The book was advertised as funny and yet it was still funnier than I was expecting. I love that it was blurbed by Dolly Alderton, because it employed a similar brand of her characteristic wit—not only did Nussaibah go for the obvious jokes, but she layered in some much more complex humor, too. The way she wrote accents was equally good; the characters sprang right off the page. I also found the setting to be unique—a UN camp in Baghdad serving nothing but chaos to a beleaguered group of ISIS brides, (which the author handled with expertise, and recognized the areas in which she diverged from reality in an author's note at the end).

As I mentioned to a friend upon finishing, I'm not sure whether a deeper understanding of the Middle East will help or harm some of the points and jokes she was trying to make. Because the intersection of extremism, faith and comedy is an area that I haven't deeply explored, I'll keep my recommendations to the tone of her writing, which feels similar to Alexandra Chang, Dolly, Rufi Thorpe (her later work, at least) and possibly Sloane Crosley.

Thank you to Tiny Reparations & Dutton for the opportunity to read and review!

I am going to be honest, and I always am, it took me a minute to figure out the style and get used to what I was reading. About aid workers in Iraq attempting to "deradicalize" ISIS brides - women who, either unwillingly or willingly but informedly, married ISIS fighters. The main character telling us this story is Nadia, a British woman with a changing perspective on faith and love and herself. Nadia is... a mess. She's very flawed and this book is a bit satirical and outlandish, which took me a minute to get used to on this topic. But then it works. You see the silliness of all the people going in to "help" the women, but really all just self congratulating or lining pockets or really just not seeing the women and what they need, including Nadia. She gets set on helping an ISIS bride, a 19 year old British Asian girl who left London to marry someone who seemed nice online when she was 16. It was a very interesting perspective on an area I haven't thought much about. The author worked in foreign aid work and you can tell she has that inside knowledge, and the western Muslim of Asian parents perspective that I related to.

Very striking debut and can't wait for more!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a phenomenal debut! This book was definitely out of the norm for me but I'm trying to read more diversely. This book is one that I am so glad I picked up. Younis is such a phenomenal writer and as a reader, you can tell she is already forming her own writing style that can be enjoyed by many. Loved this book!

Dr. Nadia Amin has arrived in Baghdad to implement a deradicalization program for ISIS brides. She had thought that she could evade her pain from a broken romance by fleeing her home in London: “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?”

Nadia is in way above her head. She is an “infant lecturer” in criminology who had written a single published paper proposing techniques for the deradicalization of ISIS brides. She had “never met an ISIS woman, knew nothing about Iraq, couldn’t navigate [her] way around the compound, let alone the UN system.” Her subordinates, Sherri Anderson, the psychosocial support specialist, considers the proposed program to be unethical and problematic, and Pierre, the entitled son of an ambassador, spends his time scrolling on Grindr.

Nadia decides to visit the camp with her team, and she is immediately drawn to Sara, a young idealist woman from East London who had rebelled against her parents and who reminded Nadia of her teenage self. Nadia is determined to get Sara home, but then Sara reveals a secret to Nadia and their lives become more complicated than they could have imagined.

The book addresses serious subjects — the ISIS bride debate and the role of foreign aid — but is chockfull of witty dialogue and laugh-out-loud moments. A darkly comic novel that is as funny as it is fascinating. Thank you Isabel DaSilva at Tiny Reparations Books and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this wickedly comic debut.

Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I never expected to enjoy a book that focused on politics, humanitarian issues, and religion to be so entertaining. And yet here we are - I’m about to write a review about a funny story about ISIS brides.

This one was nuanced, sensitive, and thought-provoking. It tackled tough subjects like deradicalization, deep-rooted ideologies both personally and institutionally, and ethical and moral dilemmas. The humor was spot on, and I loved the main character’s voice and wit. While I think the pacing was off a bit (the middle lagged and the ending felt a bit rushed), this book completely worked for me.

I also really appreciated the author’s note at the end that gave more context to the story. I love when an author’s note adds additional layers and this one delivered.

Fans of contemporary literature, satirical stories that explore long held ideologies, and humor sprinkled in with serious subjects, this one checks all the boxes.

An interesting premise but the humor, sometimes crude or broad sometimes satiric, took away from the actually serious situation faced by ISIS brides. Nadia is in Iraq after her life implodes. Sara, who was 15 when she joined, touches something in her and she works her way through the system to try to get Sara back to London. Younis isn't afraid of courting controversy about the UN and she oversimplifies a variety of issues. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This wasn't for me but I'm sure others will enjoy it.

Dr. Nadia Amin is trying to escape from herself when she gets the chance to rehabilitate ISIS brides with the UN, based on a paper she wrote on the topic. Her life seemed bad after a terrible breakup, but it's going to get worse in Iraq. Her tale is hilarious, serendipitous, terrifying, heartwarming, informative, and, of course, life-changing.

Fundamentally

A Novel

By: Nussaibah Younis

Publish Date: February 25, 2025

Publisher:

Penguin Group Dutton/Tiny Reparations Books

General Fiction (Adult)/Women’s Fiction

#Fundamentally#NetGalley

200 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader

I would like to thank both NetGalley and Penguin Group for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Book Review:

I gave this book 4 stars. I enjoyed the writing style and learned somethings about Isis. How do I explain what I read and why I enjoyed it. The author wasn’t afraid to write about a subject that isn’t easy comfortable for some people to talk about. The Author didn’t shy away from the topic, and I actually learned something. The characters where from different backgrounds and religious groups.

The main character Nadia has a PHD and is in Iraq to deradicalize the Isis women. The reason Nadia is there because of a lecture she gave behand. A lot of the people don’t want this done because they believe them to terrorist. Nadia gets attached to one of the women that she is there to help. She forgets most of the other women as she focuses on this one young woman. She does things that not too many other would do. This gets her into some trouble. She does learn along the way and realizes the mistakes she has made not only over there but in her real life as well.

The author does have a note section that you should also read because it tells you why she wrote this book. She also made some changes from what really happened to make it work in her book. The point is still good and learnable.

I do recommend this book but for those who don’t like bad language there is a lot of it in the book.

This book was parts funny while dealing with a serious subject. I found that this approach taken by the author was the right one.

I loved Nadia and her eagerness to make a difference, while at the same time fighting with her own trauma. I am also glad that everything I thought I had figured out about Sara was way off the mark 😅

The secondary characters were also the right amount of great/complex/messed up to keep you on your toes.

Great read!

Thank you, Dutton Books and Tiny Reparations Books, for the free advanced e-copy.

A debut novel with lots of satire yet also a distinct commentary on the destructive nature of extreme religion and the hypocrisy and dysfunction of those providing foreign aid, 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 was both shockingly entertaining and full of insightful critiques.

Nadia is an incredibly complex character whose lack of introspection makes it hard to root for her. Despite this, she is a fantastically written main character. Nadia, raised in London by her Pakistani mom, essentially rejected Islam in college. After writing and obtaining her PhD, Nadia wrote an article about how she would re-patriot former fundamentalist brides. With her personal life in shambles and desperate to escape, she accepts an offer from the UN to work at the camps for the former wives and children of ISIS members.

Like most Westerners brought into a culture different from their own, Nadia is completely overwhelmed and has her idealistic expectations shattered. She doesn't know the language, can’t grasp the corrupt diplomacy, and is frustrated by the hundreds of layers of red tape. Ultimately, Nadia learned that even being a “hero” for others would not fix her broken self-worth and lack of direction.

I particularly enjoyed Nadia’s relationship with her mom and how layers of misunderstanding and hurt surrounding their differing religious views clouded it. Younis fully developed her characters, and I loved finishing the book feeling like I genuinely understood Nadia.

I truly felt for Nadia and her bleeding heart. While I am not Muslim, I could relate to the desire to want others to have the same “choices” she had in her religious journey. I felt one of the strongest points Younis made was that religious expression is a spectrum, and it is complicated to distinguish between “oppressed” and wanting to live/dress “conservatively.”

Her prose was outstandingly descriptive while retaining a humorous tone. The author pushed the boundaries in her characters, which I loved. However, if you tend to be offended by religious and cultural satire (there were lots of stereotypes), I would perhaps avoid it.

There are many extreme characters, from her GI Joe security guard to the California hippie reverted Sheikh. By using such extreme characters, she was able to encompass the variety of goals and motives of foreign aid workers, from idealistic to completely corrupt.

I appreciated Younis’ point that sometimes, in order to get things done, you have to play outside the book. However, as Nadia learns, there are consequences for those actions.

A smart, sassy, and super entertaining debut; I am really glad I picked this book up!

4.5

This was an incredibly funny, big-hearted debut about a queer UN worker trying to help ISIS women in Iraq. Heartfelt and whipsmart, I couldn't put this down and especially enjoyed it on audio. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I went into this debut completely blind based only on the appealing purple cover and its tag as 'wickedly funny' and boy was that accurate!! I would also add, wickedly smart and full of heart with a protagonist who is utterly flawed but endearingly relatable as she works as a UN aid worker in Iraq trying to help the ISIS women detained there. Nadia is an idealistic, queer, British, lapsed Muslim who is estranged from her mother because of her life choices but she is determined to try to do some good in the world. I really enjoyed this on audio and highly recommend it! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this! It was the perfect mix of serious subject matter and laugh out loud moments that caught me by surprise. Nadia accepts a UN job working with ISIS brides in Iraq, and forms an unexpected connection with one of them that reminds her a little bit too much of herself. While seemingly fumbling her way through much of her new job, she truly finds herself along the way.

Dr Nadia Amin travels to Iraq with the goal to de radicalize Isis brides. Dr Nadia was unlikeable, flaky, and shallow for the first 50ish pages and I disliked her immensely; then her entire character arc changed to someone who seemed to care. The beginning of the story almost felt disjointed from the rest and anytime the main character was written as proving she was a funny cool girl, never felt transitioned in. Just random.

The reader gets to know Dr Nadia from her progress with Sara, as well as her past relationship with Rosy. Which Rosy felt very underdeveloped and unnecessary for the most part. More than anything, when the author relayed the stories of her characters in the camp and why they were there, it felt the most genuine and honest. And the way the complexities of it all rolled out in some conversations in the end, felt like a very big a ha moment for Dr Nadia and perhaps the reader too.

I liked the plot, but not so much when it tried to force the humor. Like failed attempts at millennial lingo in places. The thing is, I really started to enjoy this one when it would finally flow naturally. It was the moments were it felt like it was trying too hard that would pull me out of - trying too hard to be funny, too hard to be cool. It would unfortunately stagnant the flow of the story from lack of consistency. I recommend reading the authors note at the end, it was interesting learning where her knowledge and inspiration came from.

Closer to 3.75 stars but will round up to 4.

Well. Here's the thing: I think there's a lot to like here. It's a good story, well written, at least mostly interesting. I don't know much about ISIS, and I surely don't know anything about the concept of ISIS brides, so I have very little knowledge on the context of this book. Still, it's written in an incredibly accessible style, chock-full of jokes. Really: I don't think there's a fully serious page in this thing. But (and it's a big but) I do have some issues with this book. I think a lot of my problems with this book are really truly *me* problems.

First: it's a pretty cynical book, right? I haven't watched BoJack Horseman, but I figure it's a lot like BoJack Horseman--darker themes with a comedic tone and everyone in it kind of sucks (at least, that's how I imagine BoJack Horseman is). Every character in this book is at least kind of and asshole (except for Farris, I will NAWT slander his good name), every organization is mismanaged, every political leader is corrupt. Cynical! and man, it just kinda dragged on me. It's also kind of a comedy of errors? like, it follows Murphy's law, methinks. Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Honestly, it was dragging me down so much that before about the 80% mark, I was thinking I'd give it two stars! ouch!!! but the end brought it back for me, at least somewhat. Maybe because, as with most books, the ending is more hopeful? Or maybe it was just a plain good ending.

I didn't love Nadia as a main character, but I think she was a very successful protagonist, if that makes sense. She reads as quite selfish for the bulk of the novel, and while I think that's kind of the point... wasn't lurving it. She's very well written, though, for what she is. She's just another cog in that cynical wheel that I, personally, don't love. whoopth!

Also, towards the middle of the novel I started really preferring the flashback scenes to the present-day scenes. I think that the main story was really interesting, but I really enjoyed reading about Nadia's past experiences and her relationships, familial and otherwise, and when the main story got too cynical I started preferring those scenes to the main story. Then I was just slogging through the main story hoping to get to the flashbacks, and the main story wasn't even that bad!! It's hard when you have a preference, 'cause then everything else feels like a bore.

But: not horrible overall. Relatively enjoyed. Again, the end brought it back for me. If you love BoJack Horseman, I think you'll really like this book. If you're not into that vibe, then you might want to stay away, unless you're really interested in the premise.

This is a good book, but a little lackluster for me. The story is a little confusing, but once the plot picks up steam, I thought it was a decent book. I love reading about different cultures, but this book just felt rushed and underwhelming.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC.

The premise of Fundamentally had me very intrigued. I had not read anything like this, ever. Parts of this book were really intriguing to me and I enjoyed the exploration of women's roles in family/culture, but on the other hand I struggled at times with the pacing and overall writing.

I apologize. I was unable to finish this book. It was a DNF at 20%. I think there was just too much going on in one book and I had trouble connecting with the main character.

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Tiny Reparations Books for the advanced copy!

I, admittedly, didn’t know a whole lot about Islam/Muslims before reading this, but I feel like I learned a lot. This was an incredible story told by an author who clearly knows her stuff. I didn’t expect this to be as humorous as it was, especially given the solemn nature of the plot, but I laughed and I cried. I was frustrated and inspired. I love a bisexual FMC and exploring an unfamiliar culture, especially in a way that was so well researched and believable. I really enjoyed it!

Such a humorous look at what could have been an incredibly serious and depressing topic. The women victims of ISIS trying to be rehabilitated and most of the people around them just want to burn or rape them. Nadia, with her fresh new doctorate and thesis, is brought to Iraq by the UN to turn these women's lives around, whether they or anyone else wants it. Her own life isn't in good shape either and this story follows her and everyone else as they try to take control of their own lives. I was very touched by how well the serious topic was presented with compassion and without judgement, but still what felt like a realistic manner. This was a great story to lose myself in and I found myself chuckling many times.