Home Is Not A Country

I saw Home Is Not A Country by Safia Elhillo on a list of the Coretta Scott King author honor books for 2022 and got it from the library. The book description says, "Nima wishes she were someone else. She doesn’t feel understood by her mother, who grew up in a different land. She doesn’t feel accepted in her suburban town; yet somehow, she isn't different enough to belong elsewhere. Her best friend, Haitham, is the only person with whom she can truly be herself. Until she can't, and suddenly her only refuge is gone. As the ground is pulled out from under her, Nima must grapple with the phantom of a life not chosen—the name her parents meant to give her at birth—Yasmeen. But that other name, that other girl, might be more real than Nima knows. And the life Nima wishes were someone else's. . . is one she will need to fight for with a fierceness she never knew she possessed."

Wow. This book was so good. It's kind of funny to me because at first, I wasn't super into it, and I was having trouble following the story. The book is written in verse (which I usually love), but it was a different format than I'm used to with big spaces separating thoughts within one line. It made it tricky for me to read at first, and I just wasn't sure on the book. BUT, things changed partway through, and suddenly I was hooked. I ached for Nima and all she was carrying and just loved how the story took a twist into fantasy that allowed Nima to understand so much more about her life. I think this was a powerful read, and I just loved the message of the story.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)