly believe this is an important novel. I sincerely hope this does do well and that it gets as many eyes on it as possible. It was incredibly effective in exploring how 'normal' oppressed people who experience these situations are, and it really brought home to me in a very accessible and effective way how this has happened many times over history, most clearly the Japanese internment camps in America and, of course, the Nazi concentration camps. I think Ahmed has succeeded in writing a very compelling look into America's potential near future if we continue down this path of nationalism, islamophobia and political polarisation. On this level, Internment is utterly brilliant.

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for providing me with a copy for review.

I finished reading this book at 2 am and had to take a cup of tea into the garden to sit in the dark and absorb the experience. Internment offers a chilling depiction of , as the author herself says, 'the future in fifteen minutes.'
Set in an internment camp for banned Muslims in a recognisably current scenario Ahmed manages to make the horror of being stripped of all human rights both topical and universal. Likening the events to the internment of Japanese American citizens in World War 2 we become increasingly aware that the situation could apply to the treatment of any minority group targeted by rising Fascism.
Layla and her family are abruptly uprooted form their lives and thrown into an uncertain and alarming new world over which they have no control. Her parents desire to keep her safe by quietly complying, the apparent complicity of the silent majority outside the camp and Layla's gradual realisation that resistance may be the only way forward are sensitively and chillingly depicted.
Gradually, the moral strength of the human spirit is brought into focus but will they survive long enough to overcome the seemingly insurmountable odds? The power of friendship, the anxiety of knowing who to trust and the internal prejudices of the interned groups are convincingly laid out for us whilst still alowing the reader to make their own judgement. A tour de force. Highly recommended.

2.5-3 stars

This piece of dystopia-around-the-corner was thrilling for the first 10-15%. The context for INTERNMENT feels real, chilling and told through the eyes of Layla, the protagonist, I bought into this immediately. The idea of a Muslim ban come to full fruition with a camp in the desert, away from general American eyes seemed totally feasible. This story needed to be told.

Layla was 17, she had a Yemeni-Jewish boyfriend, progressive Muslim parents and a cast of great internment friends. Sadly, the plot went awry for me because what ensued amongst the real issues that shouted to be narrated was typical missing her boyfriend behaviour that moved into sometimes ridiculous territory. As the plot built, as Layla became the key character in the camp for freedom, it lost believability traction for me. I found the whole Jake storyline bizarre and unrealistic, as were David’s later appearances. Layla’s parents, her friends Soliel and Ayesha were strong parts of the plot and I enjoyed these elements.

As the story come to a close, realism became a distant friend and I just didn’t buy into it.

I think this is a story that needs to be told, I think it took courage to do so. I also think this story will work best for those reading who are around Layla’s age range. I know a lot of people like me who are adults and read YA and I think this was part of why I didn’t enjoy it. I couldn’t reconcile the importance of captivity and oppression with a teen love story and the storyline that ensued. For me, this would have worked so much better without the boyfriend on the outside.

I’m glad this book is here, I hope it influences young minds to see how close the world is to this kind of fascism. I’m just sorry I didn’t enjoy it.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Set in a horrifying future, where the United States has forced all Muslim American citizens into an internment camp, seventeen-year-old Layla must find help inside and out to lead a revolution against the camp’s cruel director.

I engulfed this book. Really. I started reading at 11 pm and didn’t put my phone down until I checked the time when I was done, and it was 2 am. Internment is timely to our ongoing xenophobic climate where a Muslim ban like the one in this book isn’t as fictional as people would think. Muslims are rounded up, their books are burnt, and their bodies are coded. Layla and her family are swiftly rounded up in California, but she refuses to let herself be hidden away like this. She begins to lash out but quickly learns that resistance is death in the eyes of the camp director.

I loved Layla so much. Despite her fears, she carries on, even though she has no idea what she’s doing and everything she does know can come crashing down in seconds if the Director discovers her plans.

Internment focuses on the younger generation, and how they all band together to fight the injustice, they’re experiencing. Layla quickly makes friends, and they all work together to bring attention to their situation and put an end to the unfair treatment within the camps and bring an end to them. Their friendships are one of the book’s main strength. Even when they’re divided into the camp, with the Director doing the most to make them turn on each other, they rise together to uplift everyone’s voices.

The book shines the most when it brings awareness of how this has happened before, and how turning away from history can only bring devastating actions. Layla recalls her history lessons of WWII and Japanese internment and shows how easy oppressive entities can enact destructive acts on marginalised communities.

I’m not sure how to put this into words, but it felt somewhat incomplete? Like the world felt lacking. All we know is that a full-on Muslim ban has been enacted where they must be home by a particular time, they are unable to work, and even Layla’s father’s literature was being burned at book burnings. It was all too frightening to read knowing easily true this can come. The book is marketed as a “fifteen minutes into the future” so I assume our current knowledge is supposed to fill the gaps, but I wished there was more to it. I hoped there was more detail to certain things like the camp and motivation behind secondary characters. There are certain characters who I don’t think they get the right amount of time to understand them. And because of this, certain aspects do come across as comical.

Overall, despite my own personal shortcomings with this book, I still found it gripping and authentic. Can I say how much Ahmed has improved from her debut? She’s definitely an author to watch everyone! A gripping narrative about the internment of Muslims and Layla’s journey to understanding and combating xenophobia and racism. A brilliant book for younger readers and I definitely recommended reading this book.

A timely and relevant story (although I’d suggest the love interest was almost unnecessary, and could have been replaced with a friend with equal or improved purpose)

The author’s note at the end is strong and inspiring and definitely worth reading

This week, I have read that too many 'issues' books are shrinking the YA market. I read this book in one sitting, and cried twice, so I am disinclined to believe that there are no good books on 'issues' for young people. I am not American, or Muslim, but I found myself wishing beyond hope that this book will reach those responsible for change- or at least enough young people to cause a decent sized revolution.
I have a couple of small criticisms- I would have liked to have seen more of the growing protests outside the camp, though I respect Samira Ahmed's decision to focus on the interred and their efforts to bring the camp down from the inside. The sense of isolation and claustrophobia was well maintained as the reader does not have access to information that is unavailable inside the camp. I admit that I also had mixed feelings towards to the rebel soldier. I feel that critics of the far right are constantly met with claims that 'not all!!' white people are racist.... we know- that's not the point! Did this book need a white sacrificial hero? I'm not sure. I wonder if Samira Ahmed's editors asked her to include an 'ally' character...it seems to me that many privileged people like to imagine themselves in heroic roles, when history has shown that most people remain silent and hope that the authorities won't turn their eye towards them ('First they came for the Communists' comes to mind)
I was impressed by the author's examination of passages from the Koran, such as those that discuss when it might be acceptable to hide one's religion. I am not religious but I was able to understand how the text could be interpreted differently and how it was equally important to a middle aged poet and his high school age daughter. I also loved the young characters' ability to relate to anyone who took a stand against an oppressive regime, regardless of their race, religion or gender (there are a number of excellent books about resistance fighters in WWII for young people which I plan to recommend to readers who enjoyed Internment- I am eagerly awaiting George Takei's graphic memoir about his family's internment) I will issue this book to young readers in the UK with a warning- this can happen anywhere.

A thought provoking roller coaster of a ride.

Imagine if you can your freedom and way of life being taken away from you just because of your faith. 16 year old Layla Amin was a normal girl enjoying her life until one day xenophobic President was elected and Muslim bans were put in place. Even with the stricter regime she didn’t think things could get that much worse-WRONG. She and her family are forced to move into an internment camp and left to fear for their future. But she won’t suffer silently, and she’s not alone.

I’m almost speechless after reading this book- I actually cannot find the words that will give it any justice to be honest.

The story reads as a real life event, I had to remind myself that it was in fact a work of fiction. True, the story does pull on the influence of history-and it is woven into it beautifully. The scariest thing is that you can almost imagine something like this actually happening again.

The characters are polished to perfection and there is a very clear love/hate of each one. I will admit to a few tears being shed at a certain point. And the realistic fear that I hope this will never happen again.

The story is profound and moving and I feel that this should be read by everyone. It throws a modern twist on the internment camps as it deals with people of Muslim faith rather than Jewish or even the Japanese of WW2. I feel like a great lesson can be learned from the story and I applaud the author for delivering it so spectacularly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown UK for the advance copy of this amazing book. I couldn't put it down, and once I'd finished it, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I feel like this should be compulsory ready for everyone.

Layla is a normal teenager, except for one thing. She's Muslim in a USA where being Muslim is becoming more and more dangerous. There are book burnings, curfews and limits on the jobs they can do. One night, the Exclusion Agency come for Layla and her family and they are taken to an internment camp, symbolically just the road from the WWII Japanese-American internment camp.

The story then centres around Kayla's refusal to bow down and accept her fate, and the peaceful rebellion she stages with the help of new friends in the camp, her boyfriend on the outside and an unexpected source. She's a courageous inspiration to never give up in the face of adversity and to always stand up for what is right.

The book is set in an alternative today, but what makes it so powerful is how easily it could be reality. The continuous blaming of others who are different from ourselves, the divisive them and us culture is so prevalent in today's society and hopefully this book helps warn against what could happen if we don't continue to stand up for all members of society. Another book I'll be recommending to my students and the school librarian - and anyone else who'll listen.

One to introduce important ideas to younger readers, and it explores timeless concepts, though its blunt approach feels unnecessarily heavy-handed.
Set in a not-too-distant future America we are put in the situation where we watch Layla and her parents taken to a camp specially set up to house Muslims. There they are subject to appalling racism and inhumane treatment simply because of their religion.
We read open-mouthed as people are separated by skin colour, beaten for refusing to follow camp rules and ‘disappeared’ for daring to challenge the Director. We hear of external disagreement with what’s happening, but nobody seems keen to challenge orders from up high.
Layla is a rather immature teen at the start. She becomes a rather more interesting character as she’s forced to confront her new reality and consider the extent to which she’ll challenge it. She decides to (risking) place her trust in one of the guards and there’s hints of romance that get subsumed by the need to advance the plot.
I’d love to say the Director was a caricature; that nobody would believe someone so blatantly racist, sexist and generally unpleasant would ever exist. Sadly, that’s not the case.
And it is the parallels we might draw between contemporary events and those of the book that show just why this is a necessary thing. Personally I’d have liked a more nuanced read, with some focus on the build-up to these events and the reactions of those on the outside. However, for what it is the story is paced well and delivers its message with force.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read in exchange for my review.