A bit simplistic but I suppose that’s what you get with YA! ( )

Australian YA about two year eleven students. Mina is a refugee from Afghanistan who came to Australia as a child and now has a scholarship for a prestigious Sydney high school. Michael’s parents are starting a “Aussie Values” political party opposed to boat people and Muslim immigrants.

This was engrossing! I liked Mina’s friendships, and Michael’s relationship with his neurodivergent younger brother, and the way Michael and Mina find things in common which connect them. And the Lord of the Rings references! And I appreciated the sense of place.

I thought it was interesting that, while the book argues fiercely and eloquently that Michael’s parents’ politics are racist and reprehensible, they’re portrayed as people who are educated, intelligent, and -- in some respects -- caring. It’s a realistic level of nuance -- it means Michael has been inclined to assume that they must be right about things he doesn’t understand, and it makes it harder for him to challenge them, once he begins to disagree, because he values his relationship with them. But it also means there’s hope, hope that his parents may change, even if that doesn't happen quickly or easily. ( )

Publisher's Summary:

"When Michael meets Mina, they are at a rally for refugees - standing on opposite sides. Mina fled Afghanistan with her mother via a refugee camp, a leaky boat and a detention centre. Michael's parents have founded a new political party called Aussie Values. They want to stop the boats. Mina wants to stop the hate. When Mina wins a scholarship to Michael's private school, their lives crash together blindingly. A novel for anyone who wants to fight for love, and against injustice."

Review:

As soon as I read the summary, I knew I had to read this book. I took it for granted that Michael would eventually come around to Mina's perspective, and I was curious to see how he got there and how Mina came to love someone who had once hated people like her. There's definitely some good here; Abdel-Fattah deserves commendation for her thoughtful, nuanced portrayal of Michael and his family. His father, Alan, is particularly well-drawn. This is exemplified about a third of the way through when we find out that Alan will reenact the refugees' journey. He will fly to Afghanistan, secure passage to Australia from a human smuggler, and take the dangerous journey across the Indian Sea.

I admire Abdel-Fattah's choice to opt for a complex character over a strawman stereotype. She fails, however, to really wrestle with the ideas at hand. Michael's family argues, for instance, that Australia should not accept economic migrants who come to the country illegally. Abdel-Fattah never clearly articulates why this is wrong, offering at best a muddled "because economic migrants are people too." Perhaps she feels this is so obvious as not to require explanation, but in doing so she undermines the message she's trying to convey.

This is a simplistic, straight-forward, good-guys-win love story. For characters wrestling with complex ideas and issues of self-identity, I'd say look elsewhere. ( )