 | Bright red fruit Author: Elhillo, Safia | |
| Price: $10.65 | ||
Summary:
Samira is determined to have a perfect summer filled with fun parties, exploring DC, and growing as a poet--until a scandalous rumor has her grounded and unable to leave her house. When Samira turns to a poetry forum for solace, she catches the eye of an older, charismatic poet named Horus. For the first time, Samira feels wanted. But soon she's keeping a bigger secret than ever before--one that could prove her reputation and jeopardize her place in her community.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: UG Reading Level: 7.80 Points: 6.0 Quiz: 553536 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (02/06/24)
School Library Journal (07/19/24)
Booklist (+) (01/17/24)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/01/24)
The Hornbook (03/01/24)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 01/17/2024 *Starred Review* Samira is used to rumors. She’s spent her life surrounded by them in her close-knit Sudanese community. There, reputation is everything, and Samira just wants to be a normal teenager. When Samira’s mother gets a hold of an incriminating photo, Samira finds herself grounded for the summer, cut off from her friends and her summer plans. When Samira starts to post her poetry online, she meets a man whose insidious charm causes her to spiral down a path of deception and heartbreak. Elhillo’s novel is written in a combination of poetry, texts, and internet exchanges, a form that changes as Samira herself evolves. The clever integration of the Persephone myth highlights the inherent danger of girls coming of age in a world where women are often still seen as commodities. Samira’s journey throughout the novel is one of haunting self-discovery. The reader learns, along with Samira, that there is a necessity to community and family, even when those institutions themselves are flawed. In particular, we are able to see the viscerally honest rendering of the changing relationship between Samira and her mother. Elhillo has created more than a cautionary tale. Much like the tale of Persephone’s abduction, she has crafted a story that contains misery, but, at its very core, harbors hope. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.
