El Fin

...And yet another ending to yet another book. 

I thought her speech was amazing. It took guts to get up there and say that. She delivered it in a way that was eloquent, without calling pity to her family, but making these people who were invisible, stand out and give them the opportunity to take pride in who they were, and recognize their culture, rather than shun it. It also called upon the people who were fortunate enough to have residency, to make them realize that they shared their country. Not with people who wanted to harm them, but who were just trying to lead a life. 

I was glad she did it. Her speech was an excellent ending.

"I always thought you were the brave one. But now I think your a coward, Aisha. I see her stiffen a little, but I still press on..." - Page 146

There is no lead-up to this quote. There is no explaining of how she got to this conclusion. Sure, the dialog between the two sisters hints at how Nadira has changed her mind, but we got no sudden realization, we did not follow her train of thought. The reader does not know how she goes from having no self esteem, to calling her sister a coward. I felt like I missed out on a really cool thought that she had. I would have liked to hear what she was thinking. 

I think the book is kinda choppy sometimes. The way it cuts back and forth between characters, and who is currently being focused on in this chapter. How between chapters, she will cut from one outing to another, without any explanation of how she got there. It's a good book, it's good writing, but sometimes it's too slow, and sometimes it jumps everywhere. 

Ma and Aba

I think it's really great that Ma has finally come our of her shell. How Nadria talks about how her mother never flinches, when she is searched by the guards, how she puts on the purple coat. How she is friends with everyone in the cafeteria. 

She is such a huge contrast compared to:

Aba. How he slumps in his chair, how he is wearing the same clothes, and how he shuffles into the courtroom. It reminded me of descriptions of grandfathers. Of elderly men, not of fathers who can hold their breath, and swim a length underwater. 

When did all of this character development happen, and why didn't I read about it?

Robot: Aisha & College

"'Nadria, I've always been like those guys out here, running. You know me. I'll run in any weather...'"

Frankly, I like this metaphor that Aisha uses, but I thought that it could have been written better. It makes sense, I just thought she could have said it prettier than she did. I guess she is a runner. Running a marathon that wasn't set up for her, bending the rules, taking control until authority strikes, kicking her out of the race, purely because she didn't get a head start. And now she has finally lurched to a stop.

Call me evil, but...
I'M GLAD SHES FINALLY STOPPED BEING A ROBOT.

Taslima

"It scares me, what Taslima is doing. Taking her anger outside for all the world to see, like turning open our skins, raw and ugly." - Page 95

Raw and ugly, and true. Maybe it will take that much to get into these people's brains. If that's what needs to be done, do it.
Taslima is the kind of person to fight. She's also the kind of person to fight so much that she's trying to walk into a brick wall, hoping that maybe, maybe this time, she might be able to step through to the other side. She just ends up with a cuncussion, and loses spirit.

So what do you think? Is she going to fall and crack, like Aisha, or approach it from a different angle, like (possibly) Nadira?

Chapter 10: Pocketbooks and NYC

Story Time.

"Auntie, her pocketbook clutched against her hip..." - Page 86=

My mom used to work in NYC, and she took the subway. She would always hold her purse really tightly against herself. One time, this guy cuts the strap of her bag, in an attempt to rob her, but instead of coming back with her bag, he got the strap of her purse, because she held it so tightly. 

:-)

Tareq

I want to hear more about Tareq, and where that part of the story is going. Nadria defended him when Aisha criticized him, I think he's going to be more of a character than he is right now, and i just want to see where that loose end ends up. (Am not saying anything about him and Nadria, although that would be an expected twist...)
:-)

Hiding

“Don’t let them see you. But I think it hurt him, to hide so much.”

- Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos

"...and even without clucking like a hen, everyone gets noticed now and then..."

-Mr. Cellophane, Chicago

They are trying not to be noticed, because they don't want to be remembered. They can't be too amazing at anything, nor can they be too awful at anything. They assume that if people notice, they start asking questions. But not being noticed... Not being noticed for 7 years has got to take a toll. I think Uncle is like that. I'm not mad at him, I think he's just bitter. Customs that are completely different than what he was used to, people and family who are changing, all around him... Like Aisha, his control is slipping, and he can't do anything about it.
No, he should not have taken out his anger on Nadria. But I can understand the reasoning for his anger.

Uncle and Reading

I just want to continue reading. I'm glad that she turned the tables and yelled at Aisha, I think she deserved it. I can understand where Uncle is coming from, but instead of being the kind of person who gets all sad, and low, and non-responsive, he turns his anger into violence.

I just want to read more of it. :-)

People and links

She talks about ugly black power, that she has discovered. 

And then how Tasmalia is fire.

And how uncle can be so traditional. 

90's & Chapter 5

It's set in the 90's. There is a mention of the Britney Spears poster that's in Aisha's room, it was the only one she was allowed to have, and Aishas shirt, with Destiny's Child, that Ma thinks is too tight. I just think it's cool to be reminded of stuff that I haven't heard of or seen in a while.

I think the dude with the spiffy car and loud music will turn out to be a good character. I like the way Nadria approaches him with uncertainty and the way that her cousin, the girl with the low rise jeans, black T-shirts, and cropped hair thinks about the world, and getting angry, and the bit about her being a ring of angry flames; but then again I understand Nadria's point of view, and how she cannot understand why people claim that she won't understand, and the way they talk to her, and look at her, and that pressing feeling of just wanting them all to shut up. 

Count the Links

So... Remeber my blog about how much Aisha bugged me... Yes, well, guess who agrees with me (just not quite as strongly... but she does still manage to make pretty much the same point.) CLAIRE! [Oh, and go check out her poll too.]

And, like Maya states here, that she doesn't think that Nadria likes her sister.

hmm... I also think that Alissa makes an interesting point as well, however I'm not so sure if I agree. (with her reasoning that is.) I would not know what to do in that situation, I do not know how he felt, and I have never been in a anything similar to this, therefore what to do... escapes me.

p.s. as you can tell. Hyperlinking is now awesome. :-)