BOOK REVIEW: An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pages: 256

Genre: YA Contemporary

Thank you for the gifted review copy @jonathanballpublishers@jbchildrens 💕

Thank you for the buddy read @rozanne_visagie - loved our book discussions 💕

"Everywhere I went strangers squinted at me, minds buffering for all of half a second before they placed my entire person in a box, taped it shut."

In this book we follow Shadi, a Muslim high school student living in America. Shadi is dealing with a range of personal problems, such as the loss of a family member and her friend, bullying, as well as problems at home with her family. She struggles to find a balance between all of these problems and her academic obligations.

The book's timeline switches between 2003 and 2002 which is shortly after 9/11 and it really does give one just a small glimpse into what life in America was like for Muslims in the aftermath of 9/11.

"I was unnoticed except in the worst ways."

Shadi's life at home is far from perfect - not only is her family grieving, but she is also experiencing a terrible inner conflict and struggle when it comes to forgiveness.

I appreciated that this book touches on so many relatable real life matters, such as toxic and unhealthy friendships, loss of a loved one, bullying, depression, Islamophobia and more. I just would have loved it if some of these matters had been explored more - a lot of important matters were left as loose ends without any sort of conclusion. Though I found the book enjoyable while reading it, the ending felt extremely anti-climatic and I was hoping for something more. I still have so many questions about Shadi and her family's future.

Trigger Warning: I recommend looking up the trigger warnings for this one ❤️🤗