Funny and serious - gets to some deep issues without being preachy. Unlike anything else I've read recently. Very good. Hard to describe because the content matter does not seem like it would go with "comedic" but it's truly hilarious and simultaneously deep and thoughtful.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. I could not get into this story and did not finish.

4

Setting: Iraq
Rep: queer British Asian protagonist; British Asian author

I really enjoyed this book, especially the voice of the protagonist. I really felt for her and I really liked the nuanced portrayal of Sara. Surprisingly amusing too for a book about ISIS brides!

Our main character, Nadia, is out of her depth. She accepted a job with the UN to deradicalize ISIS brides but doesn’t know how to navigate the system or connect with those she’s trying to help. Until she meets Sara, a teen from Britain.

While there’s definitely a storyline this book really just killed my impostor syndrome given how sh*t all the high up officials were at their job.

I am unfamiliar with how UN programs work, so I found this glimpse behind the bureaucracy, although fictional, very interesting. The book itself is a quick read, funny, while still touching on how dark UN work can be. There were so many different personalities in this book, and it was fun to see Nadia try to navigate this while making the impact she was hoping for. I also knew literally nothing about ISIS brides, so it was really interesting to see that perspective.

That being said, Nadia is...an irritating character at times. She's extremely self righteous and impulsive, although she is sometimes dead-on in her assessment of things. I couldn't really ever understand why she liked Sara so much, other than she saw herself in her, and some of the plot points towards the end seemed pretty far-fetched. Overall, I enjoyed this a lot and would look forward to reading another novel from Younis.

In this story Nadia's personal life has blown up so when a job offer that will take her to Iraq to work with the UN comes her way she jumps on it. Her job is to create a program to help get ISIS brides back repatriated to their home countries or towns. She becomes very attached to one of the women in the camp and things get a little crazy from there.


I enjoyed getting a look behind the curtain of how things would work in a refugee camp and the array of people that are connected to it. Parts of the book were hilarious and other parts broke my heart. You don't realize how strong people can be until they are left with no other choice. I look forward to more books by Nussaibah Younis.

I truly don't even know where to start. From the first paragraph I laughed out loud and knew that I would love this book. This is a very different topic than anything I've ever read, and it was so neat to me that the author, Nussaibah Younis, is an expert in peace building and spent 10 years working in Iraq. While this is a work of fiction, I felt like I was learning so much about Muslim culture, how extremism can be so easy to fall into, and Iraq in general. The main character, Nadia, has SO much heart and compassion and often does the wrong thing truly believing it's the right one. She becomes incredibly close to Sara, an ex-ISIS bride and promises her a way to repatriate back into Europe. The plan does not go smoothly, and they end up doing many illegal things. I love the exploration of self, Nadia really feeling whole in who she is, the found family as well as forgiveness in her own family. This is by far one of the best books I've read this year. I would HIGHLY recommend this. Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for this ARC.

It’s kind of weird to call this book humor but I laughed out loud multiple times reading this. It felt almost like a satire except I know this is exactly how NGOs and UN organizations have to operate. It’s so much bureaucracy and waste and roadblocks because someone with more power has different ideas than the ones actually doing the work. And also at the end of the day, passion doesn’t mean good decisions. It was hard to root for any of the characters because they were all pretty hard to like but I still wanted a peaceful ending for them all.

"For the third time in my adult life, I was trying to create a home on hostile terrain. Your mother doesn't want you, the love of your life doesn't want you, well ... how about a random failed state? Is it possible you belong here?"

Dr. Nussaibah Younis' debut novel Fundamentally offers a brilliant and truly hilarious account of a well-meaning but naive British academic who lands a job at a UN agency working to "de-radicalize" former ISIS brides in Iraq in order to repatriate them to their home countries. Dr. Nadia Amin is a criminologist who has finally found success in her career following the publication of a buzzy article about de-radicalization and a new position as a lecturer, but when her long-term friend/lover ends their decade-long relationship, Nadia decides to take a sabbatical and go off to the Middle East to put her theories into action.

Life in Iraq introduces Nadia to the impenetrable bureaucracy (and shocking corruption) involved in international aid work and a ridiculous set of colleagues, and her work with the ISIS brides forces her to confront the open wounds from her estrangement from her own mother and her broken heart. Nadia bonds with Sara, a young woman in the de-radicalization program originally from East London, who at 19 years old has already been married three times. Nothing in this book is cut and dry—the motivations of the aid workers and the ISIS brides are all suspect, but Younis covers the complexity with clear knowledge from her years of work in the region and a strong irreverent voice that shines throughout.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend for readers who enjoy dark humor, British humor, satire, and diverse stories with LGBTQ and Muslim representation. Fundamentally might not be for everyone, but this was a great read for me!

I loved the way the author mixes such a serious topic with humor and levity so that the story doesn't feel too heavy.

My undergraduate degree is in International Relations and I've taken a few classes in grad school about working in humanitarian spaces so I was super intrigued by the premise of "Fundamentally". It did not disappoint. "Fundamentally" was laugh out loud funny while also providing the reader with lots to think about concerning saviorism, internationalism, and how we generally approach peace and aid work as a society.

Generally, I'm not a huge fan of the "disaster woman" trope (where everything seems to always go wrong for the main character). However, I couldn't help myself but root for Nadia. While she is absolutely impulsive and can be a tad self-centered, I always felt like her heart was in the right place and she generally approached her work in a way that was compassionate and (somewhat) self-aware. While this was a humorous and satirical novel, I thought it approached the many of its more sensitive topics with care.

So many moments of "Fundamentally" were so funny. Younis did such an apt job of capturing that kinds of characters you encounter when working on humanitarian and diplomacy issues. She also cleverly and humorously portrayed some of the contradictions that exist in this work.

I think it will be important for readers to view this book as what it is: satire. While a lot of beats and moments may ring true, this is ultimately a novel meant to entertain and gently poke fun, not something intended to educated or accurately describe aid work. I think it was overall very successful at what it set out to do. Reading this book, in the best way, felt like looking at a car crash in slow motion. You basically know what is going to happen, but you just can't look away.

4 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Tiny Reparations Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Imagine getting the opportunity of a lifetime and it not being what you expected at all. Deradicalizing ISIS brides is no joke. Through triumphs and disasters an amazing story evolved. One for the grandkids. Nussaibah’s writing is both confident and punchy. Everything she wrote was supported in some way during the book. I’m so happy I got to read this book. It made me feel compassion for the women that get trapped in situations like these and brought awareness and perspective to a matter that doesn’t get much attention. I particularly loved the ease in her sexual encounters and I loved the determination of the characters throughout the story.

I'm of two minds with this book. While I did enjoy reading about the program set up by the UN agency, the relationship between Nadia and Sara, and Nadia's internal struggles, the author seemed to fall back on a lot of lazy tropes. Some of the characters seemed to be complete caricatures and left me wondering if the author had ever actually met someone from California. I'm saying this as someone who has lived in the Middle East, has met a few reverts, and has never found them to be so unserious and dismissive of a religion they were embracing. Overall though, Sara's story had me glued to the pages and I would have loved to have heard from more of the women in the camp.

Nussaibah Younis’ Fundamentally is a daring and thought-provoking novel that balances sharp humor with the weighty themes of radicalization, humanitarian intervention, and personal identity. At its heart is Nadia, a determined yet deeply flawed UN worker, whose mission to repatriate a young British woman from an ISIS camp leads her into a moral and bureaucratic quagmire.

The novel shines in its biting wit and unflinching social commentary. Younis does a commendable job portraying the messiness of international aid work, peeling back the noble façade of organizations like the UN to reveal the flawed, often self-interested individuals running the show. Nadia’s voice is sharp and engaging, and the novel’s irreverent humor makes the heavy subject matter more accessible.

However, Fundamentally doesn’t always fully grapple with its most profound questions. While the novel raises thought-provoking dilemmas about belief, agency, and redemption, some aspects feel underexplored in favor of humor or plot momentum. Additionally, certain characters, particularly those in supporting roles, could have been developed further to add more depth to the story’s emotional stakes.

Overall, Fundamentally is a compelling read that challenges assumptions and entertains in equal measure. Though it doesn’t always reach the depth it aims for, its originality and wit make it a novel worth reading. Fans of dark humor and politically charged fiction will find much to appreciate.

Thanks to Penguin Group Dutton and Tiny Reparations Books for the ARC.

A bad breakup plus long existing familial issues leads Dr. Nadia Amin FMC to take a job in Iraq with the United Nations where she is tasked with leading a program to "deradicalize' ISIS brides. What could possibly go wrong?! Nadia bumbles along trying to get this program off the ground. She is pretty ill equipped to handle the bureaucracy, political landscape and complex issues of the women at the camp. Although Nadia means well even if she is rather clueless her hyper fixation on one woman in the camp gets her into some trouble. She sees herself in Sara and is determined to help her no matter the consequences to herself or the program. I seriously don’t think this should’ve been as funny as it was. This book tackles some pretty serious topics Islamic culture, religious beliefs, terrorism, religion, humanitarian aid programs, deradicalization, complex mother/daughter relationships, etc. These topics are made light hearted with humor thrown into what are very serious situations. These characters were sometimes well meaning and a whole lot cringey in their pursuits. The book was thought provoking, incredibly amusing in its absurdity. It also introduced me to many things I knew very little about. It's obvious the author is an expert on these topics and delivered a book that was entertaining, humorous and easily digestible. It was my kind of satirical read. This story won't be for everyone but I would recommend.

This book is extremely funny which made me power through it. Unfortunately I can't say I enjoyed it beyond the snarky humor. It's clear the author is familiar with the UN "peacebuilding" world (as am I), but all of the characters need more development. They are completely flat stereotypes to the point of cringe. Maybe the intention of these stereotypes was to make a point but I just found it frustrating. The bleeding heart who can't let anything go, the misogynist himbo head of security, the woman in charge trying to prove herself, the cheating husband, the gay man sleeping with locals (of course he's French!). Don't even get me started on Sheikh Jason! These characters were so hard to read, I couldn't enjoy this book.

Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis is a fun dark comedy.
A funny, thought-provoking and well-written book.
This story was a blast!
I loved every minute of it.

Thank you to Tiny Reparations Books and NetGalley for my ARC copy! This review contains my personal thoughts and opinions.

This book had a bit of a slow start for me, but once I hit the second half, I was a lot more engaged. Fundamentally sheds light on an important and eye-opening story—one I might not have encountered otherwise. Even with its serious subject matter, the humor woven throughout made it an enjoyable read. Overall, I really liked it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a thought-provoking yet entertaining book!

Fundamentally is different than any book I've ever read. Nadia is a (I think Pakistani-British) professor in London, who has done some controversial writing on deradicalizing ISIS brides, when the UN hires her to run a program in Iraq. After a breakup, Nadia takes the job, and Iraq seems more about bureaucracy and incompetence than any actual counseling. She becomes somewhat obsessed with one of the brides, who she sees herself in and escapes with her - this is in a flash forward so not a spoiler.. Such an original idea for a book, and what an interesting cast of characters.

I was interested to read Fundamentally because I’ve read nothing on ISIS or deradicalization, and because I have been seeing the eye-catching cover everywhere.

Nadia is working for the UN in Iraq. After narrowly escaping radicalization in her youth, Nadia is determined to help deprogram and save other young women who were victim of that fate. With unflagging idealism, Nadia coordinates with other UN programs to get her deradicalization program up and running. At the refugee camp, Nadia meets Sara. Sara reminds Nadia of herself as an adolescent. Nadia immediately becomes obsessed with helping Sara. Single-mindedly so.

Also of note, Nadia is bisexual and has a strained relationship with both Islam and her family. Nadia rebels against her religion with drinking, drugs, sex, and bucking religious customs like wearing a head cover.

Overall, I liked this book. I struggled a bit in the beginning with some of the British slang, finding the conversation hard to follow. Fundamentally showcased some parts of the world I know little about, with some of the story about Nadia feeling unbelievable. I really wanted to smack her back into reality in certain moments. I didn’t love it, but I’m glad I read it and I do recommend it. 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.