DNF'd @ 68%. Interesting topic, but Nadia's voice read so millennial, the jokes just fell flat which made the book, honestly, feel a bit cringey. I did enjoy the scenes where she was conflicting with her mother, those scenes felt real and realistic but when you get to her scenes in Iraq, suddenly everything just feels like a caricature.

I was really interested in reading this story because it sounded fascinating and was also not something I would usually be drawn to. I was a bit concerned that I wouldn’t understand some of the material, religious beliefs, UN etc but I needed have worried.

This was an extremely readable story, written with wit, insight and a great deal
of emotional intelligence. Nadia is a flawed but likeable character, whose deradicalisation programme goes from theory to practice as she takes up a posting with the UN in Baghdad to work with Jihadi brides in a containment camp.

She’s thrown in at the deep end, with a team who don’t really want to work on her programme and boss who can barely spare her the time to explain how things work.

Once she finds her allies, she manages to get into the camp and start her programme. Then she meets Sara, a young woman from London, who travelled with a friend to join ISIS.

It’s a heartbreaking story of how a need to be heard, to belong, to have a purpose, can lead to the most horrific of situations.

This is a fascinating story, full of wit and heart, with people, not politics, at its heart.

Nadia’s a great character and her own journey is just as important as Sara’s.

Read it, I bet you’ll love it.

A brilliantly original and funny novel which made me feel empathy, compassion as well as anger and rage.

A story of faith, justice, friendship and family.

I enjoyed the FMC Nadia, a new employee of the UN who takes a job in Iraq, tasked with deradicalising ISIS brides.

Recently dumped by her girlfriend Rosy and estranged from her mother, Nadia navigates the complexities of her new role, new colleagues, unhelpful governmental departments and leaders.

Whilst at a camp, Nadia meets Sara, a direct and sweary Londoner who joined ISIS at a young age. An intense and wild friendship ensues.

This story was refreshing, hilarious at times with some cracking one-liners. It was told with heart, compassion and was very touching.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this arc.

n Younis' brave debut (she's an international expert on what she novelises here), we meet Nadia, fresh out of a relationship with the manipulative and overbearing Rosy, who has run off to Iraq to work for the UN on a project to rehabilitate and repatriate "ISIS brides". Full of the feeling that if she'd gone on a Koran school week just a year later, she might have had the same inclination and entering into a rebound situationship with the cartoonish security boss, Tom, she becomes too close to camp-dweller Sara, but who wouldn't: a cheeky East Londoner who's lost touch with her small daughter, she offers humour and pathos and maybe a chance for Nadia to atone for the broken relationship with her own mother. This book is very irreverent and laugh-out-loud funny about the work of expats for the UN, always seeming to produce unforeseen results that are the polar opposite of what they intend, and Nadia is a frankly bratty and immature heroine, and this is funny and effective, however the gear change when things become serious and they need to get out of Iraq doesn't quite work, which is a shame as it's a very engaging and enjoyable read. Mum comes through when it really matters (hooray, frankly) and Nadia does some growing up; her more objectionable colleague becomes seen as more human and things come out as you would wish, with Nadia's assumptions, especially about Sara, being nicely punctured.

Blog review published 5 March http://www.librofulltime.wordpress.com

Fundamentally explores a complex situation of terrorism, religion, and deradicalisation through dark humour of an academic working with the UN in Iraq.

I really don't know enough about Islam to understand if the rep is authentic, but I believe that the authors (Younis) background is working on the very subject of deradicalisation in Iraq so I felt in good hands.

At the heart of the book was the women and their stories, which were heartbreaking and frustrating. I felt Younis handled this with care and a thought provoking narrative.

Alongside a really amusing look at the UN, comparing the earnest new employees against the more jaded seasoned employees with both groups trying to navigate the exhausting red tape and politics of the organisation.

A really solid debut novel.

It's funny how the book you expect to be the most serious turns out to be incredibly entertaining. For all her academic work Nussaibah Younis has turned out an extremely amusing and thoughtful piece of fiction.

Fundamentally follows Nadia, newly employed by the UN during a sabbatical, to set up a new group that will (hopefully) deradicalise ISIS brides. Nadia travels to Iraq where she meets Sara, a young woman separated from the babe she had with one of her ISIS fighter husbands. Something about the young woman calls to Nadia and she sets out to help her get her child back and get free of ISIS.

There are some very funny moments in this book, not least of which deal with the bureaucracy set up to deal with refugees. Nadia and her colleagues have very different styles of "help" including employing a hippy Sheikh from California to help rehabilitate the women.

Both Sara and Nadia are very engaging characters. The story of their flight from the camp and to safety is (obviously) far from reality but the story is about so much more than the mechanics.

This story is more about belief, faith, love and family. It is about how we navigate the world through our beliefs and how important family is in the end.

Loved it. Highly recommended.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for the advance review copy. Most appreciated.

To write about politically sensitive and controversial subjects is courageous and I'm sure the author has been met with critical voices. The main character, Nadia, renounced her Muslim faith and she is bolshy and outspoken. For daring to make her own mind up she is disowned by her mother, and as a result of this rejection she accepts being treated badly in her romantic relationship.

Having been abandoned by her lover she applies for and is accepted by the UN to work with former ISIS brides held at a camp in Iraq. To say Nadia was naive would perhaps be an understatement, but it's a steep learning curve. The ridiculous red tape and immoral waste of resources, infuriates her. The helplessness of wanting to help but being unable to do so takes a massive toll on her own wellbeing. When she meets a young woman, Sara, she is reminded of her younger self and she forms a strong bond that sees her breaking laws and protocol to help this young women when she's been abandoned by her family and her country.

This book calls out the hypocrisy of governments who discard young and vulnerable women for mistakes they made after being groomed and abused by the men they initially trusted.

I cannot put into words how moving I found this book. Initiatives put into place to help displaced people only help if those working on the ground have good intentions and immense bravery. It asks important questions and gives nuanced answers, something the world so sorely lacks.

As well as being an important story, it is also brilliantly written, laugh out loud funny at times and most importantly of all perhaps, it ends with hope. Something we all need to hold on to.

A comedy about radicalisation? This shouldn't work but it is testimony to the author's talent that it does!

I am not this demographic and usually shy away from risque stories but am I glad I stayed with this one, laugh out loud and yet at no time did it feel contrived. What a discovery - 5 stars and deserves a wide readership

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

Witty and darkly funny, this book had a range of entertaining characters and dealt with themes that are not usually portrayed in books.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

This was not one of my favourite reads. Very interesting topic and very informative but lightened and interspersed with humour. There were many side characters within the book who were important to the structure of the story but I was only really gripped by the stories of Nadia & Sara.

As I said I didn’t love it but I’m sure others would

Well written, engrossing and thought provoking. A story that kept me reading and thinking.
Loved the storytelling
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Not my cup of tea unfortunately. I'm probably in the wrong age demographic. It sounded good in the blurb, but the blurb did not really reflect the book.

"It's not like I was expecting Stalingrad, but Baghdad took the piss".

"Was this fucking Midnight In Paris? I'd signed up for cluster munitions, not glitter bombs".

"Armies of macho men strapped into bondage-style suicide vests, marching towards a heaven full of virgin pussy".

The premise is really interesting and original - a South Asian Londoner takes a sabbatical from her job teaching criminology to work for the UN in Iraq and run a programme aimed at deradicalising ISIS brides, amongst whom Sara, who left East London as a teenager to travel to Syria and marry a jihadist. There's a lot that's incredibly similar to famous cases that have appeared in the news over the past few years, and it's an interesting topic and issue, but I couldn't get past the writing, the Bridget Jones tone, the constant millennial jokes... The secondary characters aren't great either and I thought they lacked depth. I found it really jarring at times and I enjoyed the book less than I thought I would, despite a really clever twist towards the end.

Free ARC sent by Netgalley.

🧕🏽 REVIEW 🧕🏽

Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis
Publishing Date: 25th February 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

📝 - When Dr. Nadia Amin, a long-suffering academic, publishes an article on the possibility of rehabilitating ISIS brides, the United Nations comes calling, offering an opportunity to lead a deradicalization program for the ISIS-affiliated women held in Iraqi refugee camps. In Iraq, Nadia quickly realizes she’s in over her head. Frustrated by her situation and the unrelenting heat, Nadia decides to visit the camp with her sullen team, and meets Sara, one of the younger refugees, whose accent immediately gives her away as a fellow East Londoner. From their first interaction, Nadia feels inexplicably drawn to the rude girl in the diamanté headscarf. She leaves the camp determined to get Sara home. But the system Nadia finds herself trapped in is a quagmire of inaction and corruption. One accomplishment barely makes a dent in Nadia’s ultimate goal of freeing Sara . . . and the other women, too, of course. And so, Nadia makes an impossible decision leading to ramifications she could have never imagined.

💭 - I had really high hopes for this one, I thought the premise was quite unique and interesting, and hoped that I would learn a lot. Unfortunately, the very casual writing style made everything seem quite superficial, and so I struggled to really connect with the characters, especially as they were all quite thoroughly unlikeable… While I can appreciate the book for what it was trying to do, and I know that the author has a lot of experience in the topic, I just don’t think this book does enough to really provoke readers to think more deeply about the situation of women in Iraq due to its overly casual nature.

#fundamentally #nussaibahyounis #netgalley #bookreview #netgalleyreview #orionbooks #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreviewer

Unfortunately I only managed to get through 50% of the book.

The premise of the book sounded interesting and a subject matter I’m less familiar with, that I thought it time to educate myself and read something from a different perspective. Younis’ own experience on the subject is also what gravitated me towards this book.

However, the tone and the language of the book was not something I was expecting. I expected more seriousness, drama and just…more.

I didn’t realise it would be mainly satire, an aspect of the book I think really flew right over my head.

This book should not have worked, and it is a huge credit to the author that it is so brilliant!

A comedy about radicalised women? Featuring critiques on white feminism and the bureaucracy of aid work? Full of satire and observational humour about global politics, while also taking an introspective look on what it means to grow up Muslim in Islamophobic Britain? It shouldn’t have worked.

But it did! Younis expertly weaves together all these different ideas and themes, and the end result is tight, punchy and approachable. Nadia is such a brilliant narrator, and her inner thoughts make for many of the funniest moments. Her passion and cynical optimism shine through, while still leaving plenty of room for her to be messy and make poor decisions.

All of the surrounding characters are so vividly imagined, from the idealistic Sherri to the sleazy Charles, and they really reflect and caricature people we all know in real life. The star of course is Sara, who instantly connects with Nadia and sets in motion the dramatic events of the rest of the book.

I love that moment in a book when you have a realisation at the same time – or just before – the main character, and I really felt that towards the end. I was so in it, so swayed by Nadia’s convictions, that I too saw what she saw and nothing else, even though it was all laid out for me. It set the scene for a thrilling and ultimately satisfying conclusion.

This book approaches so many complex topics, and rather than offering solutions, starts the conversations with insight, humour and just the right amount of cynicism. I cannot recommend it highly enough, I thought it was absolutely brilliant and a masterful novel.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

This novel offers a fascinating, albeit unsettling, look at the radicalization of ISIS brides. It's a dark comedy that masterfully blends humor with a serious topic. Nadia, a UN employee tasked with deradicalizing these women, is a frustrating yet endearing protagonist. Her tenacity, while admirable, is ultimately tested by the bureaucratic hurdles and conflicting agendas she encounters.

While the pacing occasionally felt uneven, this likely reflects the author's background in academia and policy, lending a sense of authenticity to the narrative. Despite these minor hiccups, the novel is creatively conceived and provides a thought-provoking exploration of a complex and challenging issue

I have seen two different covers for this book, I like them both but if I have to choose, I prefer the more stark, minimalistic one with just the eyes. The other cover is kind of pop art-esque and has a female with makeup blowing chewing gum bubbles. Both are striking covers and hint at the modern, sometimes humorous, sometimes ironic story within.
Nadia and Lydia are in competition against each other at work for a lectureship job. These jobs are highly sought after and difficult to get, so Nadia needs to impress!
Nadia writes a paper on ways to deradicalize ISIS women, it’s a big hit, it’s published in a criminology journal and lands her the offer of the job she wants but it also lands her another job to do prior to the lectureship beginning. Recently having had her heart broken she is eager to get away but rather naïve about what will be expected of her in her new job.
Nadia finds herself in Iraq on a military base trying to head a small team tasked with deradicalizing a group of women in a local camp. The pressure is on as if Nadia’s deradicalisation programme works it will be rolled out in Syria where the problem of Isis women is even greater.
Nadia quickly finds herself in a causal kind of sleeping arrangement with the head of military security (and her security) Tom. He’s a straight to the point kind of guy and for Nadia it’s an uncomplicated fling.
Nadia tries to convert her on paper plan into action, but is met with obstacles in every direction! She faces misogyny, bureaucracy, racism, extortion and an uphill struggle! Nadia’s team are sceptical about her and her ideas is an understatement, however they do eventually rally behind the cause.
Nadia befriends a young ISIS woman called Sara who followed her British friend over who told her it was a great life and place to be. Sara soon becomes an ISIS bride and then realises life in Iraq is not at all like it was promised to be. Her friend, husband & child all died in attacks. Then Sara’s husband is also killed in an attack leaving alone with their daughter Habibah. Sara is sent to the camp with her baby daughter to live in less-than-ideal conditions. Her husband’s parents arrive at the camp one day and forcibly take Habibah from her to live with them in Mosul. Sara is powerless to stop them as she has very little rights and they have the law and people on their side. Nadia becomes attached to Sara, almost seeing herself as she was once talked into becoming an ISIS bride herself. On one hand Sara is serious about staying a Muslim and bringing Habibah up in the faith, then on the other hand she’s a sassy, loud mouthed, sweary, conniving individual who tells Nadia what she wants her to know and no more.
When its strongly suggested that Sara marry another local powerful man to get Habibah back and she goes through with it but immediately regrets it. Nadia ends up coming to the rescue and with help from her local guide Farris, she smuggles herself, Sara and Habibah out of Iraq. You’d think that Sara would be grateful but Nadia finds she has a secret phone and has been communicating with her ISIS friends the whole time. Though Sara insists she isn’t a danger and is not about to attack anyone she insists on observing all the practices of a good Muslim. Something Nadia had given up on years ago when she became estranged from her mother and family. Though suddenly out of the blue her mother had been reaching out and talking to her more. When it seems Sara is about to go off the rails and possibly do something she’ll regret Nadia rings her own mother asking her to approach Sara’s parents who had disowned her in the British media. There’s success when Nadia’s mother talks them into reconnecting with their daughter and the grandchild they have never seen.
Fundamentally has two strong, yet flawed female characters, Nadia who is a lapsed Muslim, initially disowned for her lifestyle by her family and Sara taken in by the dream of being an ISIS bride and the supposedly fantastic lifestyle that came with it, only to discover it was all a lie.
Nadia’s determination to reunite Sara with her baby daughter and rescue her from the camp via repatriation clouds her judgement and puts the repatriation and futures of the other women at the camp in serious jeopardy. Nadia is very close to losing her job over her obsession with helping Sara. When Sara reaches out again from her new home with the important Iraq Official in exchange for being reunited with her daughter desperate for a way out. Nadia feels compelled once again to help. Nadia takes an illegal route of getting Sara and her daughter out of Iraq to a place of safety to start a new life, though she cannot understand the way Sara wishes to remain a practising Muslim after all that has happened to her
My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were that though it was about a heavy, serious subject it had been quite a light read. There were occasions in the book were I felt irritated by the characters, the way UN money was being spent to wine & dine local officials when it should have been spent on other things. There were times I wanted to reach into the book and give both Nadia and Sara a good shake by the shoulders for them to think before acting.
Summing up, Fundamentally, was an interesting, humorous, human take on a fictional UN representative trying to create a test programme in Iraq for ISIS brides and the possibilities of their deradicalisation & return to their homelands & family.

An interesting read about the difficult topic of radicalisation which was also surprisingly funny at times.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

'Fundamentally' is surely one of the funniest and cleverest debut novels of 2025. The novel is narrated by Dr Nadia Amin, a British criminology lecturer who finds herself working for the UN in Iraq heading up a project to de-radicalise ISIS brides so that they can be repatriated to their home countries. Despite the challenges she faces in terms of obstructive colleagues, needless bureaucracy and government corruption, she ends up forging a close bond with one ISIS bride, Sara from East London, which leads her to take some extreme actions.

The subject matter is about as dark as you can get, but Nussaibah Younis manages to imbue her narrative with huge amounts of humour - often of the gallows variety - and genuine emotion. The prose is laugh-out-loud funny from the outset, often due to Nadia's caustic and foul-mouthed narrative voice. Early on, she muses, "Your mother doesn't want you, the love of your life doesn't want you, well ... how about a random failed state?" She describes the detainment camp they visit as being "as planned as Milton Keynes, if Milton Keynes were designed to indefinitely detain ISIS wives." She reflects on one officious colleague, "When people start using the word 'purview', that's when you know you're working with c***s." And I enjoyed her comparison to food at the UN compound to "school dinners before Jamie Oliver" ("Everything was yellow".)

There are plenty more excellent one-liners, but this novel also works because of its omnidirectional satire: Younis is happy to skewer just about everyone Nadia meets (and Nadia herself), from the ISIS terrorists to jobsworthy officials (Nadia rails at the British government's "inclusion strategy" that will only support the project "if we found a secret pansexual lurking in one of the tents") 'to well-meaning liberals - one of the funniest characters is Sheikh Jason, the progressive imam brought over from Berkeley, California, to deliver religious education to the brides, who believes in "communing with nature, receiving the energy of crystals, yogic breath work and movement" ("This man is a Buddhist", observes one of Nadia's colleagues). The novel never preaches or sentimentalises, and Sara, who becomes the focal point of Nadia's energies, is arguably its most complex and intriguing characters.)

Younis has worked in the same field as her characters - and in the afterword provides clear indications of what is fact and what is fiction - and so this novel offers a powerful insight into the lives of these women who are all too often fortgotten, and those who work with them. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this novel to review!