Hi everyone, I hope this month hasn’t flown too fast for you all!! Down here in New Zealand we’re entering the colder side of winter now. In case you’re wondering, no, the characters in the book reviewed this week didn’t have to endure a winter, mostly because they’re from the US where it would be summer anyway!! So, if you like summer and teens…and hoping it’s a beach-themed fun read…well… I can’t guarantee much, but it will surely get you thinking!!
Title: Yes No Maybe So
Authors: Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
Genre: Fiction – contemporary
Publication details: Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2020
ISBN: 978147118566 (Paperback)
What this book is about: Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state candidate – as long as he’s behind the scenes. Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her summer trip is cancelled, her parents are separating and now her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing – with a guy she hardly knows. Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer – and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural crush of the century is another thing entirely. From New York Times bestselling Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed comes a heartwarming, hilarious story about the power of love and resistance.
My review: What a read!! Told in alternating voices of Jamie and Maya we go door to door canvassing, navigate a scorching summer, manage to survive Jamie’s sister’s bat mitzvah and Ramadan, all the while falling hopelessly in love with each other. I loved learning the two very distinct cultures in Jamie’s Jewish life and Maya’s Muslim upbringing. I was captivated by the calibre of writing by these bestselling authors in this masterpiece of a collaboration. Most of the canvassing scenes are expertly described and I almost felt as if I was trudging the Atlanta streets with them. I thought these characters were awesome and very relatable for this modern era. This read is better for teenage readers as there are mature themes of racial prejudice, homosexuality and cyber bullying discussed here.
My rating: 4 ⭐
Quotes I liked:
“No one person can fix it… All our actions are little drops that collect into a groundswell for change. It’s the only way most change happens. Ordinary people doing everything they can…”
Maya’s dad to Maya
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 