I misread the blurb for this and thought it was going to be a "young-adult Muslim-girl-dealing-with-being-a-Muslim girl WHO THEN finds out she's literally a wereskunk". I mean how cool would that have been? Alas the eponymous skunk girl is not to be taken literally after all so, despite this being a perfectly good "Pakistani Muslim girl deals with being a Pakistani Muslim girl in an American world" ya book, it couldn't fail but to disappoint me.

SPOILER

I did appreciate that she decided in the end that there were more important things than romance in her life; it just felt like this wasn't foreshadowed enough so it came across as pasted on. But this may have been because I was still confused by the lack of wereskunks. ( )

Nina is a typical teenage girl searching for her own identity and chasing after boys. This isn’t a normal coming of age novel because this girl is Pakistani Muslim. She not only has to deal with boy crushes, peer pressure, grades, and school, but also the pressure of her mother with following the responsibilities and traditions of being a Pakistani girl. ( )

An interesting take on teen angst from a Muslim perspective, with an engaging narrator and a sympathetic portrayal of her strict but loving family. Unlike most mainstream American young adult novels, the narrator struggles to reconcile her own personal desires with the demands of her culture, and finds that sacrifice has its own rewards. This book would probably make a valuable addition to high school libraries, with its likable characters and balanced depiction of Islamic values. As a general read, however, it falters in some key spots. The narrator's sudden and radical burst of self-acceptance, the turning point of the plot, seems to come out of nowhere, and feels false. The ending, too, is a little pat. Overall, good but not great; will probably spark good discussion for students. ( )

Do I think this book does a pretty good job of explaining what it's like to be a Pakistani Muslim female teen in America? From what little I know, yes. However, I think it is marred by the narrator's sudden change in personality at the end of the book. She suddenly gets super introspective which I found weird. ( )

Karim’s first novel is a fast and enjoyable read. I read it in one sitting. At 231 pages, in a comfortable font size and spacing, the book goes quickly. Karim maintains the pace with short chapters, an engaging plot, and an entertaining and likable narrator.

Skunk Girl paints a picture of a believable Muslim teenager–not necessarily one CAIR would send out to represent Muslim youth, but a girl with struggles and desires beyond fulfilling her mother’s image of the perfect Pakistani Muslim girl.

Nina’s story is compelling, touching on issues many young people face, whether or not they are Pakistani Muslim girls. But even when she takes on serious issues, Karim keeps the novel optimistic and funny. The message, in the end, is one of self-acceptance. Skunk Girl does not strive to be great literature. It makes a breezy, but thoughtful, summer read.