This graphic novel is worth all the hype and awards plus more!! I definitely judged a book by the cover because I’m
Not one to read graphic novels but I was pleasantly surprised and will recommend this to all my friends who are not “readers” bc it was a quick and engaging read!

Spending years as the only Islam student in her grade, Huda is stunned when her family decides to move to Dearborn, Michigan. Now, all her classmates wear hijabis, and Huda must define herself some other way. Who is she in a community where her religious practices don't set her apart? As her sister told her: "wearing a hijabi is not a personality trait." In an attempt to find out who she is on the inside, Huda joins many cliques—the gamers, the athletes, the fashionistas—only to find she doesn't really mesh into any of them.
Eventually, Huda's mom signs her up for halaqa (similar to a bible study), and Huda feels even more like a square box trying to fit into a round hole. After making some friends, however, she learns more about herself and learns that she might... harbor some inner hatred. Add the struggles of being a Muslim American to that list, and you have the makings of one hell of a coming of age story.
One quote that I adored was "now I am not the Muslim, I'm just a Muslim and there are hijabis everywhere." It was such a powerful way to start the novel, almost acting as a thesis statement. This one sentence can summarize the main plot of the story, and it is so wonderful! However, juxtapose that with the chapters about the prejudice against Muslim Americans, and you can see how truly awful society can be. Even when Huda wasn't the only hijabi in the crowd, she was still discriminated against. Unfortunately as a victim, she "second-guessed herself into silence" when it came to identify the prejudices of her teacher. This part of the graphic novel was gut-wrenching. To think that someone would have to face that kind of hatred in a place that is meant to be about learning and acceptance was heartbreaking. Then, to watch Huda struggle to confront the situation because she was worried about her future... it was powerful. I'm so thankful she has shared this part of the story.
Aside from those very serious moments, the humor in this novel is also great! I love when Huda is at halaqa and they're all deciding on topics, and hers is "how to face the reality that our time in this life is quickly coming to an end, and deal with the utter helplessness of being pulled in a million different directions." Maybe it's my existential dread talking, but this part had me laughing out loud. As did the illustration where Huda revealed she's trying therapy. Absolutely *chef's kiss*. I absolutely adored this book!

Huda Fahmy is an absolute gem of the literary world. This book had me laughing out loud multiple times. This is my favorite of the three books I have read by her. Funny, heart warming, and relatable with moments I felt had been lifted directly from my experiences as a teenager. I think teens will get SO much out of her work and I encourage any librarians to get this on their shelves for YA audiences (and adults too) to enjoy.

Unable to review as the file that is downloaded to my Kindle won't work. I've tried finding this at my local libraries but none of them carry it.

This graphic novel was funny, moving, and eyeopening all at once! It was a wonderful coming of age story!

Funny and clever, this graphic novel offers a viewpoint not commonly found in American teen novels. Huda's experiences with finding her identity are relatable. Most teens will recognize the struggles to make friends, deal with family, and find their style, but I especially appreciated her experiences as a Muslim teen and how those experiences may have differed from my own non-Muslim upbringing. Despite the minimalistic style of art, Huda still manages to differentiate between all the hijabi wearing characters. Full of heart and humor, this was a delightful read.

I read and appreciate/love everything Huda Fahmy writes! I bought her books for my in-class library and hard-sell her to everyone. My students love her lessons wrapped in humor.

A funny, honest portrayal of the difficulties of growing up and dealing with being different. As a Muslim and a child of immigrants, Huda has to figure out where she belongs in both her traditional culture and the everyday life of high school.

I liked this quick read about a Muslim girl whose family moves to Dearborn, Michigan. Dearborn has a large Muslim population unlike her previous town, where she was the only Muslim girl. Huda has to figure out who she is. I liked the book. It is a coming of age book, but it is funny too. The only thing I don't like about the book is the title. I know it's a play on words because Huda is trying to find out who she is. However, if you think I can stand in front of a class and booktalk it,.....nope, not happening.

Great storytelling with amazing character development. This book tackles the worry of trying to define yourself in high school and figuring out who you are.

From Kirkus Reviews: "Tears, fears, and a whole lot of humor bubble up in comics artist Huda Fahmy’s Huda F Are You? (Dial Books, Nov. 23), a graphic novel/memoir hybrid for young adults. Hard truths about life as a visibly Muslim woman in America are a mainstay of Fahmy’s work, as seen in her debut, Yes, I’m Hot in This, and in witty webcomics. Here, she depicts a fictionalized teenage version of herself who gropes awkwardly for a sense of self-identity beyond the hijab she wears, with plenty of comedic missteps along the way. Our review calls the book “hilarious, charming, and much needed” for its adept, heartfelt handling of themes like xenophobia, teenage self-loathing, and finding validation. Fahmy, who lives in Houston, Texas, answered our questions about the book via email."

I loved this. I thought it was fantastic, but also super important. People are rude enough as it is, but add being from another culture? God, people are just terrible. It’s an important read for that reason alone.

This was such a quick fun read! It's hilarious and, as a middle eastern myself, definitely relatable. I'm currently going through the awkward, I-don't-fully-know-who-I-am-yet phase, and it's really exhausting but this book made me feel so seen. It also deals with a lot of important representation that is sadly accurate. The only reason I bumped this down a star is that I felt like it was a bit rushed.

This graphic novel is hilarious! I know I’m not the only one who wanted to read it based on the title alone. Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy is a book is about identity. It uses humor and honesty to explore the identity crisis that Huda goes through when she moves from a place where she is the token “hijabi girl” to Dearborn, Michigan where she is one of many.

Family Dynamics
I loved the way she portrays hers family in the book. It had me chuckling the entire time. The fact that she makes one of her sisters a mystery space on the page had me rolling, because sometimes that is just how siblings are. Her mother was hilarious. I thought the way she was introduced was very powerful. That moment should create empathy in a lot of readers, especially non-Muslims who have never thought about the experiences of those who are Muslim before.

But for real, moms sitting in the dark waiting for Huda to get home and explain her poor grade was classic!

Identity
If you are a member of the global majority and have ever been in a long term token situation, you can probably easily relate to Huda’s frustration. When you are used to being the only one, you adapt in certain ways that you don’t have to if you are one of many. I liked the way her search for her true identity was multi-faceted. It included her clothing choices, but also her understanding of her religion and her relationship with friends and most importantly her mother. There are many points of empathy for readers to connect with her experience of discomfort.

Teacher Moment Rant
One point that stuck out to me, was that even though she is part of a majority population now in her school, she is still discriminated against. Some of her teachers are disgustingly racist. Among all of the teachers there is a blatant lack of respect and a disregard to learning more about a large part of their student population. The behavior of the teachers bothered me a lot. Even though the mispronunciation of her name is a running joke throughout the book, it’s still extremely hurtful.

How can you call yourself an educator but remain closed off to learning about your own students?! I remember one of the long term substitutes in my high school deciding to learn how to speak Hmong so he could build a relationship with the Hmong students in his classes. Imagine the shock on their faces when a young Black teacher responded to them in their own language! The gesture went a long way. The same way learning how to pronounce your students’ names does.

I loved this graphic novel. It was touching. It was relatable. It was funny. I think many people who can say their high school years were awkward, challenging, eye-opening, or just uncomfortable at times can relate to Huda.

This Graphic Novel memoir is a fast read that looks at what identity means and how we find out who we are along the way.
We follow Huda as she goes through all the highs and lows of starting a new school, making friends, and figuring out where she fits in, all coupled with the fact that she is a Muslim hijabi. Regardless of religion, her experiences trying to make her way in high school and some day the world will be recognizable to any teenager, and her sense of humor keeps this book in your mind and heart long after you put it down.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Huda F Are You is a graphic novel that blends traditional teenage anxieties of acne, fitting in to a new school and new friends with Muslim American identity, losing touch with heritage and racism. This is such an important book, presented in a very accessible format.

I just want to give this book a great big hug! My students are going to love this sweet graphic novel for its authentic, heartfelt voice and adorable main character. Loved it!

Another book by Huda Fahmy that is thoughtful and funny! Definitely a great first book for 2022! I will read anything else I find by Huda Fahmy in the future!

This was a great read...believable characters and situations that all teens can identify with. The graphic novel format will add to the appeal for many readers. So glad to know about this author.