As you can guess from the title, This Book Won’t Burn is about students fighting censorship in their school.

After their father abandons them, Noor and her sister Amal are uprooted from Chicago and moved to the small town of Bayberry in central Illinois. It’s the final quarter of the school year, and Noor plans to keep her head down and count the days until graduation. But as the daughter of academics who raised her to identify and fight against injustice, Noor finds it impossible to ignore the 500 books removed from the school library’s shelves.

The actions taken by school officials and city leaders in the story terrifyingly mimic what’s currently happening across the U.S. This is not revelatory information for anyone who’s read recent headlines, but the author has written the villains in such a hyper-real manner that their racism, homophobia, hypocrisy, and violence still shock and infuriate.

Samira Ahmed does a truly amazing job illustrating the evils of book bans and censorship for teens, while also showing them the power of hope and how they can protest and make a difference in their communities.

What made this a 5 star read for me, however, was the depth of the characters and the author’s ability to make me feel all of Noor’s emotions. The very first chapter is so exquisitely crafted, that I was just as shocked and confused by their father’s abandonment as Noor. And I was practically screaming at the pages, wanting desperately for Noor’s mother to snap out of her depression and stand up for her kids. I felt Noor’s longing for the simple reassurance of a hug, her desire to escape from her own anger, and her fear of betrayal.

I highly recommend This Book Won’t Burn for both teens and adults. I think it would be appropriate for 7th and 8th grade students, as well. It would be a great bookclub read for school groups. I would love to see this story spread far and wide!

Book banning is not a new idea. In Ireland, at one point, having your book banned was a sign of pride - you were no one, in literary circles, until you had at least one banned book. More recently, and more in the spirit of this book, groups led by figures such as Andy Heasman and Ross Lahive are protesting books they deem inappropriate, often violently. And in America, it seems that every day brings the news that another school district has removed books from its shelves after complaints, usually from people who haven't even read them.

But luckily, as in this book, there are usually people like Noor and her friends who are willing to stand up. Their increasing game of cat and mouse with the school authorities was amazing to watch, and Noor's deep sense of morals and refusal to back down kept me reading. I adored the relationship between Noor and her sister Amal, and how each of them changed during the book, both individually and in how they were towards each other.

Some people will be frothing at the mouth about this book, missing the whole point of it entirely. But those of us who get it? Come on in. Let's be friends together. And hopefully this will encourage a few people to start fighting back against book bans. We all need to stand up to them.

Love, love, love Samira Ahmed's newest book, This Book Won't Burn. There is so much truth in every story she tells and as a high school reading teacher, this story about book banning hits home. When we censor what children read, because of our own political views and fears, then we are telling children that their own identities and experiences are wrong or not valid. Can't wait to share this with my students.

THIS BOOK WON'T BURN is out today! Samira Ahmed’s latest YA novel tackles censorship, fascism and racism through the eyes of 18 year-old Noor Khan as she moves to a small town in Illinois with her mom and sister after her dad walks out on them.

Noor is grief-stricken from being abandoned by her dad. Her family moves while Noor is in her last semester of high school, and she’s hoping to keep her head down at her new school until she graduates. That is, until Noor finds out that the school board had hundreds of books, all written by queer and/or BIPOC authors, pulled from the school’s library because of “obscene” content. Enraged, Noor speaks out against these book bans but faces many challenges, including bullying, racism and violent threats.

I appreciate the way this book addresses important topics. Noor’s experiences are all too real and will have you seething with anger. Samira Ahmed does a great job of getting to the root of the matter and calls out fascism and bigotry through Noor as she encounters it. Noor and her friends are smart and they fight against the school board by starting a book club for students to read banned books. They want to make a positive change in their community, and they advocate for the freedom to read what they want.

Noor is brave and full of fury, but she’s also allowed to be scared. It was wonderful to see Noor be supported by so many friends, including her sister, Amal. Amal is a great contrast to Noor and I love their relationship.

However, as much as this book is about book bans, it’s equally about a love triangle and I found this distracting. Not to say that it’s unnecessary—I think connecting with a love interest offers Noor a chance to grow and soothe her grief. But Noor doesn’t grow all that much until the very end of the book. One of the love interests is a white “ally” and there’s too much focus on him which was grating for me to read. I wish there was less focus on him but it’s through this character that the author makes points about white privilege and allyship, which are also important topics to discuss.

I think I would have enjoyed this more if there had been less focus on the love triangle and more focus on the family. Noor’s relationship with her mom is strained, and I think the book would have been stronger if this relationship had been explored further, especially since Noor mentions several times that she is who she is because of her parents’ activism.

That said, I’m not the target audience for this book and actual teenagers will probably enjoy it more. I think this book includes important and powerful messages that will resonate with teens who have been through similar situations. It may even help students feel less alone as they experience this bigotry firsthand.

Ultimately, this book is about standing up for what you believe in, which is more important now than ever as we witness the rise of fascism and experience the consequences of it in our daily lives, not to mention the multiple genocides occurring around the world.

I’ll leave you with two quotes that are especially relevant to today:

“Reading is dangerous because it shows us the truth. Words give us power; that’s why some adults want to silence us.”

“Fascism wins when we let others manipulate the truth. When we accommodate their lies. When we are silent.”

Thank you Little, Brown & Company and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC to review.

Rating: 3.5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

As a library worker working in a high school that has been hit by book challenges, this book made me feel so any things: angry, hopeful, validated, seen... It is unfortunate that the antagonists in this book are based on all-too real people and the conflict based on all-too real situations, but this book does an excellent job of shedding light on the topic while also being entertaining, having humorous moments, and even peppering in some lovely romance. There were some very powerful quotes in here, and I made sure to take note of all the banned books mentioned so I could put them on my to read list (if I hadn't read them already).

This is a must read book. I cannot believe we are fighting against book bans in 2024 but here we are and the time is now to educate and empower everyone, including our youth. When Noor’s whole world is uprooted at the end of her senior year, starting at a new high school becomes just one of the challenges she faces. Life in her new small town is full of the same old high school cliques and stereotypes, but also racism and homophobia that plays out in an attempt to ban books. This Book Won’t Burn is written at a level that young adult activists will certainly read with no problem yet still carries a poignant message that holds so much importance and depth.

Content warning: racism, homophobia, threatening of a minor by an adult, talks of gun violence, child abandonment, hate speech, bullying, acts of violence against an unarmed group

Well Samira Ahmed has done it again... like Ahmed's other novels, THIS BOOK WON'T BURN will (or at least SHOULD) make you burst with rage at what is being done in our country - and around the world to silence marginalized groups. But, Ahmed doesn't leave readers feeling hopeless, there is always the feeling that this batch of teenagers will push back and fight for all of us. My generation was handed rental keys to a country broken by the Boomers who refuse to give up control or allow my generation to own a piece of the pie. Gen Z was handed even less, and they're fighting back. This is an uncomfortable read... as it should be. But there are moments where I laughed, where I screamed at Noor to see what the people around her are really like, where I cried. But there were also moments where I cheered. The irony that this book will mostly likely end up on banned lists isn't lost on me.

While this book is a work of fiction, it draws from real life headlines and hate groups. There are teens like Noor, Juniper, and Faiz in small communities right now pushing back against book bans, calling out hateful rhetoric, and fighting for change. As an adult there were some moments where I was very frustrated that Noor couldn't see the fake allyship happening right in front of her. But I also get that she's a teen who just had her world flipped upside down. Plus that plot point serves a purpose in the overall message Ahmed is conveying to readers.

On top of book bans, readers are given a badass school librarian along with themes of acceptance, forgiveness, and friendship. I also really appreciate the ending - this doesn't get a happily ever after, nor should it, because that's not real life. The point is that this fight that Noor and members of her new community have can't stop in one small town in Illinois. It's bigger than that, but also that change is made in small towns just like this one too.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4.5/5 stars.

Samira Ahmed never misses. All of her books are relevant, poignant, and real life. This book felt like a love letter to the books being banned and challenged across the country, and I loved how many books and authors she mentioned. I also love how this book is about the power of student voices in enacting change, but also about accountability for actions. Some of this book will hit too close to home for communities, but it is an important read. Moms for Liberty are directly named and hate crimes exist in the book. But, Noor is a powerful figure who refuses to step down when she moves to a small Illinois town and books are challenged.

I was consumed by this book as I read it. I only deducted the 1/2 star because while I understand the romance....it truly didn't need to be in the book?

Story was current, relevant, and compelling. Would definitely recommend it. Nice character development.

Noor is focused on finishing her senior year when she is sideswiped by her father leaving her family and her mother moving them to a new city. With only the last quarter to finish, Noor plans to keep her head down and graduate. That doesn’t happen when she discovers that the school has pulled 500 books from the library because of a new policy. She has been taught to stand up for what she believes in and starts challenging these new rules. Now she has a target on her back. Will Noor be able to get the books back in the library?

This Book Won’t Burn is a stand-alone realistic story that is timely and eye-opening. The issue of books being banned in schools is prevalent everywhere but is definitely at the forefront here in Indiana. Although everyone has their views on this issue, I feel Ahmed was balanced in her presentation and everyone will finish this book with many nuggets to think about. This is a book all bibliophiles, educators, and school board members need to read.

(Note: This review is very much from an adult’s perspective. I suspect the experience of reading this as a Brown woman in her 40s will be very different than someone in the intended age for which this book was written.)

This Book Won’t Burn is a timely exploration of book bans and the role teenagers can play in standing up against these bans. There is a lot to like here. The focus on the culture shock of moving from a big city to a smaller town is well done. The friendship between Noor, Juniper, and Faiz is really lovely and the find of supportive friendships everyone should experience. I really liked how the three of them worked together to find creative ways to challenge the books bans and the painfully annoying administrators standing in the way. And I really liked that the librarian was their secret (and then not so secret) supporter.

But, as an adult reader, there were parts of the book I found tedious. For instance, Andrew is exactly the kind of person who immediately stood out as not the person he seems to be and who I would have happily seen left out of the book. It was difficult watching Noor so naively trust him when I knew exactly how it would go. I was glad to see he showed some attempts at redemption at the end, but I think he could have played a smaller role and still gotten the point across. As someone who pays a fair amount of attention to the news and who studies racial injustice, I found the inclusion of some of the explanations did not fit the natural flow of the narrative.

I acknowledge, however, that I likely found these aspects tiresome precisely because I am an adult who already has decades of experience dealing with racism and allies who aren’t that I can spot the red flags very easily. For teen readers, I think those aspects would help many feel seen and process their experiences while helping others (teens and adults) understand experiences that are not their own.

And for those reasons I think this is a book well worth reading.

Perfect for fans of libraries and reading--and a nod to the times, this book is sure to be a hit. The small town setting combined with interesting and flawed characters makes the plot move quickly. Students will see themselves and their friends in the charcters. The book tackles the issue of book removals head-on in a way that shows the ridiculousness of many claims. I enjoed seeing a bold character who stood up for her beliefs, even when it was hard to do so.

This book hooked me in from the first chapter. I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

After her father abandons their family, Noor moves to a small Illinois town with her mom and sister. She’s hoping to finish out her senior year quietly but when she finds out that the school board has recently banned a bunch of books, she can’t stay quiet.

I received an ARC copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think I liked the idea of this book much more than the reality of the story. Noor is an incredibly likable character. She embodies the qualities many of us had, or currently have, as idealistic, angsty teens (I mean this in a purely positive way!) Some of where the story lost me is in the ridiculousness of some plot points: Molotov cocktails? Burning down little free libraries? It's all a bit far fetched. The point of the text is heavy handed and lacks subtlety, though it is an important one.

On another note, I do find it problematic that a text that pushes the need for accurate and meaningful representation also utilizes stereotypes about small towns, the people who live in them, and people who practice particular faiths.

Nuanced book that takes on book banning, a racist culture and the struggles to fit in. This will be a great book club title.

This Book Won’t Burn is a great read for teens who are interested in advocating and to better understand the book banning they keep hearing about in the world around them. Pieces of this book feel ripped from the headlines, including many books that are being censored in schools.

There’s more than books in this plot. Noor is grieving her fathers sudden abandonment. This abandonment has hurt her mother and younger sister as all three navigate this new life in a new city. The hate and racism that Noor endures is difficult to read. Her courage and strength makes you root for her even harder.

The set up of the book was slower, but it builds nicely with a strong ending. The love triangle pulled from the focus. I wish the friend group was a bit more developed. Overall, teens, especially with diverse backgrounds in small towns, will relate to this thought provoking read.

Samira Ahmed consistently turns out well-written, topical, and accessible YA novels. The subject of This Book Won't Burn is close to a librarian's heart -- fighting censorship/book banning. Before I was a librarian, I was a high school teacher, so I doubly appreciate Ahmed putting this issue at the forefront of her novel as I think this topic deserves a conversation amongst teenagers. It is also a story about courage of conviction, identity, and community, which are also topics worth exploring in a YA novel. The irony is that this book will likely get banned because heaven forbid we challenge book-challenging! ... On a technical note, I think this needs another proofread as I found several typos as I was reading.

So very appreciative of Ahmed's vulnerability and willingness to address censorship in libraries full-on, knowing that authoring such a book at this time will likely mean she'll catch the wrath of these book banners too. We need books like this to show the value of libraries that lead to access of information, diversity in stories, and honoring the professionals who are trained to curate balanced libraries... Not cave into the convenient stories that politically motivated people are sharing instead about libraries... And I genuinely love that we get the perspective of a teen, who identifies as Muslim & of South Asian decent, rather than a small town American "white savior" story - I learned a lot from Noor, her sister, and mom.

Where this book didn't met my hopes was much of the plot was predictable & other than off campus reading & free little libraries, doesn't really model how teens might actually make a difference in their own communities to prevent book banning or fight back against it. It was exhausting to go through this whole book triggered by shallow arguments & name-calling we see in our own communities, then very late in the story, get to a resolution that is more about hoping the right adults get a clue, versus teens making that impact.

The subplot with Noor's father distracted from the central storyline and negatively influenced her character development. No resolution really there either and I wish the focus would have instead been on the family and friends in her life (or have Dad come into play on the periphery)

This book will definitely find readers who are fired up to fight against censorship, who will appreciate the voice coming from a non-white MC, and by an author who has published other well liked YA --- I would have loved to have a more original plot where Noor didn't have a contrived love triangle, a distracting family dynamic, and was more empowered in the conflict resolution.

In this captivating read, the author masterfully weaves a narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking. Through a blend of richly developed characters and a meticulously crafted plot, the book offers a unique exploration of its central themes, inviting readers to immerse themselves in the story's depth and complexity. The narrative is paced perfectly, balancing moments of intense action with thoughtful reflection, ensuring that readers are hooked from the first page to the last. The author's ability to evoke emotion and create a vivid, immersive world is truly remarkable, making this book a must-read for anyone looking for an exceptional literary experience.

Beyond its compelling storyline, the book stands out for its insightful commentary on the human condition, weaving philosophical questions into the fabric of its narrative. The author's skillful use of language not only enriches the text but also elevates the reader's experience, offering new perspectives on familiar themes. Whether it's the intricate dynamics of relationships, the exploration of identity, or the confrontation with ethical dilemmas, this book tackles complex issues with sensitivity and intelligence. It's a testament to the power of storytelling to illuminate the nuances of life, making it a valuable addition to any book lover's collection. Regardless of genre, this is a work that resonates on multiple levels, affirming the enduring impact of well-crafted literature.