Book Review: Love, Hate, and Other Filters

Love, Hate, and Other Filters
By Samira Ahmed
Publication date: January 16, 2018
Previewed courtesy of Netgalley.com


I am surprisingly pleased how much I liked this book. I didn't know what to expect, and that may have helped -- so I didn't have preconceived notions of what was coming. Trying to represent a culture without making it stereotypical is difficult, and since I'm not Indian-American or Muslim-American, I have to rely on the author and editor to tell a truthful story. I feel like they did because the characters interacted so well with each other... believable dialog and plot made this an emotionally accessible story for many cultures to understand and relate to - whether through empathy or sympathy, the book's characterizations were well created. I believed their motives and their actions.

I enjoyed the thread of movie-making commentary throughout the story, too. It backed up Maya's hopes and dreams and how invested in them she was. It was sometimes corny, but even Maya acknowledged that, so it wasn't distracting. Maya's friends, family, classmates, and community all play a well thought out role in the story.

SPOILER ALERT: The only place I waivered was trying to believe that no one else knew about Phil's secret place.  END OF S.A.

I had a bit of a "Sixth Sense" moment at the end of the story when I wanted (and did) go back to the beginning and re-read the interspersed story to make sure I understood what I had read. This is a good thing, by the way... it meant I was invested in the story and cared enough to revisit it. I'm glad I did, too. It reinforced how connected we all are and how Maya and her family could have experienced what they did and how they did.

There are some good "lessons" from this story, and they are imparted without being preachy or distracting from the story. I think this book would be a good book for a discussion in a classroom or book club. I will definitely be purchasing this book for my HS Library.

Book Review: The Hazel Wood

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
Publishing date: January 30, 2018
Previewed via Netgalley.com



In all fairness, I have to begin with "I don't like fantasies." However, there are times when I can look past that prejudice and enjoy a story; this isn't one of those times. I found this story convoluted and unable to be untangled.  Some of the text felt trite and wooden. Much of the action or description felt like it was included because the author or editor felt the text was interesting enough in itself to include in the story, even when it did nothing for the plot or characterization. I don't want to include specifics in case they are spoilers for those who might enjoy this book. But these extraneous blurbs added to my confusion about where the story was going, and even where it ended up. Not a retold-tale, not a fairy tale,  just a fish-out-of-water tale that doesn't hold water for me. I probably won't include this in my HS Library collection because it doesn't stand up to tales like Miss Peregrine, Coraline, and other similar stories.

Book Review: The Silence of Our Friends

The Silence of Our Friends by Mark Long, Jim Demonakos

Pub Date 02 Jan 2018   ,  graphic novel  , nonfiction 

The Silence of Our Friends sets us up for a very timely discussion. Although some reviews that I read about this graphic novel fault it on its one-sided perspective, I disagree. A memoir is someone's experience, and people can't change that to suit their own agendas. I thought the story was very well told in both words and drawings; it created mood and tone, empathy and sympathy, realization and disbelief. I think this would make a good book for a group discussion or book club, but it would not be a stand-alone choice for my high school graphic novels shelf due to the language as well as the need I feel it sets up to process or debrief the nature of the historic events and their implications to history and for today.