From NPR: "More than anything, the book exquisitely captures how the questions about where we come from can take over our life. It's a portrait of perspective, which holds up a mirror to show that ultimately, we are telling our own stories, and we can choose to see them differently. With my eyes heavy from reading late into the night, I finished Home is Not a Country with the feeling of walking out of a movie theater into the sunshine, where the world feels brighter and inexplicably more hopeful than when you last left it."

This novel in verse kept me up all night. What a treat of language, powerful exploration of a cultural experience with which I am totally unfamiliar. Nima, our main character, feels disconnected from the culture (Sudanese Arab Muslim) from which her mother came and the American culture surrounding her now. She is isolated and alone, and the book beautifully captures the pain and loneliness that is so intrinsic to the teen experience. Being written in verse lends itself well to the supernatural/out-of-body experience that creates the opportunity to explore the past, leaving this book in a realistic setting despite a dive into the spirit world.

Readers of all ages and cultural backgrounds will relate to the tribulations of growing up and developing an identity. The poetic voice of the authors verse provides power and depth, vividly taking the reader through the bullying and racism experienced daily by many students of color and cultures. Despite much hurt and hardship, Nima's story ends with hope and love, depicted as honestly and realistically as the tragedy and struggle. A wonderful book. Highly recommended

Elhillo's novel-in-verse is a heart-rending story of grief, displacement, and nostalgia through the lens of one young woman's experience. Nima's voice is stunning, and Elhillo's deftly handles the complex ways that, in our own grief and hurt, we sometimes hurt the people we love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Make Me a World for providing me with a free digital galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

What happens when both the place you come from and the place you are feel distant and unaccepting?

These are the questions Nima sets out to answer. A 14-year-old, working-class, Muslim, immigrant kid raised by a single mother in suburban America—that’s Nima. They left their unnamed homeland (contextual clues point to Sudan) in pursuit of a better life, one that didn’t seem to find them. But Nima’s mind often wanders back to her roots, to the Arabic songs she listens to on cassette and old photographs of her parents—things she longs to be a part of. At school, Nima is bullied for her accented English, her obvious poverty, and her mother’s hijab. Haitham, the neighbor boy who’s more like a sibling, goes to the same school and is Nima’s only friend. But one day Haitham is beaten up in a hate crime, winding up in the hospital hooked up to machines. The abyss between Nima and her mother begins to grow as Nima learns more about her father’s absence. Elhillo’s novel, which contains light fantastical elements, tells the story of a Muslim girl traversing post–9/11 America with the baggage of a past she does not yet fully understand. The vivid imagery creates a profound sensory experience, evoking intense emotions in a story that will resonate with readers from many backgrounds.

Movingly unravels themes of belonging, Islamophobia, and the interlocking oppressions thrust upon immigrant women. (Verse novel. 12-18)

-Kirkus Review

Elhillo is a very strong writer. Home Is Not a Country highlights her capabilities to the extreme. I just wish I liked the characterization and plot development better than I did. ( )