Hope Ablaze is ideal for fans of All My Rage. It’s a touching book that readers will adore. I genuinely loved it.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. Review previously withheld in solidarity with the St. Martin Press reviewer boycott. All opinions are my own. 

Hope Ablaze was another of those books that I requested while glancing briefly at the premise and thinking it sounded great, but not being aware of how hard it would end up hitting, even knowing the book would tackle Islamophobia. But given the state of the world as I write this (even if the world will hopefully look at least marginally different when this review sees the light of day?), I felt a lot of feelings while reading this. 

The book follows Nida, who is an incredibly relatable protagonist.. She lives with a single mother and her sister, and I felt for her as she struggled with the feeling that her mother preferred her sister to her. There’s also the additional factor that her uncle is a poet who was wrongfully incarcerated and deemed a “terrorist.” She too is a poet, and while it’s a form of expression she uses in her activism, it’s also one she uses to explore her internal and familial issues too. 

I appreciate the way the book explored the myriad ways, beyond the obvious, that Islamophobia pervades our society. While there are some very obvious and large-scale incidents, there are the more subtle, yet equally insidious. 

And one of the most intriguing for me was the wider political focus, with Nida’s initial form of protest being a poem dedicated to a Democratic Senatorial candidate after an illegal frisking. This is in line with the broader themes, and comes full-circle by the end of the book, with the arrival of the election that was anticipated throughout. The bittersweet truth about having to choose between the lesser of two evils when neither has your best interests at heart rings particularly true in this election year, when our two primary choices for President are a former President who, among other issues, attempted to ban immigrants from Muslim-majority countries, and an incumbent President who has largely been supportive of Israel. 

And while, if this review has gone up, the issues that have led to the boycott will have been resolved, but it’s ludicrous to me how little regard SMP had for authors like Rana with their actions. 

This is a fabulous book, and I’d recommend it to readers who are interested in hard-hitting contemporaries, especially those centering Pakistani-Muslims.

Although a difficult read, especially during this climate of rising islamophobia, this was an empowering story of a young muslim woman finding the power of her voice. I was rooting so hard for Nida, and I'm definitely excited to read what Sarah Mughal Rana writes next.

This was a beautifully written book. I feel like this should be required reading especially now when Islamophobia is running so rampant in this world. I was so moved by all the poetry in this book, that they will stay with me for a very long time.

This. Now that the boycott is over, THIS is the first book from SMP that I want you to read. Hear my words: this one is important. I consider it an honor to have been sent an ARC of this on @netgalley back in January.

If you wanted to scream and burn the world down reading All My Rage, or The Poet X, this one is for you.

What absolutely blew me away:

🔥The way Hope Ablaze addresses the systematic oppression of the Muslim people, and especially hijab wearing women was heartbreakingly poignant. Every moment of police violence or moment with a slimeball politician made me want to put my fist through a wall. The way this violence splits both familial relationships and friendships as people desperately try to find their own balance of keeping themselves safe while still trying to raise their voices, was devastating.
🔥 The poetry and prose in this is spellbounding. There is a rhythm and choice in the words that digs deep under your skin. It's been months and I still regularly think about specific sections of this book.
🔥 Rana's use of magic to embody Nida's trauma after her experience with police brutality was simply brilliant. The idea of one mentally or metaphorically being "trapped" and unable to continue with the things they love after a traumatic event (either due to fear of the consequences or feeling like they literally are paused in time) being turned into a literal spool of yarn that binds Nida's mouth from speaking her poetry, physically stopping her hands from writing a single word, was an amazing way to help someone visualize trauma that hasn't experienced it. The magic also really added to the story's "this is bigger than us, and our time here" feeling throughout. I was so pleased with how her curse ended up healing some relationships she thought were truly broken forever.

I could go on about this book being a MUST read forever. Move it up your TBR immediately and continue to squash Islamophobia in every corner you see it rear it's ugly head.

Hope Ablaze is out NOW!

Sarah Mughal Rana's *Hope Ablaze* is a powerful and poignant coming-of-age story that delves into the complexities of identity, faith, and the pursuit of one's dreams. Nida Siddiqui, a young Pakistani-American poet, finds herself at a crossroads as she grapples with the expectations of her traditional family and her own aspirations for a life beyond their cultural boundaries.

Rana skillfully weaves together themes of Islamophobia, family dynamics, and the transformative power of poetry. Nida's journey is both heartbreaking and inspiring as she navigates the challenges of being a Muslim woman in America while striving to find her own voice. The novel's exploration of cultural identity and the search for belonging is both timely and relevant.

While the novel tackles heavy themes, Rana infuses the story with moments of humor and hope. The supporting characters, particularly Nida's supportive grandmother and her rebellious cousin, add depth and complexity to the narrative.

*Hope Ablaze* is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary young adult literature. It is a powerful and uplifting story that celebrates the human spirit and the resilience of the human heart.

An interesting diaspora work exploring the home life and external struggles of a young woman on the cusp of adulthood dealing with racism, religious persecution, and betrayal. This book was eye opening, but also thoroughly confusing. I followed the basic plot easily enough, felt the righteous indignation and empathy flow from the pages, but then the magical realism sneaked up and I went right past it.
Overall, I think this is a great debut novel that offers a lot to the discussion about the mixed cultures that truly make up America.

Hope Ablaze is Sarah Mughal Rana's debut YA novel. Written in the vein of I Am Poet, Hope Ablaze is a must-read book for young adults. Set in a post-911 America, Hope Ablaze follows Nida as she navigates the political landscape of Islamaphobia and the Pakistani diaspora. It is an important perspective and a critical view of the world Nida has found. The storytelling is broken by poetry which I thought was a unique narrative choice and added to the autonomy and power of Nida: a way for Nida to use her voice. Nida's relationships between her parents, her friends, and those in her community were also interesting and added value into Nida's character growth.

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc and a chance to review this book.

4.5/5 ☆

I have never read a book that made me feel so seen as a Muslim or as a South Asian. So many things about this book, from the characters blaming evil eye on everything to the littlest things like stuffing sewing kit into biscuit tins, was so familiar that it made me think about how I’ve had to downsize my expectations with representation, having to hyper-fixate on scarce words and lines, but this book was so effortlessly Muslim that I didn’t have a single worry about being misrepresented.

I still can’t get over how this book made me laugh even during sad scenes. It was an interesting reading experience, one that I enjoyed a lot, especially because it’s a reminder that our joy exists along with our sorrow. Also I’m never going to forget the goat scenes, or Nida’s mom’s WhatsApp statuses, or the aunty feeding the raccoon.

The writing was almost magnetic. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. One of the biggest reasons for that is the way the author wrote the Muslim community. It captured everything about our community as a whole: our diversity, our brotherhood, our unity. I never thought I’d see it in a book, but I did and I’m so glad.

Rana tackled heavy themes, from how Islam was, in her words, ‘bastardized’ to conversations on the hijab that emphasised that we wear our hijab to show our submission to God brilliantly. The usage of poetry letters was so clever, especially because this book covers so much—from Islamophobia to art to colonisation. There were some poems that I didn’t connect with, but that’s okay because poetry is subjective and I loved most of them. Also, the poetry letters paced the book out, allowing the heavy themes to be explored in an even pace.

Another aspect of the book that is noteworthy is that the author managed to keep true to the character’s age. Oftentimes, when characters are pushed into hard situations, they completely grow up. But not here. Even through her suffering, even though she learnt a lot, Nida was still a teenager figuring things out.

At first I wished that Nida’s relationship with her sister had been explored a bit more, because Nida mentioned that Zaynab kept coming in between her and their mom, but at the same time this makes it more realistic. Especially in the South Asian context, sit-downs rarely happen. We learn as we go.

A reviewer pointed out that despite being upset about her privacy being invaded, Nida does the same thing. I wish that there was a part where she would’ve been corrected and made to understand that her mother is her own person and deserved the right to privacy.

Overall, Hope Ablaze is an amazing book that shouldn’t be missed! I highly recommend this to everyone, especially Muslim and South Asians (especially Pakistanis).

I have been withholding my review in support of the boycott on St. Martin’s Press and it’s imprints and I will continue to do so until all the concerns are addressed. Readers and influencers demand accountability and action.

St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books need to be held accountable for their silence, in relation to their treatment of BIPOC creators and their staff. While I am excited to read this book, I will be withholding my review.

"Hope Ablaze" by Sarah Mughal Rana is a powerful and timely young adult novel that tackles themes of Islamophobia, wrongful incarceration, and finding one's voice in the face of systemic oppression. The story follows Nida, a Muslim teen whose poem about being illegally frisked at a political rally accidentally wins a national competition, thrusting her into the center of a scandal.

Rana's writing is raw and unflinching as she explores the overwhelming racism and bigotry facing Muslim Americans, especially in the wake of 9/11. The novel blends free verse poetry and prose to give voice to Nida's experiences and interior life. The poems are often poignant and impactful, capturing Nida's feelings of anger, fear, and desire for change.

The characterization is strong, with Nida's relationships with her family and community feeling authentic and well-developed. Rana does an excellent job balancing the pain of bigotry with the love and support that pours in from Nida's community. The Muslim community's rallying together to support Nida's family financially is a particularly moving example of solidarity in the face of adversity.

While the pacing can be uneven at times, with some poems feeling more like scene transitions than explorations of Nida's interiority, this is a minor quibble. Overall, "Hope Ablaze" is a powerful and necessary read that gives voice to the experiences of Muslim teens in America today. Rana's unflinching critique of the bipartisan system's failure to support Muslim Americans is a bold statement.

Fans of socially conscious young adult fiction will find much to appreciate in "Hope Ablaze." Rana's debut novel is a promising start, and readers will eagerly await her next work. This is a story that will stay with you long after the final page.

Hope Ablaze follows Nida as she is unfairly frisked by security at a political rally. Nida loves to write and chose to put her feelings into her poetry. When her poem goes viral after being submitted into a poetry contest, Nida’s life is flipped upside down. Nida didn’t submit the poem and she is emotionally destroyed to see her work out in the open for all to see. Not only this but the backlash she begins to receive because of the content brings her down further.

This book was powerful and impactful. It covers many topics that are still important today. The poetry was a great added touch and the overarching story was amazing. Overall I give this 4/5 stars.

DNF at 18%. This book felt like it wanted to be something that was profound, but it ended up being more of a caricature of activism and social change. The book relied on poetry as the medium for the MC to express herself. The poetry is supposed to be moving and impactful, but it was so bad. Like so cringey it pulled me out of the book. The rap battles were embarrassing, giving Save the Last Dance vibes. Like those people thought they did something.

I think the author wrote this with the intent for it to be a movie. Scenes just happened in order to move the plot in a clunky way that didn’t develop characters or connection. Lastly, all of the characters and scenes had such a negative, bitter tone. It was not inspiring at all. This was a good concept, but the execution was not.

This book is incredibly powerful and heart-wrenching, diving deep into the extreme racism Muslim people face and the heightened racism and profiling following 9/11. The poetry is stunning, often leaving me breathless. This story is deeply emotional and unflinching - it is a necessary read for not only young adults, but readers of all ages. Please pick up this book and share it widely - it is a pivotal reading experience!

Very interesting, solid YA novel. In parts it felt a little preachy but I also learned a lot so maybe it evens out. Wednesday Books rarely misses and did not with this one, even if it was not my favorite. 3/5

I'm sorry to say that this book was just poorly written right from the start. The plot was confusing, the characters were all over the place, and the poetry that was supposed to be a big part of the story was just not well written at all.

DNF at 17%. I tried this in both print and audio just could not do it. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters or plot points. I was bored. Thanks anyway for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC of Hope Ablaze by Sarah Mughal Rana. It was an absolutely incredible read. The prose was engaging, the poetry both inspiring and heartbreaking. While I can't personally relate to what Nida went through (as a white christian in the US), her turmoil, her relationship with her peers and family, and her struggles finding herself amongst it all is utterly relatable.

While the dash of magical realism kind of confused me at first, I ended up appreciating it after finishing the book. It allowed for an even larger connection to family and community, as well as gave her more 'context' when decision making... but it did throw me for a while there.

Definitely recommend this book!

I was really excited to read this as a fellow South Asian but I was immediately hit with storylines that left me confused and I eventually DNF. This book read like it was literally set right after 9/11, not now (which is when it is set). While I can believe there are characters like the main character in this book, it felt like the story relied on stereotypes which really hurts to say - I know many Muslim Pakistani girls, many of whom are my friends, and I could not see any comparison between them and Nida.

I kept trying to give this a go and even read through some reviews but I think that ultimately backfired and convinced me to not continue reading. One review justified my absolute confusion at a goat roaming around their apartment before slaughter - I could believe this if this took place in the countryside but not in a metropolitan city.

Also, I absolutely do not think this should be compared to All My Rage - feels like it only is because both have a Pakistani girl in the US…that’s not enough.