SuitabookThis Book Won’t Burn
Samira Ahmed
- Reading
- Consider reading alongside the young person, particularly around slurs, threats, violence and family abandonment. Pause to separate characters’ prejudiced claims from the novel’s wider questions about censorship, identity and collective action.
- Themes
- Book access and protest: Noor, Juniper and Faiz organise students after books are challenged and removed from their school library; the administration retaliates. The book’s stance on this remains unclear.
- Identity and prejudice: Noor is Muslim in a predominantly White school; Juniper is gay, and students encounter hostile anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ+ language. The book’s stance on this remains unclear.
- Family strain and emotional resilience: Noor’s father leaves, her mother relocates the family, and a sister is part of the new household; the story is described as engaging with grief, anger and hope. The book’s stance on this remains unclear.
- Worth knowing
- Expect direct engagement with book challenges, protest and discrimination, alongside strong language and scenes of intimidation. The book includes injury from broken glass, fires, a near vehicle collision, antidepressant use and limited romantic near-misses.