I thought this novel in verse was very well done. Samira's world came through the spare language of poems, emails and texts very clearly. Limiting the text to these forms emphasizes her limited contact with the world during her grounding. The loose framework of the Persephone story helps the reader know what to expect. For me at least, I knew to be suspicious of Horus as soon as he appeared. But the novel is much more about Samira's relationship with her mother, other family and friends, which I think makes the book more important.

This was a fascinating way of telling a story of a young poet trying to find her voice and identity in America. Samira as a character was very vulnerable and naive as a teenager and it was breathtaking of how poems were bringing her character alive as well as the other characters! I absolutely enjoyed the reading. Safia Elhillo is an automatic buy for me!

Beautiful. Heartbreaking. Heartwarming. Moving. Impactful. Intense. Unforgettable. Eye opening.

I read this book in a matter of hours. I simply could not put it down. I think that this being written in verse absolutely elevated this story. This is a book not to be missed or glossed over.

honest and unflinching is right for this book! I loved these poems and I love the way Safia portrays her YA characters in all their messiness and naivety. this was another hit for me for sure.

I asked someone what makes good poetry and they responded the ability to portray a story in a concise way that flows like music. Based on this definition, I thought Bright Red Fruit was amazing. Elhillo told a coming of age story in a such a beautiful, relatable way.

I truly have a soft spot for books written in verse. There’s something very powerful and beautiful about books written in verse, and Bright Red Fruit is THEE perfect example of this.

Samira was a great character. I sympathized and empathized with her character wholeheartedly. Being a young girl who is yearning for love, and once given an inkling of such latches on for better or worse. Shutting out those who are her backbone thinking she is mature enough to understand the complexity of being manipulated, and used by a man much older than her. I felt those moments where the desperation for the attention, to be seen, and to placed as special superseded her rationality.

We also get to read Samira’s poetry, my favorite one that I keep going back to is ‘What I’ve Learned’ it’s a heart wrenching piece that we see Samira truly reflect on her position on love as it pertains to her experience. Ugh it was amazing.

My absolute favorite part of reading was the parallels of Samira’s story being told with bits and pieces of the story of Persephone (bright red fruit! Get it? It’s a pomegranate!!).

YES! It was so beautifully done. The comparisons of how both are seen and how their actions are scrutinized , the relationships between both of their mothers, and the men they fell for.

I’m going to also read Safia Elhillo’s other books Home is Not A Country, and Girls That Never Die. I have high hopes for them since this was so good.

This was powerful and a message to young women to not let corrupt men take what belongs to you. And if they do, reclaim what’s yours.

I loved Samira our main character because she was such a sweet relatable character. She was like every teenage girl that is being fooled.

Her relationship blossomed with her mother after being in such a strict household due to rumors.

And last we got a chance to see character development. Samira went from shy and unsure of how great her poetry is to confident, and knowing who she was! Loved it

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC.

4.75 out of 5 stars

This book surprised the heck out of me with how good it is. Not that I was expecting it to be bad, I just wasn't expecting it to shine.

Despite my love of poetry, this is my first novel-in-poetry-form I've read. I absolutely adored it. It reveals the story of a girl on the cusp of womanhood who is struggling to shed the image her mom demands of her, then also the image that the world has created of rumors of her. It's wicked how adults gossip more than children, ruining lives in the process. When the rumors get to be too much for Samira's mom, she is grounded. But while grounded, she finds solace in online poetry forums, where she meets Horus - an older poet who praises her poetry and calls her beautiful.

Even the pariah of the Sudanese community - Samira's friend, Lina's sister - Farrah, warns Samira about Horus, who is 25. She warns her about his reputation, too. But Samira scoffs at Farrah. Who is she to talk about reputation? So she continues to call Horus, to meet up with him, to talk to him online, giving him her poems and drinking up the attention. But then, against his advice, she posts a poem online, and he immediately does an about face.

The possessiveness is familiar, and the naivete is gut-wrenching, because the story is all too familiar. The poet who has travelled the world and knows more and knows better – I know him. The one who moves from place to place and girl to girl with a wish and a promise, luring her along with the melancholy and the pretty words – I know him. I’ve met him in passing as he travelled from New Jersey to California. We met at a library. I was stupid enough to meet him, but not stupid enough to go farther than that. But still, it hurt when he disappeared, then told me later that if he had stayed to say goodbye, that he never would have left and blah blah blah. Rolando. With the tattooed eyes.

Enough about past stupid crap. Back to the crap Horus pulls, then blame-shifts it back to Samira. Oooo I was so mad and seething reading parts of this book. But enough about jerk poets. This is also a story about a mother and a daughter. There are times Samira misses the closeness she once had with her mother, and wonders how they got so distant, and it broke my heart. It is also about mending broken relationships before it's too late. It's about friendship. It's about having someone believe in you, even when you don't believe in yourself.

There were times I choked up reading this, particularly towards the end. One of the characters' eventual presence and influence is pleasantly surprising.

The author spared no expense with character building, despite the form. I felt I knew each person through the eyes of Samira. Incredible book. I read probably 75% of it in one day because I was hooked, despite having work and homework and kids and reading other books. I am 100% going to read Home is Not a Country, which I believe I have, I just haven't read yet.

There are references to mythology, particularly and heavily the Persephone myth. The way the author weaved it into the story - that alone was part of the brilliance, but not all. Not all by a long shot.

I am very happy to have been able to read this. Thanks again to NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this eARC!

I'm a fan of Safia Elhillo's writing, and was excited to see her second novel-in-verse coming out this year. I gobbled this one up quickly, and, as awlays, amazed at the way she knows how to place poetry into motion. This coming-of-age story spoke a lot to me as a BIPOC, especially in regards to how to navigate a different cultures I teeter between. Safia did a wonderful job of writing this story.

Samira is a Sudanese-American living in DC, trying to navigate being 16 in a country so different from her culture, with a mom who doesn’t seem to understand what being a teenage girl in the US means. Her mom tries to hold her close, sometimes too tightly, to keep her safe from the unknown. Samira relies on writing poetry and her two best friends until one night while posting on a poetry website, an older man, Horus (25), reaches out to her, impressed by her poems and making her feel seen. Bright red fruit is a coming of age novel written in verse that explores cultural identity, exploitation of minors by predatory adults and freedom of expression.

Safia Elhillo captivates readers with her latest work, "Bright Red Fruit," a stunning exploration of the life of Samira, a sheltered yet curious Sudanese teen. The narrative unfolds as Samira, a budding poet, encounters an older man in an online poetry forum, leading to a a series of questionable choices and behaviors. Elhillo weaves a powerful story as Samira grapples with the challenges of growing up in a culture her mother fears, finding her poetic voice, and seeking validation from a man.

The narrative touches on essential themes of self-discovery and empowerment, portraying Samira's journey as she stands up for herself in various aspects of her life. "Bright Red Fruit" also cleverly incorporates nods to mythology, particularly the Persephone myth.. With Elhillo's skillful writing, poetry enthusiasts will revel in the prose, while a diverse range of teen readers will likely connect with Samira's story. I'm eager to preorder a copy for my classroom library.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ARC.

This is my second Safia Elhillo novel and I am absolutely obsessed with her ability to weave prose into a story that holds so much value and meaning. Safia has the ability to put coming of age stories into words with such grace, feeling, and beauty when its such a hard, ugly, and difficult experience. This is a coming of age story that I feel needs to be on every high school reading list as it spoke right to my teen soul and healed it. I was saying "oh no" throughout this whole novel (and in the best way) because I was able to put my self back into the shoes of a teenager trying to grow up and become independent and recall feeling that desire to do just that. Much older now, watching Samira going about it all the wrong way, had me all kinds of stressed out. But growing up isn't easy, finding your voice, and your self worth isn't either. The push and pull of the relationship Samira had with her mother was so realistic and raw. There is a delicate balance that parents and teen must experience in coming to the realization that they are both on the same team and not alone. Great novel! Thank you again, for the opportunity to read one of your novels. They've been a delight!

In a word, I think I'd call this enchanting. As always, Elhillo's poetic voice is perfect. The Persephone and Hades theme and retelling are immaculate. The positive character relationships are complex and interesting, between mother and daughter, friends, and fellow outcasts. I loved the main character, Samira's poetry, and how it was improved on and critiqued throughout the book. The setting, mostly one room during a DC summer was palpably - and fittingly - stifling. I know some would be bothered by the Muslim representation, but I felt like the level of practice worked for the characters and there was no badmouthing of Islam in general.
I think my only gripe is the plot, a sickening but typical tale of internet grooming. Like in Elhillo's previous novel, the actual events always feel like they get a lot less complexity.

Bright Red Fruit is poetry in motion and it reveals an incredibly vulnerable and encompassing exploration of culture, temptation, and redemption.

The novel in verse format amplifies the character’s storylines but more importantly, the stanzas allow the reader to feel the character’s emotions, judge their actions, and grow along side them.

This book is extremely powerful! Safia Elhillo is one of my favorite authors so I don't think she ever write a book I wouldn't find profound value in. I really enjoyed getting to know Samira and her poems, while also discussing the pressures of being a child of an immigrant, friendships, and online relationships. This book also discussed abusive relationships and holding abusive people accountable. I think the relationship between Samira and Horus was written with a lot of care and intention, and I deeply respect how that was discussed.

My only minor complaints are that it took me a little bit longer than I expected to get invested into the story and I also felt like I wanted to hear more about some of the side characters.

This is a beautiful novel in verse and I'm excited for people to read it when it comes out.

Rating: 4.5 stars

I love novels that are written in verse. I wanted to read this novel because I felt that it would be perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo's writing. And I would highly recommend this for fans of Acevedo. This story was so heartbreaking all the while still being heartwarming to see out main character Samira's growth throughout the story. 
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC  in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley and Random House Children's, Make Me a World for allowing me to read this book. The poetry in this book transported me into another place. I enjoyed every moment of this book.

I love a book in verse. Particularly ya novels written by amazing authors such as this one about topics that many of us truly experience at a young age. It's the lyrical and hard-hitting feeling of these lines that really resonated with me, particularly about a topic that so many of us, no matter what our gender is, understand.

Samira is Sudanese living in DC. Her mother wants nothing more than to protect her from the alarming amount of harm that could happen in this country that feels so different to her. As many mothers do, she winds up alienating Samira, so when real problems do begin to happen, she feels as though she has nowhere to turn.

This story that unravels throughout this book is juxtaposed with some very beautiful thoughts on the myth of Persephone and her relationship with Hades , the underworld, and her mother. This ancient tale feels more relevant than ever being spun through Samira's story. Less about the girl and her desires and so much focus on the mother's reaction and Hade's controlling nature. In this case, we do get the tale from the girl's side of the story.

When a man, Horus, enters Samira's life, she feels so much at once and doesn't quite understand or have the ability to clearly see the red flags. I felt a deep connection with Samira's honest character and definitely recommend this one!

Out January 6, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

This is an extremely beautiful novel written in verse about a teenage girl trying to find her way into the poetry world and a man who takes advantage.

I love reading novels in verse and this author is new to me but I loved her writing style. This novel shows the all too real world we live in today where men take advantage of young girls just trying to find their way in this world.

There were some parts that were so heartbreaking to read and others where I wanted to cheer. I am definitely looking forward to more of what this author has in store.

I really enjoyed this book told in verse. Samira is an aspiring poet, and wants to spend this summer improving. She gets into the slam poetry scene, but then is betrayed by a new, older friend who is also a poet. I thought this book was engaging and I enjoyed Samira’s growth throughout the book.