Publishers Weekly
12/20/2021
Sabreen illuminates the often-overlooked perspectives of Black Muslim teen girls in this emotionally charged debut. Sabriya Siddiq is one of only two Black ballet dancers in her school’s advanced pointe class. She has spent a year preparing for a summer ballet intensive, but her dream and well-being are put at risk when a terrorist bombs a Washington, D.C., Metro station, and the perpetrator is incorrectly assumed to be Muslim, eliciting a sharp rise in Islamophobia across the country. After Sabriya accidentally posts her feelings about the bombing publicly, resulting in a viral blog she names You Truly Assumed, she bonds online with sheltered hijabi artist Zakat Umar and savvy computer science maven Farah Rafiq, who help run it. As it grows in popularity, the blog attracts Muslim young women globally, as well as an increasingly dangerous spate of alt-right visitors who threaten the teens’ peace on, and off, the internet. Despite a concept somewhat dated by the inclusion of blogs, Sabreen skillfully renders three inquisitive, if frequently naive, young women as distinctly characterized as they are united in purpose and faith. Through their alternating voices, she succeeds in relating the frustrating reality of having a part of one’s identity acknowledged at the expense of another, and the resilience and love required to persist despite unfounded hate. Ages 13–up. Agent: Kat Kerr, Donald Maass Literary. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
"You Truly Assumed is a beautiful portrayal of the multitude of ways to be Black and Muslim while navigating our contemporary world. It's a powerful story about faith and friendship that should be a must-read for everyone."—Adiba Jaigirdar, author of The Henna Wars and Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating
“With three distinct voices, and flowing slice-of-life narration, You Truly Assumed captures the emotional range of three young Muslims as they grapple with a world quick to sum them up. I reached the ending with tears in my eyes—tears cued not by sadness, but hope and elation as Bri, Farah and Zakat lit their paths together. A heartfelt and affirming story featuring Muslim characters, the kind my heart needed when I was young.” —S. K. Ali, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of The Proudest Blue, Love from A to Z, and Saints and Misfits
“A powerful story about friendship and community, showcasing the Black Muslim representation I wish I had growing up.” —Faridah Àbíké-íyímídé, New York Times bestselling author of Ace of Spades
“A book that can only be described as feeling like sitting in a sunbeam in a hushed place of worship: being lit from the inside out, being seen, being validated, on all levels but particularly cultural and communal. Laila Sabreen's voice is a voice that I know so many others besides me have been waiting for, and speaks not only the truths of her soul but the intense, true and beautiful story of the girls she knows share those truths—including me.”—Karuna Riazi, author of The Gauntlet
“Sabreen illuminates the often-overlooked perspectives of Black Muslim teen girls in this emotionally charged debut… She succeeds in relating the frustrating reality of having a part of one’s identity acknowledged at the expense of another, and the resilience and love required to persist despite unfounded hate.”—Publishers Weekly
“Compelling storytelling that explores the challenges and rewards of being Black and Muslim is where this novel excels, and it will prompt readers to reflect on their own assumptions… An ambitious debut that will hopefully pave the way for more narratives centering Black Muslim experiences.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A triumphant exploration of sisterhood and standing up for oneself… Sabreen paints a beautiful coming-of-age tale as each girl must navigate relationships, school, and friendships while also moving through the world as a Black Muslim… This is an endearing story of friendship and perseverance.” —Booklist
“Gripping.”—Bust Magazine
School Library Journal
03/01/2022
Gr 8 Up—Aspiring ballerina Sabriya's summer plans to audition for the American Ballet Theater (ABT) are derailed when a terrorist attack in DC hits way too close to home. Across the country, fellow Black Muslim teens Zakat and Farah are also dealing with a shift in plans: Zakat's childhood enemy has been hired to work at the Georgia bookstore where she is employed, and Farah is being sent from California to visit her father's new family in Massachusetts. When Sabriya's online journal post is accidentally made public, she takes the opportunity to start a blog she names "You Truly Assumed." When the blog goes viral, Zakat (an artist) and Farah (a fledgling programmer) join the admin team of the site, and together the girls create a safe online space for fellow Black Muslim teens to feel seen and heard. As the blog gains readers and recognition, hateful comments and threats build to a tipping point, and the trio must decide whether to back down in the face of cyberbullies or speak up about their experiences. Timely discussions of Islamophobia, racism, microaggressions, and the intersectionality of being both Black and Muslim in America will resonate with some readers and enlighten others. Though some aspects may seem a little too convenient (Sabriya willingly puts her plans to audition for the ABT off an entire year, which seems unrealistic for a dedicated dancer), each teen grows into her own throughout the novel and emerges stronger and more resilient, with a clearer picture of herself and those around her. VERDICT While this debut is a little thin on character development, the author is one to watch. Recommended for libraries serving teens.—Allie Stevens
Kirkus Reviews
2021-11-30
An outlet for personal expression evolves into a space for Black Muslim young women to assert their identities, find friendship, and build community.
The summer before her senior year, ballet dancer Sabriya, a Black Muslim teen, has big plans. But a terrorist attack at Union Station in Washington, D.C., shatters those dreams, and the terrorist’s assumed Muslim identity sparks a wave of Islamophobia. Encouraged by her younger sister, Bri journals about her emotions online—not realizing the posts are public until comments start flooding in. Having created a virtual space for others like her, she connects in particular with two other Black Muslim teens: Zakat, a burgeoning artist and Islamic school student from a progressive Muslim community in Georgia, and Farah, an aspiring computer programmer from California. Blogging together, the girls inspire each other toward courageous action in their individual lives. Written in chapters alternating among the perspectives of the teens, the novel explores themes of religious and racial identity, family, friendship, love, and belonging as they navigate anti-Muslim sentiment and incidents in their respective communities. Compelling storytelling that explores the challenges and rewards of being Black and Muslim is where this novel excels, and it will prompt readers to reflect on their own assumptions. However, the novel’s ambitious narrative structure leaves some plot threads feeling rushed. Despite the laudable attempt to portray the diversity of Black Muslim American life, some elements feel implausible or are presented without sufficient context, which could be puzzling to cultural insiders and misleading to others.
An ambitious debut that will hopefully pave the way for more narratives centering Black Muslim experiences. (Fiction. 13-18)
