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Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. (2011)

by Medeia Sharif(Favorite Author)

3.33 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0738723231 (ISBN13: 9780738723235)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Flux

review 1: Almira is a typical American teenage girl. She wants to learn to drive and get her license. She'd love to be more slender and attractive, and she really wants a boyfriend. So what sets her apart from her high school friends?While she has been born and raised stateside, her grandfather hasn't. His standards are those of a different culture, one that draws on strict Muslim rules of conduct. And, although, Almira's parents are more liberal, they too hold different standards and expectations for their only child.Among them is to observe Ramadan, the Muslim period of fasting. And it's darned hard to not eat or drink from dawn to sunset with constant temptations from her friends.Then there's Peter. He's the boyfriend she's dreamed of, but how can she introduce him to her family ... morewhen there's still talk of arranged marriages?I liked Almira for several reasons: she's a "good" girl, a good daughter and a true friend. We see her pass a lot of tests to prove all of these qualities.I loved the multi-cultural theme of this book. It was very well handled--no preaching, just revealing a young Muslim girl's struggle to do the right thing while straddling her Muslim background and the more secular west.Teens will enjoy reading this book and, if they have no experience with Muslim practices, they will learn something very interesting.
review 2: Almira Abdul is a 15-year-old Muslim girl living in Florida. Like every other teenage girl, she is worried about her appearance, wants to be liked, cherishes her friends, has crushes, and wants to be kissed. Unlike the rest of the girls in her high school, she is observing Ramadan, is forbidden to date--especially infidels, and has an overbearing grandfather who believes she (and her parents) should be far more observant with regard to Islam. Her parents are not as strict, but her father wants to arrange her eventual marriage, and while they appreciate the freedoms they have in America, they are concerned with some of the influences Western values appear have over their young daughter.This novel, told from Almira's point of view, is the story of how she entered the season of Ramadan, fearing failure, and with all the pressures of school and home on her shoulders, and ended up having the bestest Ramadan ever.I don't usually go for YA Contemporary, and even my wife commented that this book was an unusual choice for me. It certainly seems better suited to a teenage girl (and the cover was definitely designed to appeal to that demographic). There are two things that made me curious to read it. First, the author is a blog/Twitter friend, and second, I thought it an interesting angle for the story. There are a great many YA Contemporary stories about girls and their various issues, but this is the only one I know of from an Islamic perspective. With my interest in things theological, that was sure to grab my attention.Almira is a Westernized Muslim, a breed of Muslim that, to Muslims in the Middle East, must appear like the Hellenized Jews did to the post-exilic Hebrews: compromisers, second-class Muslims, maybe even infidels. To Almira, and even perhaps her parents, their Muslim faith is part of her culture, part of her heritage and identity, but it's not something that has captured her heart. She's been to the mosque twice in 15 years, she doesn't do the daily prayers, and she never mentions whether she's even read any of the Qur'an. Her parents aren't much better, though they do say the prayers (not regularly), and sometimes attend the mosque. Almira wants the next generation of Abduls to be free from all the rules and constraints of Islam, and be able to live and love as free Americans. And yet, I'm sure she wouldn't want them to renounce their cultural identity.This, to me, was actually one of the saddest aspects of the book: the fact that Almira sees her family's faith as nothing more than culture, ritual, and rules. There's no personal commitment, or heartfelt love of Islam that would make her a more faithful Muslim. This might seem an odd thing for a Christian to say, especially one who would rejoice to see Almira (and her family) convert to Christianity! But I think Almira reflects the way Western society has come to see religion as nothing more than a philosophy, or a point of view, that can be changed and adapted to suit one's own needs. The Islam that Almira practices is no better than some of the distorted views of Christianity we see, where belief in the Bible, or the central aspects of the faith are secondary, and being a "good person" ought to be sufficient to pass muster with God.So I give the book five stars because I think Medeia did an excellent job of showing the dichotomy that exists between traditional Islam (seen in her grandfather), and more modern, Westernized approaches to Islamic belief and practice. While I obviously disagree with her grandfather's faith and worldview, I feel his pain at seeing the way his beloved faith is watered down over the generations.I also give the book five stars because I found it easy and compelling reading. I read most of it in a single day--I just couldn't put it down for long. And for a Contemporary YA novel to pull me in like that is an achievement! Almira is a very likeable, down-to-earth character that I'm sure a lot of girls, Muslim and non-Muslim, could identify with.There's no bad language or sex in the book (another reason for the five star review--take note YA writers, it can be done!), so it easily gets a PG, even maybe a G rating from me. Lovers of YA Contemporary looking for something fun, thought-provoking, and different really should check this book out. less

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