The F Team

by Rawah Arja

Meet Tariq Nader, leader of ‘The Wolf Pack’ at Punchbowl Boys. He has been asked by the new principal to join a football competition with his mates in order to rehabilitate the public image of their school. But there’s a catch – half of the team is made up of high-school boys from Cronulla, also known as enemy territory – and Tariq must compete with their strongest player for the position of captain.

At school Tariq thinks he has life figured out, until he falls for a new girl called Jamila who challenges everything he knows. At home his outspoken ways have brought him into conflict with his family, and his influence with the team is slipping through his fingers. With complications on all fronts, he must learn to control his anger, and find what it takes to be a leader.

In confronting and often comic situations, Tariq’s relationships with his extended family and his friends are tested like never before, and he comes to learn that his reactions have serious consequences.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, School, Relationships, Friendship, Australia

Audible Audio

First published September 1, 2020

Reviews

[ALPHAreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

So - this is one of the most joyous books I’ve read in 2020. ‘The F Team’ by Rawah Arja which is contemporary #LoveOzYA that’s tender and hilarious, and feels like a throwback to classic Aussie YA also because Arja’s voice is so assured and already sounds timeless. I loved it!

I’ve got to thank Melina Marchetta for blurbing this one and putting it on my radar (which also feels very apt, because I’d say if you enjoy Marchetta’s earlier books then you’ll love this one too!).

It’s out now and is one of the first YA books published by Giramondo Publishing and I can’t wait to see what else this author and publisher come out with!

[faatima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can one ever go wrong with Australian YA? The answer is no! Rawah Arja makes a lovely debut with The F Team, a novel that centers itself around Tariq and his rambunctious friend group, who are students at one of the most hopeless high schools in Punchbowl. When the school is threatened with closure due to its horrible reputation and dwindling enrollments, Tariq and his friends do everything in their power to clean up their act and put their best foot forward before its too late, all while navigating a slew of hefty personal plights and membership in a new, integrated soccer team.

Similar to my last review, I finished this over a week ago and my memory for specific details is now slim! What I loved most about this book was how grounded it felt. The world of Punchbowl was flushed out, from its setting to its populace to its culture. It's no surprise, considering Arja drew on her personal experiences growing up as a Lebanese-Australian. The characters were distinct of each other in so many ways, but it also didn't feel like the amount of detail imbued in each of them was overwhelming or unnecessary. They felt perfectly like real people. I loved seeing how cultural and personal experiences interwove in each character's life and how it impacted their outlook, their behavior, and their insecurities in relationship to Punchbowl's potential closure. The boys were obviously a little rowdy on the surface, but they had a lot going on underneath, and I was really glad to see just how much it was acknowledged that they were teenage boys, while simultaneously holding them accountable for their actions. They weren't always perfect, but they were human, and they were given the room to grow by the adult figures in their life who cared about them and their success. My only complaint would be that there were a few jokes here and there that felt pretty tone deaf and unnecessary to include (i.e., the one about Ethiopian laborers in Middle Eastern countries), and the final big hurdle towards the end with Huss felt a little poorly paced. That aside, I enjoyed reading this all of the way through so much, and I expected nothing less from a Melina Marchetta rec! Austrialian YA's always going to keep me coming back.

FINAL RATING: 4.5

[Jenanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me cry and laugh again and again - it's close to home, authentic and defines character development. This book, and hopefully many more like these in the future, is absolutely vital for a progression from society's persistent misconstruing of minority groups, in particular the Lebanese community in Sydney. It so accurately portrays the Australian experience and the difficulty of discovering how one's widely ridiculed ethnicity can coexist with the surrounding Western world. I cannot recommend this enough and cannot thank Rawah Arja for writing and not giving up on this novel. I simply couldn't put it down. We need more novels like this!

[nusaybah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. God.

This book was so so so so good!!!

It was so great seeing Muslim/Lebanese communities being represented and portrayed accurately (for once!!).

This book was probably one of the only books that actually made me genuinely laugh out loud, cry and cringe. It was sharp, witty, and written in such a soulful way.

The character development was done so well, and it was subtle and gradual, just how it should be. Tariq really matured as a person.

The relationships displayed were so genuine and tangible, I could literally feel the love between characters and families.

Highly recommend to everyone!!!

[jude · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Amira had an obsession with piñatas because it was the only time she got rewarded for destroying something with a bat.’

“When my birthdays came about, I’d count down until he came round but turns out I was the clown for expecting a dad to be glad to see his son not be sad.
And when I was mad pleading to be banned, my teachers held my hand, even when I felt like I was in quicksand.” (From their Slam Poetry performance)

[Ellie Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided a copy of The F Team by Giramondo publishing in exchange for a honest review. Opinions are my own.

The F Team is a wonderful novel filled with personal development, culture and friendship. Centred around main character Tariq it was so refreshing to read a YA book with a male protagonist. Tariq is a wonderful character with so much depth. He is the fourth of five children born into a Lebanese-Australian family. Arja has drawn from her own upbringing with this book and being from a caucasian anglo-saxon family it was interesting to learn more of the intricacies of Lebanese culture throughout.

Hailing from NSW I know the reputation of Punchbowl mostly from the news stories and scandals. Arja brings a heart and soul to this infamous suburb and does so with authenticity and finesse. Tariq and his mates, the Wolf Pack, are convinced to join in an upcoming rugby tournament but in order to play they must combine teams with the wealthy somewhat neighbouring Cronulla team. The cultural and social differences between the schools couldn’t be more different but these young men must work together to achieve more than just a rugby win.

The F Team is honest, hilarious and captures a snapshot of reality. Arja writes with passion and candor and I am so glad I have had the opportunity to meet and talk to her as well as review her debut novel. I can see this book being picked up and added to school curriculums in the future!

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: Islamophobia, mentions of drug addiction, mentions of incarcerated parent, mentions of cancer, death of a parent (in the past), violence, racial slurs.

I heard Rawah Arja speak at the State Library of Victoria's YA showcase in 2019 and she was an absolute delight. This book - which I ordinarily wouldn't have picked up given its rugby focus - has been on my radar ever since.

And this was fantastic. The characters are wonderful. I loved the two rival groups having to learn to work together. I loved how much the Wolfpack boys cried and supported each other and were generally there for each other even when they had fallings out. I loved how present family was in the story. The ending was sliiiiightly more abrupt than I would have liked but on the whole? This was a joy.

[ordinarylaura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this book. I immediately felt an affinity for the characters, it was like I was really about my family. It’s an easy read and I did shed a little tear towards the end. Would recommend, especially if you are Lebanese 🇱🇧.

[Natasha (jouljet) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A group of boys from Punchbowl, causing trouble, getting a bad reputation and in danger of having their school closed down. A new principal arrives, and with him the chance to play in an inter-school footy competition, which could help change the stereotyping in the media and the perception of their neighbourhood.

But the school they are paired up with is from the Shire. The Sydney streets and characteristics of different areas, comes to life through these pages. The boys discover differences, and of course, similiarities between them, as they find that everyone is going through their own heavy stuff, no matter which side of the Sydney suburbs they are from.

There is a lot of heart here, through love of family and each other. The lessons and emotional growth is a journey each of the boys go through.

I wrongly thought the footy in this book was going to be soccer, but it's NRL - thus, my photo! I definitely haven't read any books about NRL, and certainly didn't understand all the game play (as a Victorian into AFL, this is like a different language!), but the essence of team, sportsmanship, the thrill of a game, and the love of a sport is all completely relatable.

I love that this is an author featured in the anthology #ArabAustralianOther, and now she has published her own book! These collections can be incredible launching pads for new writers.

[H.M. Waugh]

What a brilliant read! The characters and dialogue in this were superb. I didn't want to put it down. It's funny and raw, bleak and hopeful. Highly recommended!

[Mariam · Rating 5 out of 5]

100% RECOMMEND
really nice, i connected to this book in a way
really loved it :)

[claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Authentic storytelling, smart humour, and strong family depictions.

#weneeddiversebooks

[Chris Waterford · Rating 1 out of 5]

Average writing and average story about a group of troublesome Lebanese schoolkids at Padstow High School. As far away from my comfort zone as Earth is from Mars. DNF
4/10

[Booksaboutem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the world needs more stories like this. The F Team is such a fantastic coming of age story filled with culture, friendship and personal growth, and RUGBY! It highlights the importance of our choices and the consequences that follow.

I love that each character had a backstory and it just goes to show you never know what’s going on in someone else’s life.
You could really see depth in all the characters, you can definitely tell Arja has drawn on her own upbringing and I really felt like I was being welcomed into the Lebanese culture.

I have been fortunate in my life that I have taught at at risk schools and with at risk kids from many different cultural backgrounds the language and humour in this book took me right back to the school yard. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing kids achieve their full potential and my goodness did this book leave me in an emotional mess.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. It took me a while to get into it, but by the end I couldn't go to sleep because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. The main protagonist Tariq drove me nuts for the first half of the book. As his dad says, he's "smart but dumb" and I was almost at the point of putting down the book because I was so frustrated. I mean, is this kid ever going to see sense? Will he ever see beyond his own anger? In the end, I'm glad I persisted with Tariq and his crew. It's such a heart-warming and honest story about the value of family, community, and school in supporting young people to become their best. Heck, I even got excited about the rugby play!

As someone who went to a pretty rough outer suburban high school, I know how valuable school is. My experience was different, as my suburb was full of English migrants, but the sense of being from an unsupported school that was looked down upon by everyone else was the same, even though we didn’t experience racism or religious discrimination. It is easy to carry that anger with you, and not see all the love that surrounds you.

I loved that this was set in a Lebanese-Australian Muslim family, and that their cultural and faith background and community were a key touchstone in the story. It's great to read about the family dynamics, the multiple generations, the connection to home, and the effects of war. While this is not the main thrust of the story, it provides so much richness and helps in understanding all of Tariq's family and community.

[Bree T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently I saw YA/MG Aussie author and blogger Danielle Binks heaping praise on this and I think that Danielle and I have some pretty similar tastes so I made a decision to bump this up my pile and check it out as soon as I could.

It centres around the suburb of Punchbowl in Sydney’s south-west. In probably the 1990s, Punchbowl became one of those notorious suburbs in the news, particularly centred around the Lebanese community. There was a lot of talk of gangs, obnoxious and criminal behaviour, it became a place people talked about in disparaging ways, as did the neighbouring suburbs around the Canterbury-Bankstown area. It was probably just the latest at the time, in a long line of ‘targeted’ suburbs heavy with multicultural influence where one or two incidents mean that everyone gets tarred with a similar brush. It still happens today – here in Melbourne where I live, the focus is on suburbs rife with Sudanese ‘gangs’ and much is made of how there are places where people are too scared to go out at night.

Tarik, the main character, is Lebanese. His parents came to Australia, as his dad will tell anyone that wants to listen ‘to give his kids a better life than he had’. Tarik is part of a busy, noisy, big family – he has two brothers and two sisters and they all still live at home. His uncle also lives with them too and keeps bees in the backyard where he makes honey. Tarik and his friends go to Punchbowl High School, which thanks to a few pranks and negative incidents that have made the news in recent times, is in danger of being shut down. There’s a new principal who is determined to drag the school’s image up from the gutter and keep it open and he’s not afraid to use Tarik and his friends to do it. They’re rugby league players and the principal comes up with the idea (punishment?) to make them participate in a camp run in conjunction with the National Rugby League (NRL) but Tarik and his friends get paired with kids from Cronulla, which was famously the scene of the Cronulla race riots, focused on those of Middle Eastern background.

This book is brilliant – I absolutely loved it! Tarik and his friends are this tight knit, raucous bunch of boys who fight and rough each other up and tease each other but at the bottom of it, they are family. They are funny and clever and real and full of flaws. Tarik himself, whilst good-looking and smart, destined to go far, is clumsy emotionally at times, hurting his sister and his uncle and the girl he likes (and the girl he doesn’t) with thoughtless, sometimes sexiest comments. He gets schooled on what ‘women’s work’ is – his mother is a rather traditional stay at home Arab mother who nurtures with food and he seems to see cooking and cleaning and preparing as not things men should do. Despite this though, Tarik has a really good heart and he feels it when he upsets people. He’s also really distressed when one of his close friends (his closest) starts acting out in ways that Tarik doesn’t understand. He knows he needs to find out why but he doesn’t have the emotional maturity to force the confrontation, instead taking refuge sometimes in anger himself. The friendships between the boys (and the ups and downs thereof) is so well done, so real, for boys that are fifteen and in year 10, who have the impact of a possible school closure going on over their heads and the difficulties of adolescence and family issues for some of them as well.

The boys are passionate about their rugby league (Canterbury-Bankstown have a team in the NRL, the Bulldogs that has a very loud and obsessive fanbase) and games make up a portion of the book as well as the boys getting tickets to see an NRL game. Rawah Arja perfectly captures the atmosphere of a “Doggies” game and I really enjoyed that part, especially Ibby’s antics. I enjoyed how the principal used the boys’ love of the sport to channel them, but he demands things from them in return and he’s not afraid to take things away from them (Tarik’s captaincy in particular) in order to pull them into line. A lot of what Tarik’s friends do, or the other boys in school, is stereotypical stupid high school boys stuff. I remember my grade 10 classes tormenting casual teachers in much the same way as Tarik’s class do the science teacher here but it’s the fact that the school is so under scrutiny that makes everything they do seem heightened by 1000x. A harmless scuffle in the schoolyard becomes a dramatic brawl, with mobile phone footage leaked to the local news, etc. All those added together keep the school in danger and it’s the new principal’s job to save it. His methods are unorthodox and the boys resent the heck out of him at first….but slowly, he makes progress. And brings them round.

My favourite part of this was Tarik’s family. It’s big and noisy and chaotic and his dad with his funny lectures and expectations of Tarik’s behaviour (he’s not afraid to embarrass the heck out of Tarik when he thinks Tarik has done the wrong thing) and his mother who takes care of everyone, his smart and dedicated older sister as well as his clever and funny younger sister. Tarik is very family oriented and everyone in the neighbourhood is basically welcome for a meal at his place. Tarik’s mother often feeds his friends who perhaps have less of a family influence at home or who aren’t quite a part of a similar type of family unit. There’s a real contrast between Tarik’s family and Aaron’s (from the Cronulla school). Tarik sees the possessions whereas Aaron sees the connections. And the part with Tarik and his uncle is heartbreaking and beautiful. My close second favourite part of the book was the way the boys from Punchbowl and the boys from Cronulla inch towards friendship. There’s a lot of hostility and wariness at first but soon they are sort of united by a common enemy and they learn to adjust and accept each other and from there, it’s a journey toward being a team, towards building friendships with people who are outside of their social and cultural circles.

And as funny as this is, there’s plenty of seriousness in here as the boys negotiate racism and social expectations and perceptions. It was interesting reading from this perspective as well, of hearing how the judgements and accusations affect them as a whole and how they rally behind each other as a community. How they fight the ‘Angry Arab’ stereotype, or struggle against fighting it, every day. I don’t read a lot of YA from a male perspective so for me, this was refreshing. I also have two sons that’ll be teenagers soon and this is the sort of book I want them both to be reading.

I thought this was fantastic. Highly recommended.

***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review***

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Debut YA fiction by a young writer from Punchbowl in Western Sydney, The F Team follows a group of high-school boys as they try to save their notorious school from being closed down, by confronting their differences on and off the football field.

Synopsis:
Meet Tariq Nader, leader of ‘The Wolf Pack’ at Punchbowl High. He has been asked by the new principal to join a football competition with his mates in order to rehabilitate the public image of their school. But there’s a catch – half of the team is made up of boys from Cronulla, also
known as enemy territory – and Tariq must compete with their strongest player for the position of captain.
At school Tariq thinks he has life figured out until he falls for a new girl called Jamila, who challenges everything he knows. At home, his outspoken ways have brought him into conflict with his family. With complications on all fronts, he has to learn to control his anger, and find what it takes to be a leader.

About the author:
Rawah Arja is a member of the Western Sydney women writers’ collective Finishing School. Her writing has featured in Arab, Australian, Other (Picador, 2019), SBS Voices and at the Sydney Writer’s Festival. She is a WestWords Varuna Emerging Writers’ Fellow, and teaches creative
writing at schools and after-school workshops.

Themes:
The main themes of the novel are male anger and its consequences, the way anger might be connected, mistakenly, with identity and loyalty, and how it must come to terms with the complex demands of love and friendship, and the responsibilities of leadership.

Writing style:
Arja was inspired to write for the reluctant reader in her community, and for boys who are equally reluctant to read, and so the novel is written in a conversational style with a focus on human interaction and dialogue. She writes in ‘the free indirect style’ so the reader reads the story as if it were in the present tense, even though it is in the past, because it is coming through the main character’s consciousness.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The F Team is a tightly knit group of boys of Middle Eastern background attending a boys high school in a low socioeconomic suburb of Sydney. Everything is under the microscope in the clever, witty and times heartbreaking exploration of ethnicity, family and friendship, sexism and prejudice - gender, racial and religious.

Threatened with closure and new principal with Irish origins arrives to set the school ot rights and coerces the Year 10 'Wolf Pack', under the leadership of Tariq, to enable the changes, driven through a football (rugby) competition within and between other schools. The Wolf Pack must team up with the Cronulla boys - white, rich and privileged - both groups discover that things are not what they seem and and learn to appreciate and respect each other as they join forces against a common foe. In tandem, Tariq attitude to females is challenged, his best friend betrays him and his family becomes increasingly crazy.

Rawah Arja has written a compelling, entertaining, raw and ultimately positive book that challenges preconceptions and personal bias. A great read for YA - boys and girls will gain much from reading this book. And... it is also funny, and with positive (if at times embarrassing) adult role models.

[Cady · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is criminally underrated. I read it in under two days because I simply couldn’t put it down for a second. The dialogue was witty and funny, friendships beautifully messy with genuine growth and maturity. I laughed until my tummy hurt and almost cried with equal measure.

Arja’s writing style is succinctly realistic with a unique personal voice, and having lived in Australia for many years, I immediately connected with the book. I was right there with the characters and rooting for every single one of them on their own journeys. This book was not just a good read - it’s a life lesson about appreciating what you have and how lucky you are in life. Tariq and Huss’s friendship really inspired me in particular. Despite arguments, tension , stress with school and ill family, they were brothers through it all and it was just so heartwarming to see 🥹 It really taught me that everyone is flawed and make mistakes: you should hold on to those who stick with you always!

I would recommend this book to everyone!!! It’s totally worth the read. The cover is gorgeous too. I loved it so much!!!

[Julie Swane · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute delight. New author Rawah Arja takes her experiences of growing up Lebanese Muslim in Sydney's western suburbs and spins an authentic story that will leave you both laughing and with a tear. Rawah's ability to poke fun at her own Arab heritage immediately sets this apart as something new. This style also ends up giving us more empathy for the characters and for some a new appreciate of the value of large extended families.
The main character Tariq is a teen with so much potential, but his mouth and his thoughtless actions are leading him and his friends down a very familiar path. With the school threatened with closure due to it's poor reputation, something has to change. Enter Mr Archie - a no nonsense Irish Principal tasked with turning the school around in a month. One key he proposes is an interschool football comp with a catch - half the team is made up of boys from Cronulla - the enemy territory.
What follows is a story delightful story as Tariq embarks on a journey to maturity. Highly recommended 13+

[Judy Wollin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in Punchbowl is complex. Loyalty is precious, family and mates are your rock, and trouble comes your way. Tariq is popular amongst his peers in Year 10, tight with his friends and has a clean school record. The arrival of a new principal striving to keep the school open in the face of criticism from the department, the media, and sometimes Punchbowl itself turns Tariq’s world upside down.
New ideas, change and new responsibilities take Tariq and, therefore, his friends on a challenging journey. If the school is to stay open, they must all change and pull their weight.
I loved the characters, was moved by the dilemmas they had to address and marvelled at the complexities Rawah Arja shared about the story world and Australia.
Highly recommended for all readers aged 12 years and older.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

diverse teen fiction (humor/male friendship; Lebanese-Australian teen and his so-called "ghetto" teammates face discrimination and challenges at his all-boys school)

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I'm unfamiliar with "footy" (Australian football, played on an oval rugby field) and the setting of Australian high schools, but you don't have to be into sports (or slam poetry, for that matter) to enjoy this book. Once the characters had a chance to gel a bit in my brain, they felt like family, and I really enjoyed the camaraderie of Tariq and his friends. A sweet story about (male) friendship and respecting others (esp. females) that felt authentic and very true.

[Cat Colwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tariq, leader of the "Wolf Pack" at Punchbowl Boys, lets you see life through his eyes, in a story that is endearing while still packing a punch, occasionally bleak, but joyous too. This is life.  This is Australia.

A ripper read, this gripped me from beginning to end. While funny,  entertaining, it's so much more than that - sharp and authentic,  blisteringly so at times,  I felt incredibly connected to the world and lived experience of Tariq and his friends.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate to bring the rating down since it’s not a bad book but it has irrevocably changed my life in a terrible way.

I despise this book.

After I read this life, I started becoming overwhelmed at everything and dreading the future.

Before I had never felt like this, but it started a downward spiral of problems.

I hate this book.

From what I remember as I read it 2 years ago, it wasn’t terrible tho. I just hate it.

I wish you well on future endeavours.

[Caitriona · Rating 5 out of 5]

An endearing story about growing up and making mistakes through the eyes of a Lebanese Australian teenage boy. A little simplistic since this is designed for a younger audience, but so much good about xenophobia, racism, gender, and more. A good reminder not to write off underperforming schools and "bad kids" when you don't know the whole story. So much to cheer for in this book!

[Esther Creagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really unsure as I started into the early chapters of this book but I really warmed to it and think it's worth persisting in. The family dynamic and characters are great as is the story of a bunch of teenagers learning how to grow out of their self destructive habits. I found it very believable and liked the glimpse of life as a Lebanese Australian in a rough part of Sydney.

[Sarah Tellaoui · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. What I think I like best is maybe that I was able to relate to it. Being from the same community and culture it just hit home. I laughed so much at words that I know other cultures won’t understand. I also loved the fact it brought 2 different suburbs together.

[Kate Arnott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely liked how this book was written because it felt real. The characters spoke the way teenagers do in real life, not in the boring way they do in a lot of books. Shows the two different sides of Sydney really well, and is an accurate representation of poorer suburbs. I would recommend to friends.

[Raneem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll never forget this book; the well-thought-out characters, powerful storyline, message of hope and unity...

Thank you to Rawah Arja for telling the world our - that is, the Australian Arab Muslim community’s - truth in such an entertaining and heart-warming way.

Highly recommend.