Zara Hossain is Here

I was sent a copy of this book for review.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.Zara Hossain attends high school in Texas and has experienced persistent Islamophobia from students particularly Tyler, a popular football player. She usually lays low as her family are immigrants from Pakistan awaiting the final decision on their Green Cards and she doesn’t want to jeopardise their application. While Zara deals with the harsh reality of racism in her town she keeps active in a Social Justice Club. At a meeting, she meets new member Chloe and they quickly become friends. Zara helps Chloe deal with her religious parents and their homophobia. As Zara opens up about her experiences with being bisexual, the pair grow closer and a budding romance begins.When Tyler sprays racist graffiti on her locker, a complaint is made to the Principal and Tyler is suspended. This sets in motion a series of events that leads to a violent attack which jeopardises not only the life of her father but their plans to remain in the US and may lead to Zara leaving everyone she loves.This 🌟🌟🌟🌟 story deals with xenophobia, islamophobia, homophobia and the issues with immigration programs. Zara's father is a well-respected Paediatrician, the family are active in their community and Zara works hard in school yet they are treated differently and unfairly by the society they are trying very hard to fit into. It shows that microaggressions affect non-white people daily and that this form of racism needs to be addressed just as much as the systemic kind. I loved seeing Zara's family as accepting and supportive of Zara's sexuality as it shows that not all religious people, regardless of their faith, discriminate against their LGBTQA+ children. Zara was caring, intelligent and determined to seek equality in the world. She wanted to be part of the tide of change and at 17 that was an incredible mindset to have and a valuable message to portray. The plot was interesting and well-paced but the ending did seem rushed and left some storylines unresolved. Overall a important book that discusses many prevalent issues which are faced in everyday life.

The book revolves around seventeen-year-old Zara, a bisexual Muslim who emigrated from Pakistan to Texas with her parents when she was three years old. After a long wait, their green cards are finally nearing approval when a racist attack threatens everything.Zara was an engaging main character and I loved her developing relationship with Chloe, a lesbian from a strict Christian family struggling to accept her sexuality. The friendship between Zara, Nick and Priya was another fantastic addition and I’m so glad the author avoided any type of love triangle.The abysmal state of the US immigration system is presented in stark terms and the unfairness and overlong waiting times are emphasised through the tribulations of the Hossain family. The escalating racial violence also demonstrates the differing justice experienced by white people versus ethnic minorities.The author explores themes of immigration, belonging, identity, race and faith in a nuanced and engaging style that encourages the reader to question the status quo and fight for a better future. This is one of those books that needs to be in every school library to help educate and I’d highly recommend reading a copy if at all possible.