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Fight Back
Audio CD
Published August 15, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 13, 2024
I have read Boy, Everywhere and Kicked Out and both were amazing. But after the riots this summer (2024) I felt the need to read this to.
It tells the story of Aaliyah and her friends Sukhi and Lisa. At the beginning they are planning to go to a K-pop concert to see 3W. They are actually playing a concert in their town, Lambert in the Midlands.
But in London there has been a terrorist attack, a bomber who calls himself a Muslim. Lisa's brother is angry, he feels they're not safe. Aaliyah has issues at school with Jayden, he calls her a terrorist!
The day of the concert arrives and the friends (chaperoned by Sukhi's sister) are given tickets way up in the top of the theatre. They can only see because of the big screen. Then, there's a bang and smoke and screaming. The girls realise they have to get to teh exit. They're all waiting when Darren, Lisa's brother arrives calling her name, he was at a pub round the corner. Thank goodness, he'll get them home. But no - he screams in Aaliyah's face that this is all her fault, her lot did this.
A terrified Aaliyah runs away from Sukhi - through the park to her Uncle's. He calls her parents and they arrive to pick her up. When she makes it home there are messages from Sukhi on teh group chat and Lisa has left the group chat. She goes to bed after telling mum to do the same, but she can't sleep. And doesn't the next night, but they have to go to school. Lisa isn't there and the girls don't know why - is this Darren?
The head teacher tells them in assembly that three of their pupils lost their lives and three more are in hospital with life changing injuries - one of them is Jo who got them the tickets. She has had her leg amputated.
At home her Dad has bought Mum a magazine with a social media influencer who wears a hijab on the front. Aaliyah reads about why she wears it. But then she starts listening to her family talking, Dad's family were rich in Tanzania - she didn't know that - they came here when Dad was 10 months with nothing. Her Mum was born here. This is their home. The family intend to go to the vigil for the victims but Aaliyah has a panic attack, there are too many people, what if there is another bomb. Then a group of guys have a go at Mum because of her hijab. They get back to the car quickly.
This is the start of something - Yusef (her brother) is sporting a black eye because someone called him a terrorist and they fought. Aaliyah has another panic attack, in her room this time, she runs into the garden. There's a cat in the garden, it belongs to Mr Baldwin their neighbour but he's in hospital, is no-one looking after her? Aaliyah sneaks her inside. This is the start of even more stress...Mum is allergic to cat's, how is she going to keep it secret?
Another neighbour calls the police to their house says they're making bombs! But Dad knows their rights especially as Mum is a lawyer and doesn't allow them in. Aaliyah looks up the concert there are lots of links, one to Teen Vogue one was a girl's reaction to being told by someone that she was glad she didn't wear a scarf like her mum, but the girl said her Mum was courageous. Aaliyah thinks about her own mum.
Aaliyah is targeted at school again, she retaliates this time, tipping orange juice over Jayden's head, only to have water thrown over her. She has to see Mr Atkinson about it, she asks to go home as she feels unwell. He calls her Dad. She feels she has let everyone down.
When Lisa returns to school, she is nasty to Aaliyah, says that Darren is right. Aaliyah is upset - how can she fight back? Well, she can wear a hijab for a start. She can show that being a Muslim isn't about being a terrorist, being visible as a Muslim and being a good person will be a start.
The school isn't happy but Aaliyah continues her fight back...and realises there are others who get the same hate that she does. They're just not Muslims, but of other races and faiths. They are all in this together. It's just that as a Muslim, she is on the receiving end more at the moment.
Can Aaliyah overcome the concert bombing and the way it makes her feel? Can she keep Furball a secret? And will she be able to make people understand. And what exactly is Yusef doing?
No one should feel unsafe in their own country. We need to treat people with respect.
TA
It tells the story of Aaliyah and her friends Sukhi and Lisa. At the beginning they are planning to go to a K-pop concert to see 3W. They are actually playing a concert in their town, Lambert in the Midlands.
But in London there has been a terrorist attack, a bomber who calls himself a Muslim. Lisa's brother is angry, he feels they're not safe. Aaliyah has issues at school with Jayden, he calls her a terrorist!
The day of the concert arrives and the friends (chaperoned by Sukhi's sister) are given tickets way up in the top of the theatre. They can only see because of the big screen. Then, there's a bang and smoke and screaming. The girls realise they have to get to teh exit. They're all waiting when Darren, Lisa's brother arrives calling her name, he was at a pub round the corner. Thank goodness, he'll get them home. But no - he screams in Aaliyah's face that this is all her fault, her lot did this.
A terrified Aaliyah runs away from Sukhi - through the park to her Uncle's. He calls her parents and they arrive to pick her up. When she makes it home there are messages from Sukhi on teh group chat and Lisa has left the group chat. She goes to bed after telling mum to do the same, but she can't sleep. And doesn't the next night, but they have to go to school. Lisa isn't there and the girls don't know why - is this Darren?
The head teacher tells them in assembly that three of their pupils lost their lives and three more are in hospital with life changing injuries - one of them is Jo who got them the tickets. She has had her leg amputated.
At home her Dad has bought Mum a magazine with a social media influencer who wears a hijab on the front. Aaliyah reads about why she wears it. But then she starts listening to her family talking, Dad's family were rich in Tanzania - she didn't know that - they came here when Dad was 10 months with nothing. Her Mum was born here. This is their home. The family intend to go to the vigil for the victims but Aaliyah has a panic attack, there are too many people, what if there is another bomb. Then a group of guys have a go at Mum because of her hijab. They get back to the car quickly.
This is the start of something - Yusef (her brother) is sporting a black eye because someone called him a terrorist and they fought. Aaliyah has another panic attack, in her room this time, she runs into the garden. There's a cat in the garden, it belongs to Mr Baldwin their neighbour but he's in hospital, is no-one looking after her? Aaliyah sneaks her inside. This is the start of even more stress...Mum is allergic to cat's, how is she going to keep it secret?
Another neighbour calls the police to their house says they're making bombs! But Dad knows their rights especially as Mum is a lawyer and doesn't allow them in. Aaliyah looks up the concert there are lots of links, one to Teen Vogue one was a girl's reaction to being told by someone that she was glad she didn't wear a scarf like her mum, but the girl said her Mum was courageous. Aaliyah thinks about her own mum.
Aaliyah is targeted at school again, she retaliates this time, tipping orange juice over Jayden's head, only to have water thrown over her. She has to see Mr Atkinson about it, she asks to go home as she feels unwell. He calls her Dad. She feels she has let everyone down.
When Lisa returns to school, she is nasty to Aaliyah, says that Darren is right. Aaliyah is upset - how can she fight back? Well, she can wear a hijab for a start. She can show that being a Muslim isn't about being a terrorist, being visible as a Muslim and being a good person will be a start.
The school isn't happy but Aaliyah continues her fight back...and realises there are others who get the same hate that she does. They're just not Muslims, but of other races and faiths. They are all in this together. It's just that as a Muslim, she is on the receiving end more at the moment.
Can Aaliyah overcome the concert bombing and the way it makes her feel? Can she keep Furball a secret? And will she be able to make people understand. And what exactly is Yusef doing?
No one should feel unsafe in their own country. We need to treat people with respect.
TA
March 22, 2025
Good book. Very inspiring and not like any other book that I have read . It has very good morals and lessons in this book. I'd definitely recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews