<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>In the past, I have strayed away from novels in verse except for a few exceptions like the works of Ellen Hopkins. Lately, though I have really taken a liking to them! This particular novel if read in one sitting would take about a day, but I was in the hospital last week with acute pancreatitis so it took somewhat longer. It's hard to concentrate on what your reading when they have you on the strong pain medication required to help the issue.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>I am so glad I took the time to read this novel though! It was a bit confusing at certain parts when it came to the relationship between Nima and what she considered her alter-ego Yasmeen. I especially enjoyed how Nima was able to see her past (though I am not clear exactly on how that happened) after a certain point I didn't care about the how because the story was enriched so much from her seeing her past. She got to see so many things she would not have had the chance to had it not happened.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>It helped her tremendously as well to be able to get more of her story though I am leaving that part blank for you dear reader! What would be the point of you going out and getting the novel for yourself if I explained the whole story to you! So, other than a couple of confusing bits covering somehow's in the novel it was quite a good story and I suggest you grab it! It will def help you appreciate your life a little bit more. While pushing you (as it did me) to learn more about your own family history. </p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

Thank you to #partner NetGalley for the advance copy of this book, Safia Elhillo's Home Is Not a Country. This one comes out on March 2nd! In this YA lit novel in verse, teenager Nima explores what her life would be like if she were a different daughter and friend.


Living alone with her mom and separated from the homeland where her mother grew up, Nima feels that she doesn't really belong anywhere. She clings to the music and movies of her homeland and feels deep longing for her father who died before she was born. Her only solace is in relationship with her lifelong friend Haitham, but when that relationship crumbles, she feels completely unmoored. Between instances of bullying and outright attacks on her heritage, Nima feels shame, disappointment, and bitterness, and she and her mother both find their world getting smaller and smaller as they turn away from the cruelty of the world surrounding them. In one poem, she states,


so even here among my so-called people i do not fit

here where the hierarchy puts those who have successfully


americanized at the top i've marked myself by caring

about the old world & now i hover somewhere


at the bottom of the pyramid...


As Nima wishes more and more to be a different version of herself, she fantasizes about being Yasmeen, the other name that her parents considered before she was born. Through a series of supernatural events, Nima finds herself on a journey into the past, which brings her much-needed answers and helps her find some peace in her life as it is rather than as she wishes it could be.


Nima's struggles in this book are real and raw, and she is often so terribly isolated, leading her to make progressively worse decisions. The verse is lovely and lyrical and accentuates the profound feelings that Nima has—sadness, loneliness, self-doubt to name a few of her many complex emotions. The use of Arabic throughout and the visual use of the ampersand to connect her ideas both accentuate the visual aspect of the poetry. I loved the way that her unexpected supernatural journey opens up both the secrets of the past and a deeper understanding of herself and her place in the world.


This is a powerful read that speaks to the struggles of teens in America who feel that they are neither American enough or connected enough to their own family's culture, and I love the way that Elfillo ultimately uplifts and celebrates Nima's uniqueness and her worth.

I didn't know what to expect when I started this but something told me I would love it. The author takes you on a roller coaster of emotion. It's about identity, about family, and the ache that comes with not knowing the place you feel you truly belong to. A place you wish you knew and holding on to all the things that could get you a little closer to it. That part resonated with me so strongly. Everything about this book is raw and I was left thinking about it a long while after I finished it.

I was instantly intrigued by this title when I saw it was compared to Elizabeth Acevedo and Jason Reynolds so I wanted to give it a read. It's similar in style as it is a story told in verse and features and American born Sudanese (I believe) girl trying to find her place and also trying to figure out her own identity and being comfortable in it. She faces a number of instances of hate due to how she is perceived and is caught in between being an American and identifying with the country her mother came from. The examination of place and identity was definitely poignant and raw and when we got the magical aspect that was a nice surprise. I really felt that that was when her exploration of self and place really came to a climax and loved how it was handled. It's a beautiful story that is so valuable right now.

Written in verse, Home is Not a Country tells the story of Nima, who experiences life as an outsider. Feeling misunderstood by her peers and her mother, and grappling with her identity having never known her father, Nima often considers the ways that her life might be different had she with the other name her parents considered: Yasmeen. When Yasmeen appears, Nima is given the opportunity to see her family before she was born, and before her mother moved to the United States, and to consider her existence in a different way.

Home is Not a Country is a beautifully written discussion of identity and possibility. I’ve discovered and completely fallen in love with novels in verse during the last year. Home is Not a Country was much more speculative in nature than any of the other books in verse I’ve read, and I found it more difficult to follow a story not grounded fully in reality.

This book was stunning. I was captivated by it from the first verse. The writing style was just so beautiful. Every word that was chosen felt like it had a specific purpose. As someone who enjoys reading poetry, it's always difficult to find poetry that's unique and penetrable. There's many times poems or books in verse will just right over my head, but this book didn't do that at all. I haven't truly lost myself in a book in a while, but I was fully able to dive into the author's mind while reading her words. As a South Asian woman living in America, the theme of identity this book hit really close to home. It's walking this line between am I American enough? am i South Asian enough? why can't I be both? I absolutely loved the plot of this book in particular because it took that theme, and framed it in such a unique way where it feels like the different parts of you are truly two distinct people. At the end of the day it's the choices that you make throughout life that get you to becoming the person you are today and I felt like that message was conveyed very beautifully. I'm so glad I picked this book up. I highly recommend it to everyone to check out!

What does it mean to be home?

Is home your country? Your neighborhood? Your house?

For Nima, a young girl born in America to immigrant parents neither country feels like home. She has a feel for the old country through the stories and songs and pictures that she lovingly hoards as the “Nostalgia Monster” but she is not the traditional girl. She doesn’t dress herself up all fancy to appease the aunties. Despite the fact that it hurts sometimes when she overhears them gossiping about how she doesn’t fit the mold. Though immersed in American culture at school, she still stands out and must face discrimination. This is why for Nima home is not some randomly constructed border called country, but the community that she lives in. It’s the people around her. The people who love her and care for her like Haitham.

Elhillo explores borders further through the character Yasmeen. Fans of the poet were first introduced to Yasmeen in a poem about identity.

Yasmeen’s character allows us to venture into the possibilities of life. A lot of times, especially as a teenager, you are trying to figure out who you are and what your place is in this world. Time is spent imagining a different reality. What if I were skinny, rich, . . . whatever, what would my life be like then? What if? Even as adults we wonder how our world would be different if certain events had not happened to us. Yasmeen allows Nima to see what those possibilities could be. Nima learns that she is not beholden to borders whether they be political lines or societal stereotypes. Most importantly, — those little boxes that we draw ourselves into, those self-imposed barriers — can be breeched and hurdled.

Home is Not a Country is a beautiful book both inside and out. I don’t feel as if there are any words that I can say that could capture the wonder and the richness of this work. I first “met” Safia Elhillo in The BreakBeat Poets, Vol.2: Black Girl Magic. So when I heard that this book was coming out I immediately requested the audiobook through my library. This gave me the opportunity to read the book in print while listening to Elhillo tell Nima’s story. Besides her cadence, I really appreciated listening to her speak and sing Arabic. This was truly a multi-dimensional experience for me that was heightened by the music in Elhillo’s Spotify playlist.

I loved Safia Elhillo's choice to write a verse novel to bring to life the moments in Nima's life. It leant well to both fragments of thoughts, memories, and also highlighting moments that were important to her. The first part was more realistic and while I didn't expect the change to magical realism, I thought it was done well. Nima was extremely well written and I think will connect well with other young adults who feel isolated in a new world.

This is a beautiful, accessible work. The author spins evocative pictures of her life and her heritage—her mother’s wedding jewelry and her father’s Afro in pictures, her pain over her name and difference. The story of immigrants and their interior lives is woven in with her youthful observations about fitting in a world in which she stands apart. I highly recommend, especially for young girls of color for its painful and beautiful insight.

Wow. Wow. Wow. I LOVED THIS BOOK! I had no idea what I signed up for when requesting this book on NetGalley. Other than I knew it was a novel in verse. Plus, it's lauded by the amazing writer and poet, Elizabeth Acevedo.

Oh my. It totally delivers. I screenshotted so many sections so I could savor the goodness in these pages. I definitely want to give this book to every teen I know. My guess is that nearly every young female can relate to Nima and her desire for belonging. She wants to been seen and to feel beautiful and confident. She longs for the father she never had and she wishes for friends and to be invited to parties.

Like Nima, we want to be the jewel of the neighborhood. And oftentimes we give up on ourselves. We hate on our bodies, where we come from and who are parents are. We hold blame and shame and darkness inside.

Ahhh. Beyond being a sad and lonely teen, there's much more layered into this story. Nima is abandoned by her father, and then abandoned by her only friend (the boy next door). And then add on top of that, she is Sudanese. And she's growing up in America where shithead kids call her a terrorist! OMG. I totally felt for this girl. And you will, too.

On top of that, there's an unexpected magical realism element to this book. Very Dickensesque!

This is my honest review. Special thanks to Random House Children's for an advanced copy of the ebook, via NetGalley.

What a powerful story filled with sorrow and sadness. Nima’s story pulls and pulls at your heart so much you root for them on every single page. Their emotional journey is mirrors what we assume happens today. The verse narrative style is becoming one of my favorite styles an author can use. We fly through the pages, wanting more and more. There is no way this novel shouldn’t be getting more than 5 stars. The world needs to read Nima’s story. The plot will hold your attention. The stakes… wants… desires… everything about this story is superb. Fantastic job, Safia!

Home is Not a Country is a beautifully written novel in verse that explores loneliness, the desire and expectation to be someone else, searching for a home and a place where you belong. Between its lines and the folds of its pages, it tells you that you are enough, that you belong and that home is wherever you choose for it to be. Within its lyrical prose and poetry, it encompasses the experience of being a Muslim, an immigrant, a person belonging to a diaspora community and a Black girl in USA. It builds its foundation on friendship and community. It is lovely read that brought tears to my eyes, multiple times, and gave me hope.

Nima is caught in-between: between the past and present, a father who died before she could know him, between languages and countries, between her present self and her imagined self with the name her father chose, Yasmeen. Nima does not understand why her mother, Aisha, would want to move to the U.S. when she seems so tired coming home from work, does not seem to have the social support system as she had back home, and Nima is caught in the nostalgia of old song and photographs (her best friend, Haitham, calls her a "nostalgia monster"), longing for a place she feels a connection to but does not know.
This is a beautiful novel-in-verse about grappling with who you are and who how you imagine yourself written in first-person from Nima's perspective. Immigrant stories about the myriad and complex reasons why one leaves their homeland are so important and are powerful oppositions to negative rhetoric about immigrants. Safia Elhillo's coming-of-age novel blends Nima's struggle with magical realism as a means to understand Aisha better while building a suspenseful tension in the first half of the novel. At times, Nima's voice does seem a bit younger, especially in the first half of the book, but I think it adds to her character's growth by the end. A lovely story about loving and learning to accept yourself and the life you have.

Turns out I actually like novels in verse. I never thought I would. This is only my second one but I enjoy the lyrical quality and the way verses are broken down. This novel in verse is about Nima and how she can't seem to find her place in the world, in the US, in her small family of two - her and her mother. It's a heartbreaking story about living with a ghost, living as a ghost, an immigrant story, a second generation immigrant story. But one that needs to be told, needs to have some light shed on it. I love the cover, it's so beautiful.

An extra special thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for gifting me a copy of this incredible book in exchange for an honest review!

SHE DID THAT!

Let me first say that I was sold on Elizabeth Acevedo’s endorsement because I’m a pretty huge fan of her work. Secondly, I was floored by the beautiful cover art comprising rich shades and hues of red and vibrant flowers. And then, to top it all off, I was captivated from page one by the creative genius that flowed and kept pace all throughout Home Is Not A Country.

Safia Elhillo has cleverly crafted a coming of age story following a teenaged girl, Nima, who finds herself in conflict with the life she lives and the life she wishes she had. She believes life would be easier and more joy-filled if her father and mother were still together and in love as they once had been, like in their photographs. That if she could somehow be a better version of her current self she would be finally seen, heard and understood. But instead she’s stuck. Unable to reconcile a past she doesn’t quite know and a present she would run away from if she could, Nima finds herself questioning her entire existence and identity and struggles to find her place and her home among family, friends, and classmates.

Home Is Not A Country is an exploration of family, friendship, truth, identity, love, loss, and belonging. Coupled with Elhillo’s delicate incorporation of magical realism, Nima’s alternate reality presents and feels extraordinarily real.

I have come to love novels in verse and here Elhillo nails it! Each line poetically beautiful and full of magnetizing imagery. This is the first of the author’s work I’ve tapped into. She is definitely on my radar now. BRAVO!

A story that is written in verse about racism and being a teen.

I was excited about this as it is hyped by Elizabeth Acevedo! This did give me Elizabeth Acevedo vibes. I gave this a three-star because it was boring at times. I also felt like I’ve heard the story before. The plot was predictable. I did like how fast-paced the book is and the racism that is explored throughout.

Thank you NetGalley & to the publisher for an advanced copy!

Home Is Not A Country is a book that really captured my attention. It’s basically a novel that is told by poems. The order chronologically tells the story of a young girl that feels that she does not belong in her country, though it is where she is born. It has mentions of racism, brutality, bullying, and grief.⁣
⁣
It was raw and descriptive; the supernatural aspect was genius. I could feel the emotions that the author wanted to portray. In the end, home is what you make of it and where your heart is. It’s not always better on the other side. I so enjoyed this story. ⁣
⁣⁣
I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.⁣⁣
⁣⁣

I hope this book is to become one of many that I read that explores the experiences of adolescents as they navigate the world through the lens of a child of immigrants. Being a child of an immigrant, there was a lot I related to, namely this country not being considered “home” to my parents and immediate family members. However, what this book showed me was my privilege. Privileged and black go together almost as well as oil and water do but that is how I felt. Despite my race, there are parts of myself and my culture that can be hidden within the Black community. Because of that, my outward appearance can mask the immigrant status of my parents. Unfortunately for Nima, Haitham, and their families this was not the case and reading about this was heartbreaking and sobering. This novel follows a young girl’s journey to find home, whatever, whoever, and wherever that may be.

Safia Elhillo so eloquently depicted the challenges immigrants and their children in this country face and. The children are stuck in an in between. Nima battled with being American but not quite “American” but also not quite Sudanese either; so she reinvents herself as the ghost of the child she wishes she could become. The one who is less like herself and more like who she believes her family would want her to be: Yasmeen. Yasmeen is everything Nima believes she’s not: poised, responsible, beautiful, intelligent; a “parallel version of herself if something different were to happen somewhere in the story”. Nima’s relationship with her mother consequently is affected more than the average teenager and her mother quarrels. The decision to leave your homeland certainly is not a light one. Those making those decisions are often faced with regret and longing. At a young age those children may not understand the decision and Nima is working on understanding it. This book contains heavy content but it is a perspective I am eager to read more of and I was drawn to it as I enjoy reading books beautifully written in verse.

This is my first Safia Elhillo book but will not be my last. This author is seriously talented! Her writing reminds me a lot of Elizabeth Acevedo. If you are a fan of hers, you will love this one. It’s written in verse. She paints beautiful pictures with her words. It’s at times humorous and other times heartbreaking. There are a ton of hard topics seen throughout this book including racism and bullying so be prepared. It’s beautiful and powerful and I would definitely recommend it.

From the first page, I was entranced and blown away by Elhillo’s Home Is Not a Country. Nima’s story of identity, family, love, and home is breathtaking. This book is perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo- emotional, evocative, haunting, beautiful. Elhillos’s verse is gorgeous and sweeps you up- I flew through this book in two sittings. These characters will stay with me, along with the message of focusing on the hand that is full of love, instead of the empty hand.

NetGalley kindly provided this ARC in exchange for my honest review.