"Sixteen-year-old Samar—aka Sam—is an Indian American teenager whose mom has kept her away from her old-fashioned family. It’s never bothered Sam, who is busy with school, friends, and a demanding boyfriend. But things change after 9/11. A guy in a turban shows up at Sam’s house—and turns out to be her uncle. He wants to reconcile the family and teach Sam about her Sikh heritage. She is eager to learn, but when boys attack her uncle, shouting "Go home Osama!" Sam realizes she could be in danger—and just how dangerous ignorance is." (from Amazon.com)
I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. Sammy is a fairly realistic character struggling with her identity, but the post 9/11 arrival of her uncle Sandeep opens her eyes to her Indian and Sikh heritage. I like how she and Molly have their fascination with lingerie and the "Real Deal" moment in their futures. Sammy's relationship with Mike was something teens would probably latch onto. The bullying and racism (and even Sammy's rejection of Bobbi) would make for some good discussion.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping to learn more about Sikhism from this book. Must be because I used to teach a world religion unit. I was also hoping for a deeper look at the post 9-11 world for people who were singled out as possible terrorists, Sammy and her family for example. I thought the author could have done more development of this part of the story.
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