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“The world is a mysterious place. On the one hand, its size can be measured and recorded and verified. Its marvels and oddities captured in complex, empirical detail.
“The world is a mysterious place. On the one hand, its size can be measured and recorded and verified. Its marvels and oddities captured in complex, empirical detail.
On the other hand, its size is relative to our mind’s perception of it. Its marvels and oddities only extending to how far our vision goes."
On the other hand, its size is relative to our mind’s perception of it. Its marvels and oddities only extending to how far our vision goes."
Summary
Summary
A marvel: something you find amazing. Even ordinary-amazing. Like potatoes—because they make French fries happen. Like the perfect fries Adam and his mom used to make together.
An oddity: whatever gives you pause. Like the fact that there are hateful people in the world. Like Zayneb’s teacher, who won’t stop reminding the class how “bad” Muslims are.
But Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn’t bad. She’s angry. When she gets suspended for confronting her teacher, and he begins investigating her activist friends, Zayneb heads to her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar, for an early start to spring break. Fueled by the guilt of getting her friends in trouble, she resolves to try out a newer, “nicer” version of herself in a place where no one knows her.
Then her path crosses with Adam’s.
Since he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Adam’s stopped going to classes, intent, instead, on perfecting the making of things. Intent on keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister. Adam’s also intent on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his grieving father. Alone, Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals.
Until a marvel and an oddity occurs…
Marvel: Adam and Zayneb meeting.
Oddity: Adam and Zayneb meeting.
Reader Reviews
Reader Reviews
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. It was actually somehow so much better than I could have imagined it would be. Just wow. Five stars is not even enough.
The book is told through alternative perspectives of Zeynab and Adam, both of them writing in "Marvels and Oddities" journals of their own. Both of them are Muslim, from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. And they're so different from each other, in the best possible ways.
Zeynab, my absolute favourite character who I relate to on a level that I thought was almost impossible, is fuelled by anger. She's angry because of the injustice of the world. Because she's a brown Muslim hijabi who has been unfairly treated too many times, simply because of who she is. She is such a brilliant character because her anger and frustration is palpable and utterly real. She wants to fight the injustice that she, and others, face simply for existing, but it's not easy to fight when everyone is telling you that your anger needs to be tamped down. That you're bringing on more trouble than it's worth. But Zeynab shows us that anger is okay, and good and important.
Adam is pretty much the exact opposite. He's not angry. He's possibly the sweetest and most peaceful character ever. He converted to Islam when he was 9 years old, after his mother passed away, because he wanted to find peace. He is loving, kind, and caring, but he's also scared of the fact that he's been diagnosed with the same disease that killed his mother: MS. He's scared of confronting the reality of this and dealing with his family's reactions.
AJ
I definitely want to write a full length review for this beautiful, beautifulbook, but until I finally find the time to do so (probably after my finals, huh) I just want to say that this book was absolutely incredible, and soft, and pure, and I loved every single moment of it. It's not just a book about two Muslim kids falling for each other, it's about fighting for justice, for what you know is right; it's about standing up for yourself, but also asking if you need help. It's about finding the marvels and oddities of life.
Romie
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