My review is succinct, but it says what I need to say: A powerful book about grief and finding yourself in a post 9/11 world.

A really sad and insightful book into being a young Muslim girl. I recommend this to those who would enjoy a YA with more complexity and nuance, outside of the typical and usual storylines. It provided some commentary but I wanted more from the author.

This was such a deeply-felt, beautifully-crafted contemporary. I'll read anything of Mafi's—watching her characters navigate relationships, community, and their futures is thought-provoking and sensitive.

Tahereh Mafi is a wonderful writer, and "delight" was the furthest emotion from me when I was reading this book - it's so deeply moving, so sad. But Mafi is excellent, and so is this book.

Shadi’s brother is dead, her father is ill, her mother is falling apart, and her best friend no longer talks to her. Also, it’s 2003, and post 9/11 hate of Muslims is rampant. Shadi is barely holding it together. She’s grieving and likely clinically depressed, but Mafi’s poetic writing turns this story of grief and pain into poignant paragraphs. Mafi’s writing is amazing as always, and although the subject matter is hard and the characters make poor decisions within their grief, this book is definitely worth the read.

Another book that my students are loving (I had a print ARC as well). We already carry many of her books but this will be one that I order for the fall.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Shadi is such a lovable character. It’s eye opening to view life as she experiences it after 9/11. I’ll read anything Tahereh Mafi writes!

This was definitely a deep and emotional read that I would recommend to others! However, An Emotion of Great Delight requires readers to be in the right mood, mindset, and focus, which I struggled with. During my read, I sometimes would want to pause reading and switch to a fantasy book or a rom-com book instead. I suppose that's why it took me so long to actually get through the book.

This was a very emotionally intense story focused on three big topics - Islamophobia in the time period immediately after 9/11, a family in crisis, and a teen romance that has gotten very complicated due to some misunderstandings and family complications. The aspects of the story related to Islamophobia, though difficult to read, were important. To see how the events and treatment that Shadi receives as a result were impactful, especially when you weigh in the additional trauma that Shadi is experiencing due to her family being in crisis. She is legitimately depressed and feels the world stacked against her. The teen romance was compelling, but felt particularly angsty, especially in the midst of the other issues that are causing Shadi to be emotionally distraught at all times. Something about the combination felt a bit too much for me, as an adult, but I think for teens this book would probably hit a lot harder in the ways that the author intended.

Review posted in Goodreads.

I've tried, but this isn't going anywhere for me. It looks very short and I thought I could persevere on, but I'm a decent way through and nothing of import has even happened yet, but yet there have been SO MANY WORDS about it. I got through SEA well enough, but the purple prose here was too much for a) my state-of-mind right now and b) the scenes that it was in.

A girl didn't get picked up from school and had to walk to her evening class in the rain. Nothing is going on that requires such LONG and DETAILED descriptions of anthropomorphized everything. Objects, feelings, actions -- no things are safe from editorializing. I was intrigued by the book's premise, but I'm so exasperated with the style that I don't think I'll be able to review the content with any kind of equanimity.

If you're a lover of Mafi's style, I am willing to bet you will enjoy this, so don't let me deter you!

Shadi is in her senior year of high school in 2003. As a muslim girl in 2003, a post 9-11 world, things are not easy for Shadi. It doesn't help that her home life is a wreck, and her friendship with her best friend, Zahra, is on the outs. Her relationship with her best friend becomes strained when Zahra assumes that Shadi and her brother, Ali, are having a secret romance. They clearly like each other, but never act on those feelings. Shadi continues to hold Ali at a distance to preserve her friendship with Zahra. An Emotion of Great Delight is a page turner. I couldn't put this book down.

While I enjoyed this book, it fell a bit flat for me. It started and ended very abruptly with somewhat disconnected angst in the middle. I wasn't sure if this book needed to be set following 9/11 or not. I understood the emotional aspects, but for a younger person I wish there had been more historical context for them to understand the emotional punch. I suppose if a book is historical fiction, I expect enough historical elements to justify the time/place setting especially if that setting is going to be the impetus for significant emotions.

An Emotion of Great Delight is set in 2003, look into the world of a single Muslim family in the wake of 9/11, months since the US officially declared war on Iraq. And American political world has evolved and tensions and hate crimes are on the rise and the Muslim community is harassed and targeted more than ever. Shadi, who wears a hijab, keeps her head down because she’s too busy dealing with her own problems. Her brother is dead, her father is dying, her mother is falling apart, and her best friend has mysteriously cut out her life.
Where do I start with this powerful read? Do I start with the characters,
writing style, or themes? Because they all matter. To start this book is a character-based book. There is a plot, but it’s the lowest on the list. Shadi, is a name for joy, that that’s all I want for her, joy. She has been and does go through a lot for this time frame. This book is set during a few days, sometimes they can feel rushed and I don’t recall many parts that felt rushed. Even though a lot is going on, the author does a good job at wrapping up something while others do not so much. I have heard a few readers saying they didn’t like the ending but it didn’t bother me. I felt that it oddly fit the story. My favorite part of this whole being is the writing style. It’s effortlessly, emotional, and powerful! She does a great job of making me feel, getting my emotions ramped up. If you are looking for a heart-breaking, intense, page-turner about a teen who’s dealing with a lot of family issues that explore traditions, grief, race, and much more; then give this read a try.

very deep and emotional book with amazing prose will be using this for the class room as eveyhting she writes is good

I would definitely Recommend that readers specifically YA readers check this book out. There is so much information and a great perspective on the events from 2001 and how they impact a person.

The cover of this was in the same style of A Very Large Expanse of Sea, so I thought it was somehow tied to that, like a sequel or companion novel. Mixed feelings on this one, very heavy but also a sense of relief for MC.

This is a timely and important book in the wake of the 20th anniversary of 9/11. A unique perspective on the tragedy from the second-hand victims of this tragedy. It took me a while to get through it because it was so sad and heavy

I was so excited to see that, An Emotion of Great Delight, by Tahereh Mafi was on here. I've loved everything that Mafi has written so far and recommend her works all of the time. An Emotion of Great Delight, however, was not one of her texts that sucked me in and made me want to sit all day and read. The plot was slower and at times I had to really think about what part of time was being discussed. I do wish that mental health would have been brought out more for her mother. It was still a good book, I'd still place it in a classroom library and book talk it to students, but I'd probably recommend her other work first.

Tahera Mafi is such a queen. She develops the most heartbreakingly beautiful stories that really draw you in. Each character is so well developed that you can’t help but share in their experiences and emotions.