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.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this outstanding book!

Safia Elhillo has done it again with Bright Red Fruit--this book is stunning. Bright Red Fruit tells the story of a sheltered but curious Sudanese teen named Samira. She is a poet and meets a much older man in an online poetry forum, who goes on to behave in a multitude of inappropriate ways. There are many important and powerful elements to this story--the way Samira navigates (and struggles mightily with) growing up in a place and culture that her mom fears, the way she finds her poetic voice and is so proud, but still longs for the approval of a man, and how she ultimately stands up for herself in all aspects of her life. Mythology fans will enjoy the nod to Persephone, poetry fans will adore the writing, and I think a wide variety of teen readers will find parts of Samira's story that resonate with them. I will absolutely be preordering a copy for my classroom library!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, Make Me a World, and Safia Elhillo for the opportunity to read Bright Red Fruit in exchange for an honest review.

Bright Red Fruit is a hi-lo novel told in a poetic verse format. It has many allusions to Persephone's story from Greek mythology, and key connections to the pomegranate as a symbolic fruit. Persephone perhaps falls for the wrong man, similar to Samira, and the pomegranate has multiple meanings, most of which can easily be applied to the events of the novel.

Samira is an aspiring poet, but also only fifteen years old, so she loves to party and hang out with her best friends. When an untrue rumor spreads that could ruin her reputation, her mother keeps her home. Though they live in New York, her mother keeps closer to their Middle Eastern traditions and will do anything to keep her daughter's reputation safe. As a teen, Samira will eventually have to learn from her own experiences.

In frustration, Samira falls to both an online poetry forum and a poetry critique class to bide her time. On the forum, she meets the very attractive and charismatic Horus, a well-renown poet, though much older than her (he's twenty-one). Samira's crush gets the better of her, as Horus' sweet words seep with manipulation. Horus doesn't care about Samira, only about stealing her amazing creative work and putting it out as his own. Samira has a lot to figure out between trusting a man, showing her mother that she herself is trustworthy, backing her friends when they need her, and finding who she is as a writer.

This novel is a brilliant construction of the teenage heart, the ease of manipulation when one thinks they are in love, and an exploration of family and friendship. While the pomegranate represents life and fertility, in this instance, perhaps the vibrancy of Samira's poems and her youthful age, it also represents power. The power struggle of Horus using Samira through the manipulation of her feelings and the gender dynamic makes for an intriguing coming-of-age story. Samira must learn to make her own choices and learn from her negative experiences, as we all must.

Bright Red Fruit is an exquisite novel. I would certainly recommend it for a female teen audience, but also for any youth who are aspiring writers, as there is something to be said here about sharing work in a safe versus unsafe way.

i've held off on reading safia elhillo's books but this one is amazing. a unique yet modern retelling of the story of persephone, the author really does a great job of bringing the story to life. I also loved the themes and the ending of this one. reminded me a lot of Elizabeth Acevedo, and I was happy to see her mentioned in the acknowledgements.

This was a really well written and powerful read. At times Samira's stubbornness annoyed me but I think the author did a great job in showcasing a sheltered teenager who is ready to take on the world. Horus was a big creep and a a HUGE red flag. It made sense that Samira was drawn to him but man their scenes together made me uncomfortable.

The ending was powerful and hopeful. Overall, I enjoyed the novel.

*thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book*

Safia Elhillo is one of my favorite poets and I absolutely love her other YA novel-in-verse Home is Not a Country. Thus, I hoped that Bright Red Fruit would be just as good.

Have no fear, past me. IT IS JUST AS GOOD.

The story is very poignant and raw and I devoured it in one sitting. It’s about Samira, a young Sudanese-American girl who is a poet. She’s navigating rumors spread about her being a “bad girl” and her strict mother when she meets a fellow poet who is not as he seems. She has to fight for her voice and her words, but risks losing some of the most important people in her life as a result. There are lots of references to Persephone and that motif is explored in a way I’ve never seen before and resonates through the story in a really cool way.

One of my favorite things about the book was Samira’s relationship with her mother. It was complex and emotional and extremely realistic. You could feel it shift and grow over the course of the book as both of the characters do the same. All of the character relationships in the book were very well-done, but that one was by far the best-crafted.

Samira herself is such a well-done and relatable main character. I watched her make questionable decisions but I couldn’t judge her for it because of the situations she was in. Elhillo portrays her without looking down upon her or shaming her for her choices. She is created with so much care and empathy. Her character arc is well done and the way it echoes through all of her relationships in the book (her friends, her mom, her aunt) makes it resounding and impactful.

And of course, the writing is absolutely breathtaking. There were so many lines that I had to just read over and over again to completely soak up the words. Safia Elhillo is such a master of her craft.

If you loved Home is Not a Country, you HAVE to read Bright Red Fruit. And if you’re a fan of books like The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo or Muted by Tami Charles, this book is definitely for you. And if you’re looking for a Sudanese author to support, it’s about time you read Safia Elhillo 🇸🇩

The poetry in this book was amazing. It was like I was transported back to my teenage years. The author eloquently articulated how it feels to be young adult i this society. Adults say you’re too old for somethings yet too young to do or act a certain way.

Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo

384 Pages
Publisher: Random House Children’s, Make Me a World, Multicultural, Persephone
Release Date: February 6, 2024

Poetry, Teens, Young Adult

The poetry in this book is amazing. It is written as a sixteen-year-old girl at a crossroad in her life. She has a reputation of being bad but the incidents are not what they seem. She wants more than she has but when she gets it, it’s more than she expected. There is an underlying theme of Persephone throughout. She uses Samira’s life and compares her trials with Persephone. It really made me look at the descent myth differently. The author is very talented and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Such an engaging coming of age story. The realness of this plot had me feeling so many different emotions. The author did an amazing job of showing the plight of many young girls. Laying out the susceptibility of a young girl's self awareness when it comes to attention was outstanding. I highly recommend this book. The author did an amazing job.