You Think You Know Me

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I genuinely loved Hanan, who was such a warm, brave and fiercely loving character who, despite the hardships and vitriol thrown her way, has powered through with a dignity, integrity and determination that I am in awe of—living in her shoes (if only for the day and half it took me the finish this) was a deeply moving, and eye-opening experience that I won’t soon forget. Cats: An incredible novel all round! Most probably a new favourite. I'll re-read and highly recommend. The two of us went our separate ways after that. Me, to Grafton Grammar, and Hussein, to Northwell High. We became different people with different dreams, but we were always still two halves of the same whole – Hanan and Hussein. Thankfully, that’s never changed; we’re both still there for each other when it matters. This will be upsetting for some readers. Hanan and her family are Somalian, their own beloved father not with them after his murder. So not only do we see the family trying to overcome prejudice and anger in the UK, we see an immigration story and that of a strong family unit with proud traditions. The author doesn't shy away from including phrases of their home language (though I wish I'd realised that there's a glossary at the end!), and you get a feel for their homeland and culture.

You Think You Know Me - ReadingZone You Think You Know Me - ReadingZone

Mohamud said: “I’m beyond excited to be publishing this book with Usborne. You Think You Know Me holds a special place in my heart and I knew after meeting Sarah and Rebecca that the story felt special for them too. It’s been an absolute dream to write a book that features the kind of characters I never saw in books growing up and a privilege to write something that I hope challenges people’s perceptions about Muslims. I want to thank the whole team at Usborne for championing this book and also my fabulous agent Clare who believed in me and Hanan’s story right from the start.” I’m cut off again by more sirens. Not an ambulance this time but one, two…no, four police cars. I see bursts of red, white and blue through the bushes. They disappear in seconds, and we’re left with the quiet rumble of regular traffic once more. The novel also touches the multicultural side. Hanan is actually from Mogadishu, Somalia. So you’ll see Somalian culture and phrases a lot. I haven’t read and heard much about Somalia apart from CNN and BBC headlines. But it was great to read the Somalian language and family dynamics. Mohamud’s writing brilliantly voices Hanan’s character and emotions and also shapes the various supporting characters of the story too, making them and their experiences feel authentic and really brings the important messages at the heart of this book across. The relationships, both those involving family and friends, were so wholesome and though there were some very hard moments to get through in the story there were also some wonderfully heart-warming and humorous scenes too.Usborne has won a three-way auction for debut author Ayaan Mohamud’s YA novel You Think You Know Me, inspired by her experiences of Islamophobia and a desire to write about Somali culture. I see some of the others from my double maths lesson hanging around under the canopies and by the field outside. I don’t see Jessica though, which is good. I try to avoid Jessica as much as realistically possible in this school, even though we share a few classes. The discussions on racism and islamophobia and how people want Muslims to “integrate” but what they really mean is assimilate and be more palatable to them. How no matter what Hanan did, staying quiet and all her achievements won’t stop the racism. The Natural Health Service: What the Great Outdoors Can Do For Your Mind written and narrated by Isabel Hardman (Bolinda Audio)

You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud - Ebook | Scribd You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud - Ebook | Scribd

Although the book is fiction, the events are painstakingly familiar. So many British Muslims, especially women, face Islamophobia daily. I was desperately sad and angry for Hanan. Life has been cruel, but she came out like a warrior. Hanan’s family fled Somalia during the civil war; during the journey, her father is brutally murdered. You can’t help but admire and be in awe of the resilience of each member in her family – not only are they grieving their father, Hanan and her family are refugees settling into a country that is so unfamiliar. However, they keep their homeland and culture rich in their home and hearts. Anger becomes an ugly, dangerous thing when you fling it around with your eyes closed… Open your eyes, macaanto, before you hurt someone with your words.” Her publisher, from Usborne Publishing, gave a very moving speech during the reception. She read the prototype, “I physically could not put it down.” Usborne is a top children’s book publishing company and receives loads of books to review and decide whether or not to publish. Lindquist said that Usborne decided to publish You Think You Know Me because of Ayaan’s outstanding writing, as well as the compelling message the book represents. Fritha said when they asked themselves what messages they want future generations to be reading, Ayaan’s novel became a no-brainer. Hanan is a 'good' student, young woman and Muslim. She's headed for a bright future if she passes her exam for medical school. She's been keeping her head down in her preppy grammar for years so a little longer should be manageable. With a diverse group of close-knit friends, she can let comments and low-level bullying wash over her ordinarily. Masterfully exposing the brutal realities of Islamophobia in Britain, Ayaan Mohamud’s YouThink You Know Me debut is a moving, stirring triumph that sees a quiet, hardworkingteenager journey through horrendous Islamophobic abuse to find a courageous voice and,in her words, “optimism and dreams and faith”.

About Ayaan Mohamud

You Think You Know Me is Ayaan’s debut novel. The purpose of this book was to shine a light on the truth of Islam beyond the mainstream media headlines. She wants to empower the voices who feel repressed by society and help young children realize that their differences should be celebrated, rather than a reason to hate. Ayaan approaches this feat by painting a lovely picture of Hanan and her friends in the schoolyard. The novel continues to follow Hanan Ali and her journey combating Islamophobia whilst fleeing Somalia’s civil war. It is truly riveting. LoveReading4Kids exists because books change lives, and buying books through LoveReading4Kids means you get to change the lives of future generations, with 25% of the cover price donated to schools in need. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. One or two police cars? Normal. But four police cars and an ambulance? That means something bad, even for London. Every character is well-developed and unique, but Hanan stands out as being particularly so. She’s truly the heroine of this story, with her twin Hussein being a noble hero too. Their sibling dynamic (complete with their teasing and tender moments) is as engaging as their individual character arcs and several moments between the two of them had me tearing up. The two deeply care for each other, and Ayaan Mohamud did a brilliant job of ensuring that was always evident. Books like this are why I roll my eyes at people when they criticise adults for reading Ya because for those who don't, you miss out on absolute gems like this. Ayaan, the fact that this is a debut astounds me! Your talent is insane! But anyway, let's talk about the book.

Ayaan Mohamud | The Guardian

The boys continue carelessly walking along the high street ahead of us, forcing other people to swerve around them at the last second. We follow behind, keeping a distance. PDF / EPUB File Name: You_Think_You_Know_Me_-_Ayaan_Mohamud.pdf, You_Think_You_Know_Me_-_Ayaan_Mohamud.epubSo this book is not going to be an easy read as it contains some distressing scenes which I have mentioned in the content warning. Nadiya Hussain said: "I'm absolutely delighted to be one of the Ambassadors for The Reading Agency's World Book Night 2023 on Sunday 23 April, the nation's biggest celebration of books and reading, and the positive impact they have on our lives. To me personally, reading means so much: it allows me to transport into a world outside of my own. Through reading, I can carve out a physical time for myself to do something that I really enjoy. That is why I can't wait to take part in the Reading Hour, between 7-8pm on World Book Night - an opportunity to take some time out on your Sunday evening to escape into a book, talk about a book, or even listen to an audiobook! The Reading Agency has put together a wonderful booklist of reading recommendations, in case you need any inspiration. From the list, the books I particularly love are: You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud, Maybe I Don't Belong Here by David Harewood, This Way Out by Tufayel Ahmed, Dead Man Talking by Roddy Doyle. I wish everyone a brilliant World Book Night and let's get reading!"

You Think You Know Me | Usborne | Be Curious You Think You Know Me | Usborne | Be Curious

Nasra looks at her with disdain and snorts. "Haven’t you heard? Love actually kills all. Look at what happened to Romeo and Juliet. Both too dumb in love to stay alive for it. And anyway, Lily, stop creeping on your best friend’s twin brother. You might as well claim you’re in love with this one, too, because they’re basically identical," she says, indicating me. Informed by the author’s experiences, the novel shares the story of Hanan, who lost herfather as she and her family fled civil war in Somalia. Now living in London with her mum,grandmother, twin brother and little sisters, Hanan is a model student, dedicated to herloving family, and to the memory of her beloved dad. The Islamophobic events described in the novel are very agonizing and hurting. These seemed relatable to the events I have watched in media and documentaries. I was literally infuriated at some scenes in the novel especially the police investigation scene and Hanan’s school fellows’ remarks.And things got worse still when the class clown, Luke, decided he wanted to make me joke-of-the-week. He and his friends had followed Hussein and me at break one day and we hadn’t noticed until they were only a metre or two away. YTYKM follows Hanan's struggles of being a minority in Britain, the issues with an expectation to ‘integrate’ and the tenacity of Muslims.