Book Review: Internment by Samira Ahmed

Book Review: Internment by Samira Ahmed
Publish date: March 19, 2019
Read courtesy of netgalley.com


This is an important, timely, well-written story - However, I will NOT be purchasing it for my high school library because in spite of the poorly veiled (i.e., blatant) innuendos to Trump as a bad Nazi-type president and Obama as the underdog who persevered. Regardless of which political persuasion our author and readers are in, direct allusions to our President in this manner in a YA book is in poor taste and, I'll go as far as saying, morally irresponsible. Granted, the book is current historical fiction, but I honestly cannot condone overlook the Presidential characterization in this book when the President has been identified and crudely fictionalized to match the author's political intentions. Which is a shame, really... this book deserves to be read.

I'm not the only one who identified the conspicuous negation of our government. Another NetGalley reviewer expressed similar sentiments while still giving the book high praise: "...scathing critique of our current civil environment. ...Internment will make you think twice about how the hatred and rhetoric of our current federal administration can cause real harm to people. I'm glad this one is fictional, and I hope it stays that way." One reviewer wrote, "The lack of awareness of society is what drives this story." YES! And THAT'S what the focus of the story could have been without Trump-bashing.

Damn. I'm doubting myself. I don't believe in censorship, and two of my favorite books were "scathing critique[s]" of their own times, 1984 and The Jungle. So, yes, I'll be getting this for my high school library, but I sincerely hope that my YA readers are willing to discuss how much "fake news" or "biased reporting" is in this book. I don't intend to ruin the story by making it a research assignment; I would rather use the story as a way to discuss our differences and our mutual morals and ethics, not our conflicting politics. This is, after all, an important, timely, well-written story.