I feel so bad but I could not get through this book. I tried multiple times to read it but I was forcing myself to get through every chapter. I dont think this book is that long but it felt like it never ended and I only managed to read 20%. The writing was good but I did not care about the plot at all, especially the poetry part.

A Pakistani American Muslim teen girl uses her poetry to share her love of her religion and culture and speak out against racism and Islamophobia in America. Powerfully moving, this debut is perfect for fans of The Poet X or All this rage and excellent on audio narrated by Farah Kidwal. Highly, highly recommended! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!!

I will not be providing a written review nor posting it until SMP/St. Martin's meets the demands of the SMP Boycott.

This was a very powerful and important book about a Muslim teen in post 9/11 America. I love the title because throughout the book it felt hopeless. But, as the author states, we have to keep speaking up for good causes.

I am not someone who can relate to being Muslim or Middle Eastern in America and the type of discrimination a person can face. But I can understand the human condition, and I really felt for Nida. When someone submits a controversial poem about a politician to a poetry competition on Nida’s behalf, Nida becomes a pariah to not only the general population but also her family and community. I think it was important that this was told as a YA story because a lot of people can relate to feeling this way.

Each chapter ends with beautiful poetry about what’s happening in the book at that time. I overall liked this, although it could run long. There’s an abrupt almost timeline shift towards the end of the book that had me disoriented while reading. But I ultimately understand what it was showing the reader. Overall I found this to be a good and resourceful read.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalleyARC I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book, or relate to it, but I enjoyed reading it. I think that for me as someone who is not Muslim or Middle Eastern, this was a great beginning story to read to begin to try and learn more and understand the cultures. Is it perfect? Nope but it's a decent read and a good starting point. What I enjoyed the most was the poems that were interwoven throughout the story, those were great. I think that with what's currently going on in our world, and with the upcoming election, this is a book that should be read and shared to help start conversations.

Hope Ablaze by Sarah Mughal Rana, 384 pages. Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2024. $20. centering me, get off my back, teach this book
Language: PG13 (28 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
The summer before senior year, Nida was illegally frisked when she tried to pray in a park. To cope with her feelings about the experience, Nida turned to words. She wrote a letter poem to the parties involved and tried to move on. Until the letter got out, backlash came at her from every side, and Nida had to decide whether to do something or nothing.
Through Nida, Rana brings to life the injustices faced by those in our country every day. Nida’s experience of feeling violated brings out the indignation of readers on her behalf. Her words are twisted, she is manipulated, and even those who should be her support seem to be against her. Reading about Nida dredged up those feelings of times I have felt marginalized and misunderstood, and multiplied those feelings by ten. The injustices physically hurt as I read.
Nida and her family are Pakistani, Jawad is Somali, and Alexis is White. A significant portion of the characters are Muslim, from Nida’s community. The mature content rating is for tobacco use, a terrorist joke, illegal activity, and themes dealing with racism and Islamophobia. The violence rating is for mentions of guns and shootings.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Hope Ablaze by Sarah Mughal Rana was such a raw and beautiful story.
I loved everything about this book and couldn’t put it down!
The characters were diverse and well-rounded. The emotions were very relatable.
A powerful story with remarkable writing. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what Sarah Mughal Rana creates next.

Thank You NetGalley and Wednesday Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book was not what I was expecting. I read a review that made Hope Ablaze sound like a novel in verse. Ultimately, I couldn't get past the book not being in verse. I DNF around 20%. I just didn't feel super invested in the story. It wasn't griping me like other novels. I did like the Muslim representation and the strong community in Nida's life. The elders cracked me up! Perhaps I will give this book another shot in the future. Thank you to Wednesday Books for the ARC.

The cover caught my eye because we could always use more stories about Hijabi women, and the premise of this sounded amazing. It did not disappoint! There are so many poignant lines and things that stood out. It is a weaving of intergenerational trauma and curses, with the hope of community and surviving. There were many elements that wrecked me, but it was so worth it to read Nida’s story. Every time I tried to set it aside (because I read many things at once), I couldn’t put it down for long because I needed to see how Nida would move forward. Jawad is such a fantastic friend and even though he was blunt, I loved how he kept giving Nida truths that she had to sit with and contend with. The whole community of Al-Rasheed was so fantastic and multi-layered and so obviously full of love. I really loved this book and look forward to more from Sarah Mughal Rana.

- HOPE ABLAZE is the kind of book I love to see in the YA genre - spotlighting characters and cultures that don't usually get to be the stars, tackling complicated questions, and showing characters figuring out who they want to be.
- I also very much appreciated that this book shows that Democrats and liberals are not always the inclusive, antiracist people we assume them to be. It's a bit of nuance that of often left out of novels.
- Unfortunately, I think the power of this book was diluted by the pacing and length. It started off with a flurry of activity and then slowed way down, conversations and events becoming repetitive.

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"Hope Ablaze" by Sarah Mughal Rana is a poignant and beautifully written novel that delves into the experiences of a Muslim high school girl navigating Islamophobia, racism, and personal growth. Before going into this review, I do want to point out that I am not a POC and a Muslim, so I am unable to accurately comment on the representation in this book, so I highly recommend looking at other books that are able to bring this perspective to the book.

One of the most compelling aspects of the book is its political undertones, offering readers a thought-provoking exploration of contemporary issues. Despite the weighty themes, the story remains engaging and informative, shedding light on important topics in a compelling manner. I felt my heart breaking several times throughout the novel due to the experiences that Nida experiences as well as others in her community. This book really makes you stop and think about all the different injustices that are still prevalent in our society today.

I also really enjoyed the incorporation of poetry, as I thought it added depth to the storytelling. The poetry allowed you to get glimpses into Nida’s inner thoughts and emotions and really just see how raw she felt throughout the book. Nida’s journey as a poet provides a unique lens through which to view her experiences, making for a more immersive reading experience. I think the poetry was my favorite part of the book, not only for the poetry itself but also because of how the poetry was able to represent Nida and who she is as a person. Nida is
a well-rounded and relatable character, grappling with family dynamics, friendships, and societal pressures in a realistic and authentic way. The supporting cast of characters also adds richness to the story, each contributing to the protagonist's development and the overall story. I really enjoyed the character writing as it felt authentic, though some of the cultural language and slang was a bit difficult to understand. Some scenes were also a bit repetitive.

Overall, "Hope Ablaze" is a powerful and important read that offers a nuanced exploration of identity, culture, and social justice. I think the book will resonate with YA readers seeking a deeper understanding of the Muslim experience in contemporary America.

A thoughtful powerful novel that should be read by a wide audience- both the YA crowd and adults. Rana has skillfully woven a character in Nina who you will feel and root for. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is timely.

Quote: “Stories are like a journey; the unprepared traveller will get lost in translation.”

Review: 3 Star

This is a raw, unapologetic story told through the eyes of Nida, a Muslim teen poet who experiences the frisking the guards of a potential political candidacy and there were no consequences. Themes explored were Islamophobia, the dirtiness of Politics, the gift of expressing oneself, the art of poetry, culture and the strong sense of community.

While I am not American and cannot speak to how strong Islamophobia can be in America, it does exist but I did immigrate to North America in my teens and could speak to the unjustness of how immigrants are treated here at times.

This is also a great representation of the Muslim Pakistani community, the strong community support, the elders, the faith they have and the struggle they face as immigrants in a foreign land. So, I appreciate what the author has done to bring this book to life. The poetry was magical and the emotions wrought throughout the book were incomparable. I highlighted so many bits and pieces that speak to my heart.

Some cons: there were moments in the book where the plotlines felt flat, the character development was a bit lacking, the conversations and the usage of modern slang felt “forced”. I was very confused that there was magical realism present and felt that the book could do without it and push for better character development. Some parts were dragged out so much that the message it wanted to convey fell flat which led to a lack of wanting to continue reading at times because I was not invested in every scene!

Regardless of the 3 star rating, this is a great representation to the Muslim culture which readers will appreciate.

This is an intense and well-done read. Dealing with Islamaphobia in a kind of reimagining of post 9-11, this shows the big problems and the smallest sleights and how these things mix together and corrupt our world.

This author makes some great points, but I will warn you that this can be tough to read at times. However, I also think it's a very important topic to understand.

Out February 27, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

Hope Ablaze
By Sarah Mughal Rana
A Review by Jamilla (@ LandsAwayBooks, a wordpress blog)

The sharpest sword is the tongue.

In a world where the u.s. and other western powers collude to plunder, enslave and destroy the rest of us, this book and the poems within are both a balm and a call to action.

I’m so pleasantly surprised that a story speaking truth to power like this can be published in this current period of coddling conservative bigotry.

Hope Ablaze, is a story of the power of words and of community. It delves into the long and storied history of resistance through poetry in the Islamic world and recalls the tragedy and violence of the partition of India & Pakistan.

It’s also a bit of an ode to mother daughter relationships as our protagonist’s yearning for closeness and communication with her mother is gained through understanding of the past.

Though a story tackling the Islamophobia rampant in the west, it is the bravery of the fictional community of Al-Rasheed and the familial bonds that develop amongst immigrants from similar cultures in a strange land that lingers with me. The laughter, light and …er…goats, the community shares in not only brought a smile to my face, it brought back a fierce nostalgia with it.

Hope Ablaze is memorable, painfully relatable at times and makes for an outstanding debut from an author that I will be certain to keep an eye on!

+ The stakes were VERY high for the main character from the outset, which was a savvy move by the author to communicate how important and weighty the main character’s decisions were. As a white reader, I understood quickly that a stop at a local park was profoundly different for Nida than it would be for me.

+ I also appreciated how much (creative) language mattered in this book. Poetry is the obvious one, as the main form of resistance for Nida and her community. But even the ways that characters speak (or not) and what they choose to say (or not) are clearly identified as big decisions, big moments in this story.

+ REPRESENTATION in a meaningful, believable way.

- There were issues with pacing and plot development that are pretty standard for debut books.

Hope Ablaze is a powerful story, hope and passion, and of finding one's voice, even when the world does its best to stifle it. The novel is told through the story itself and poetry. A must read for readers [ YA & up ] who enjoy contemporary drama with poetry and a bit of magical realism.

Content Guide: illegal, very physical, 'frisking' [ I feel thats too light of a word to describe this scene ] of a young Muslim girl who is cornered by men, and they forcible remove her hijab and attire, while saying racist comments

I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy through Wednesday Books Publishing and Netgalley. I give my honest review voluntarily. My review is my own thoughts and opinion; my experience in reading this story.

I want to keep it short and quick in my Goodreads and NetGalley review but I will put a link to my full review at the end. I myself am a hijabi practicing Muslim, so I guarantee you the review is not low because of islamophobia. I've seen a lot of posts where the author talks about how this book was rejected a lot because there's islamophobes everywhere, and while islamophobia exists, maybe this book was rejected because it's just so bad.

I thought the mention of the partition, the mention of the hijab as an obligation, and the recognition of the innocent prisoners in places like Guantanamo Bay were all positive aspects of this book.

Then to quickly go through the negative aspects: The poetry in this book was mediocre, the magic realism was strangely placed, there are several scenes in the book where the mom brings a goat in the house (in the United States!!!!!), to slaughter as protection from evil eye according to Islamic tradition. I had to take a pause at the goat here. When the scene occurred the first time, though it was cringe and ridiculous I tried to overlook it. But then it happened again and again. The diversity of the community that the author said was going to be present, was very much not here as 99% of the Muslim characters are Pakistani and 1% Uyghur, not really any other Muslims beyond that. Lastly, the storyline of this hijabi girl being wrongfully harassed by a powerful Democratic politician, who caused a lot of pain to not only the main character and her family, but to all American Muslims, but then the main character admits that she ended up voting for him, is extremely lame disgusting and embarrassing.

Free us from books being published just because they have Muslim characters. The writing should actually be good and the story should not be so messy. XOXO

This is my formal notice to Sarah Mughal Rana – I will be pursuing legal action for financial compensation for my therapy bills. I feel wrung out and left to dry after reading HOPE ABLAZE – in the best way possible.

Before I continue with this review, I’d be really remiss to not mention the St. Martin’s Press marketing boycott – especially since it was the bigoted, Islamophobic behavior of a Wednesday Books employee AND their subsequent silence when asked to address and denounce the Islamophobia/racism of said employee that prompted the boycott. HOPE ABLAZE is a Wednesday Books title and is the only SMP title that I will be reviewing until readers’ demands are addressed as this book tackles the very thing that SMP will not: Islamophobia, colonization, and false progressivism.

Now, despite my best efforts, I’m not an annotating girlie. I highlighted SIXTEEN passages in this book! As a South Asian Muslim who lives in America, so much of this book hit so close to home for me, even as someone who does not wear the hijab. Nida’s story is not her own – it’s one of diaspora, faith, art, and survival.

It’s a book that I know I would have cherished as a young girl in high school, struggling with her deen. I would have stained the pages in tears as I retraced the words over and over again.

HOPE ABLAZE was a story of reclamation – reclaiming Islam, reclaiming history and reclaiming agency.
The speculative elements of the book, though beautifully written, felt jarring in the inclusion of it in the story and thus didn’t work for me. The pacing I also took some issue with as it was tense and super-fast paced for a few chapters, followed by some chapters of nearly no plot development and just exposition. I also have never seen ‘wallah’ be used the way it was (ie. ‘I could wallahi that I hadn’t left my notebook’ / ‘wallah on that?’). It’s a small thing, but as a Muslim American, reading that was just extremely jarring (in my experience, you would be demanded to say instead, ‘say wallah.’).

Where the book shines are through its poetry and through its characters. Nida is a poet and you felt her emotional vulnerability through the poems interspersed throughout the book. It’s a book that mirrors our reality, from the wholesome depiction of Nida’s multicultural Muslim community that rallies behind her, to Nida’s rocky relationship with her Amma who uses Pakistani food to soothe the soul, to how colonization and the scars of the 1947 Partition affect the Pakistani diaspora to this day. I’m not Pakistani but the Partition affected Bengal too; I know only too well the horrific legacies of the British in our subcontinent.

This book was personal to me and made me feel entirely soft – for Nida, for Amma, for Mamou and for myself. I was angry on their behalf too, angry at their forced survival and the expectation to conform. It's an expected conformity that I know only too well. This book should be required reading for Islamophobia in the West, regardless of if you’re Muslim or not.

Special thanks to Netgalley for sharing this digital reviewer's copy with me in exchange for my honest views.

What worked for me was a journey of faith story of a lesser explored space on the public stage. There will be patrons glad to find this on the shelves.

What didn't work is the true lack of story here. It needs to tell a story not just inundate the reader with ideas.

I will not be sharing my thoughts on a public platform. I will just rate it a 3 and leave it at that.