≡ Download Free Hate is Such a Strong Word Sarah Ayoub 9780732296841 Books

Hate is Such a Strong Word Sarah Ayoub 9780732296841 Books

Download As PDF : Hate is Such a Strong Word Sarah Ayoub 9780732296841 Books

Hate is Such a Strong Word Sarah Ayoub 9780732296841 Books

Racial riots and the arrival of an outsider forces a 1st generation Australian girl to figure out what she really believes in as she struggles to balance Australian and Lebanese culture and expectations. Comparable to Melina Marchetta's "Looking For Alibrandi" - although perhaps with a little less heart.


Tags : Hate is Such a Strong Word... [Sarah Ayoub] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. In the vein of DOES MY HEAD LOOK BIG IN THIS and LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI, HATE IS SUCH A STRONG WORD is the story of a seventeen-year-old girl caught between two cultures,Sarah Ayoub,Hate is Such a Strong Word...,HarperCollins,0732296846,Australia,General fiction (Children's Teenage),JUVENILE,JUVENILE FICTION General,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Grades 4-6 Ages 9-11

Hate is Such a Strong Word Sarah Ayoub 9780732296841 Books Reviews

Great novel especially for teens. Along the lines of Looking for Alibrandi. Appealing, likeable characters with accessible themes and realistic dialogue.
The book! AWESOME. I loved it! I was totally hooked from page one, where Sophie was strategizing how to convince her dad to let her go out with her friends. It would be "unsafe" and Lebanese women should "stay at home". Basically, Sophie can't do anything. She can't have sleepovers, she can't go out with her friends, she can't walk to school, nope. Naught. Why? Because good Lebanese women DON'T (you could get raped or murdered or lost or something). Sophie's family might be in Australia, but they live in a close-knit Lebanese community. They speak Arabic at home, they go to a Lebanese/Christian school - basically EVERYTHING THAT IS GOOD IS LEBANESE.

I have to hand it to the author she is an amazing writer. I LOVE her voice, her style, everything. And I love how she approached writing this book. It has such a strong, clear message, but it never once felt preachy.

Sophie's family is really well-written. Okay, so her dad is a control freak (Sophie calls him Dictator Dad), so I expected him to be horrible and scary. He's definitely sexist (he doesn't make her little brother babysit because it's a "woman's job") and he's over-the-top protective. But he's nice. He really loves his daughters and he wants to keep them safe. His mindset is back in Lebanon, and he keeps the culture fresh. But he wasn't an orge. I really appreciated that. I also loved how the mother wasn't put out as a whimpering woman who did what her husband said out of fear. No. It was out of LOVE. The family was loving and close-knit, and they had their issues (doesn't everyone?) but it was presented fairly.

Sophie's character was awesome too. She's quiet and shy (introverts unite!) and I loved how she tried to stand up for herself and have her own values...buuuut, it never worked out quite as she wanted it. And I felt SO mad when her BFF ditched her to join the "cool girls". Every character evoked emotion in me as I read whether it was anger, or annoyance, or love. I wanted to be friends with Sophie! She's awesome.

Downside? I felt the book was too much like LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI by Melina Marchetta. Okay, so I just finished reading that book (which means it was fresh on my mind), but a lot of the same points and ideals arose (except Melina Marchetta's is about Italians not Lebanese). Sophie AND Josie (from LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI) shared a lot of the same thoughts on their cultures (love/hating it), on their families (frustrated/adoring them), on sex and boyfriends (they wanted love-not-lust/virginity-is-admirable) and on school (high-achievers/very-smart/destined-for-uni). But that's my only complaint.

I love this book! I love how it feels real. I love the family. I love the outcome. I love Sophie. I love hummus.
Racial riots and the arrival of an outsider forces a 1st generation Australian girl to figure out what she really believes in as she struggles to balance Australian and Lebanese culture and expectations. Comparable to Melina Marchetta's "Looking For Alibrandi" - although perhaps with a little less heart.