Internment
5.0
2
5
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Hardcover
USD
11.28
$11.28
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780316522694 |
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| Publisher: | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |
| Publication date: | 03/19/2019 |
| Pages: | 400 |
| Sales rank: | 122 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.60(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.50(d) |
| Age Range: | 12 - 17 Years |
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Customer Reviews
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Internment
5 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
2 reviews.
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Internment is very scary look into a near future reality that seems to be knocking on our door right now. When politicians vilinize the Muslim community, people begin to view them all with suspicion. A registry is formed. They lose their jobs/schools. And they are sent to camps.
Samira Ahmed does an amazing job showing just how the American public allowed this to happen. Between a mixture of hatred, being uninformed, and people assuming it could never happen here - they allowed it to happen.
We see these events unfold through the eyes of Layal - an American whose country turns on her for committing no crime. Viewing the life of the camp and the small rebellions leading to revolution as she experiences them was so very hard.
I think this book comes at a great time in history to show that "not doing anything" isn't any better than "doing the bad thing." Looking the other way or assuming that it can't happen here is a faulty way of thinking/acting, and Samira Ahmed shows us why. I alternated between anger at what people dared to do and sadness that anyone would be treated in this way.
Thank goodness it's fiction....for now. I only hope that continues to be the case and we never have to see events like the ones in Internment ever happen.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
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This book absolutely wrecked me. "Internment" is a YA contextual dystopian that takes place in the near future. Extrapolating from current events, the book combines the current state of affairs with history in an ultimately prescient and powerful combination. Layla is an American who happens to be Muslim. Her father is a literature professor and her mother is a chiropractor. Their lives began changing with the recent events we all know, which have now escalated in the book beyond the Muslim immigration ban into broader regulations on Muslims in the US.
"Lately I've been thinking hope is kind of a flimsy feeling to hold on to."
Layla's parents have lost their jobs because no one wants to employ Muslims, and her father's poetry books are frequently being burned in the book burnings. Life already feels pretty terrible when Layla must sneak out to see her boyfriend, David who is Jewish, around her suspension from school (for PDA that everyone else- read non-Muslim- does) and the curfews imposed on Muslims. However, life is about to get even worse when Layla and her family are grabbed late in the evening and given 10 minutes to pack a single bag of necessities before being sent to an internment camp. The story of their journey to the 'camp' is very similar to that of the Japanese Americans during World War II.
"If you don't stand up for something, you'll fall for anything."
The horrors of the camp and the new reality for Americans is undeniable and does not feel as unreal as it should, considering the events in the news and our past. Told through the poignant voice of Layla, we experience these terrible possibilities. The importance of developing and using your voice against such atrocities is a clear theme and stand-out message of the book. The potential reality of what could happen with complacency is all too clear.
"You need only glance at the vastness of the sky and the multitude of the stars to know the infinite depth of our love."
Layla's parents are sympathetic characters. They will not deny their religion, but they cannot believe what is happening to them. While they will not comply or collaborate as some others do, they are reluctant to start a rebellion for fear of what would happen to their daughter. They hope for better things, not only for themselves, but for their children, as many parents do. They represent the way many people feel with responsibilities hindering their willingness to act out against injustice. Add this to the many people from the community who are shown, such as David (who is not sure at first how to help), his parents (who are not acting but more powerful), the internment guards (who do not all agree but continue to do their jobs), the community members who turned their back on Layla and family, and the protesters (who are described), and you have a multitude of perspectives and opinions that are shown. However, the importance of developing and giving your voice to speak out against hatred and injustice is very clear.
"It's not a single heartbeat that calls the storm. It's the power of our voices joined together, demanding justice. It's the thunder of our collective feet marching for our freedom."
I think I could write all day about all the amazing characters developed here and the poignant message spread through the pages. I cannot tell you how many times I found tears in my eyes while reading Layla's story- this book really touched me in ways I did not expect. I cannot tell you enough how much I rec
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