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Landing in Place: A Graphic Novel
A poignant coming-of-age graphic novel about an Egyptian American girl grappling with college, her family, and the political realities of her wider world.
Anisa is following in her sister Reem’s footsteps: She’s a freshman at her sister’s alma mater, she’s on the same premed track, and she’s inherited Reem's old hotpot, mini-fridge, and textbooks. Even though Anisa would prefer to study art, her parents discount that as a valid career choice. The path laid out before her starts to crumble as Anisa feels she doesn’t belong—either in her organic chemistry class or among the other Muslim students on campus.
When Anisa fails her first semester, she begs her parents to let her take time off to visit Cairo and stay with her beloved grandfather. Finally free to have her own experiences, Anisa begins a journey of self-discovery and, as she bumps up against familial, societal, and religious expectations, she starts to develop her own artistic voice. When Anisa returns to the United States, many of these expectations shift, but she learns to draw on the love of friends and family—including those she’s often at odds with—in order to stay true to herself.
Anisa is following in her sister Reem’s footsteps: She’s a freshman at her sister’s alma mater, she’s on the same premed track, and she’s inherited Reem's old hotpot, mini-fridge, and textbooks. Even though Anisa would prefer to study art, her parents discount that as a valid career choice. The path laid out before her starts to crumble as Anisa feels she doesn’t belong—either in her organic chemistry class or among the other Muslim students on campus.
When Anisa fails her first semester, she begs her parents to let her take time off to visit Cairo and stay with her beloved grandfather. Finally free to have her own experiences, Anisa begins a journey of self-discovery and, as she bumps up against familial, societal, and religious expectations, she starts to develop her own artistic voice. When Anisa returns to the United States, many of these expectations shift, but she learns to draw on the love of friends and family—including those she’s often at odds with—in order to stay true to herself.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published May 19, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
It's really hard to choose a rating for "Landing Place" because I have such mixed feelings about it. This graphic novel follows Anisa as she's finishing high school and entering college, thus moving the target audience itself from Young Adult to New Adult - and I definitely wouldn't recommend this for younger teens.
Anisa is the American child of two Egyptian immigrants, holding her art close to her heart as her parents expect her to follow her older sister's footsteps to med school. And she does - but is all too relieved to take a year off from college to spend time in Egypt with her grandfather and extended family. There, Anisa navigates the complexities of learning more about her Egyptian heritage, Egyptian politics and culture, and putting on hijab as something more than just 'fitting in.'
I really love how beautifully Anisa's relationship with the Qur'an is highlighted throughout this graphic novel, how complicated family discussions around politics and hijab can be, and how Anisa comes to understand her own parents - her pilot Baba with his sad past, her critical-but-fierce mother - and figure out her relationship with them as she grows older.
Unfortunately, there's one major drawback to this book... namely, the fact that Anisa (and her sister) end up having boyfriends, and this isn't spoken of as haram at all (or why it's haram) but rather dismissed as a cultural matter. There's also an egregious misuse of the (weak) hadith about the Ummah's differences being a mercy, to essentially justify Muslims whose "different opinions" are choosing to do haram things. Outside of talking about the different standards held for hijabis vs non-hijabis, there's absolutely no discussion about WHY having boyfriends is haram.
So while I love so much about this graphic novel - the Islamic rep, the family relationships, the complexities of someone trying to change for the better in the face of various pressures, even a history lesson about the Suez Canal - I'm very disappointed by this major pitfall of trying to justify something explicitly haram as a "difference of opinion" and normalizing it for young Muslims.
Thanks to Penguin Random House for sending me an ARC!
Anisa is the American child of two Egyptian immigrants, holding her art close to her heart as her parents expect her to follow her older sister's footsteps to med school. And she does - but is all too relieved to take a year off from college to spend time in Egypt with her grandfather and extended family. There, Anisa navigates the complexities of learning more about her Egyptian heritage, Egyptian politics and culture, and putting on hijab as something more than just 'fitting in.'
I really love how beautifully Anisa's relationship with the Qur'an is highlighted throughout this graphic novel, how complicated family discussions around politics and hijab can be, and how Anisa comes to understand her own parents - her pilot Baba with his sad past, her critical-but-fierce mother - and figure out her relationship with them as she grows older.
Unfortunately, there's one major drawback to this book... namely, the fact that Anisa (and her sister) end up having boyfriends, and this isn't spoken of as haram at all (or why it's haram) but rather dismissed as a cultural matter. There's also an egregious misuse of the (weak) hadith about the Ummah's differences being a mercy, to essentially justify Muslims whose "different opinions" are choosing to do haram things. Outside of talking about the different standards held for hijabis vs non-hijabis, there's absolutely no discussion about WHY having boyfriends is haram.
So while I love so much about this graphic novel - the Islamic rep, the family relationships, the complexities of someone trying to change for the better in the face of various pressures, even a history lesson about the Suez Canal - I'm very disappointed by this major pitfall of trying to justify something explicitly haram as a "difference of opinion" and normalizing it for young Muslims.
Thanks to Penguin Random House for sending me an ARC!
May 22, 2026
Absolutely wonderful read. The characters are engaging, believable, and deeply human. The artwork is fantastic— artistically creative m, endearing, and perfectly amplifying the storyline. I want to read the prequel (little Anisa would be so cute!) and to follow young adult Anisa through college and out into the world.
One of the beauties of this book (in story and artwork both) to me is how it manages to both hew closely to the specifics of the character’s cultural/social location— names, attributes, foods, phrases, kinship relations, her relationship to Islam— and to themes that will resonate with readers who share some, many, or even very few of those same cultural specifics. Does that make sense? Like, the author doesn’t water down Anisa’s specific Egyptian-Americanness (including leaving plenty of references opaque to those who don’t read/know Arabic or some of the cultural references) *and* creates an inviting world where all kinds of readers will make connections, identity with certain moments, learn from others, and close the book wishing there was more.
Highly recommend!!
One of the beauties of this book (in story and artwork both) to me is how it manages to both hew closely to the specifics of the character’s cultural/social location— names, attributes, foods, phrases, kinship relations, her relationship to Islam— and to themes that will resonate with readers who share some, many, or even very few of those same cultural specifics. Does that make sense? Like, the author doesn’t water down Anisa’s specific Egyptian-Americanness (including leaving plenty of references opaque to those who don’t read/know Arabic or some of the cultural references) *and* creates an inviting world where all kinds of readers will make connections, identity with certain moments, learn from others, and close the book wishing there was more.
Highly recommend!!
May 24, 2026
Absolutely gorgeous book!! It made me cry. The way the author and illustrator wove together the global, family, friends, and personal is how every story should yet often doesn't. It's beautiful and a must read
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I think first and foremost I want to stress that this is a mature YA read. The majority of the book takes place after the protagonist has graduated high school, it involves a toxic mother who smokes, politics, romantic relationships, generational trauma, death, commentary on Islamic practices, relationships with opposite genders including when they are LGBTQ+, lying, and some profanity. YA is classified as 12 and up, which given the graphic novel format, and the plot of her coming of age, I entered the book viewing it from an Islamic school librarian lens of handing or shelving the book for middle school and up, and thus it is not appropriate in my opinion. If you read it from a more adult lens, please share your impressions, as the book has a TON of Islam, and I would love to discuss. It has Quranic ayats, it has Hadith, it has a girl fighting her family to wear hijab, it has incredible points, unfortunately I just couldn't quite support how the points were connected. If the book were a memoir, or I met someone and this was their lived experience, I wouldn't find it concerning, it would be one person's journey and them simply doing the best they can, Allahualam. BUT, somehow the tone seems to extend beyond just Anisa living her life and growing as a result, and reads more of the author opining that this is how Islam is or this is how Muslims should or should do things, or view things, or not feel constrained by things, and by its end I just couldn't support the character's choices and the justifying framing, perhaps because it is fiction.
SYNOPSIS:
Because I want to spend more time on the Islam and why I struggled with how it was connected, I'm simply going to copy and paste the publisher provided summary of the book:
A poignant coming-of-age graphic novel about an Egyptian American girl grappling with college, her family, and the political realities of her wider world.
Anisa is following in her sister Reem’s footsteps: She’s a freshman at her sister’s alma mater, she’s on the same premed track, and she’s inherited Reem's old hotpot, mini-fridge, and textbooks. Even though Anisa would prefer to study art, her parents discount that as a valid career choice. The path laid out before her starts to crumble as Anisa feels she doesn’t belong—either in her organic chemistry class or among the other Muslim students on campus.
When Anisa fails her first semester, she begs her parents to let her take time off to visit Cairo and stay with her beloved grandfather. Finally free to have her own experiences, Anisa begins a journey of self-discovery and, as she bumps up against familial, societal, and religious expectations, she starts to develop her own artistic voice. When Anisa returns to the United States, many of these expectations shift, but she learns to draw on the love of friends and family—including those she’s often at odds with—in order to stay true to herself.
WHY I LIKE IT:
I like that the book feels very real, that the character arc and growth, challenges and setbacks, struggles and character's voice, radiate authenticity and seeks to shed light on what not only shapes us and our view of the world, but understanding the politics, culture, religious, and lived experiences of what our parents also have been shaped by in a manner that is neither overly naive or harsh.
I appreciated the political commentary, the internal reflections of faith and her closeness with her grandfather in Egypt which often centers Islam. And as a work of fiction I understand in the broad sense that the book does not want to get didactic in its sharing of the deen, but it seems to want to have it both ways. It shares the Quranic Arabic in the pages with meaning of the translation in the backmatter, quotes uncited hadith and references Islamic customs, yet I feel by staying gray in how the character interpreted Islamic teachings and failing to commit to her showing her own rationale for the choices and understanding driving those choices, the book leaves holes in the plot and a lot of questions. For example, why is kissing her Sikh boyfriend considered a "mistake," only because she wears hijab? She commits to him by getting her mom and Muslim friends on board with their relationship with the book sharing that different opinions are good according to Prophet Muhammad (saw). She starts to wear hijab and says she is doing it for the right reasons, but those reasons are never shared. She develops a relationship with Allah swt which is beautiful, but what is the messaging for the reader, with her justifying her actions in light of that relationship?
Yes, I realize that that makes me the very hypocrite the characters push back against in the book: not being able to be human and error, and struggle, and inshaAllah come back to Allah, swt, I know that, but I also know that our youth are impressionable and we want to inspire them, not give them a "pass" through a fictional story to do haram because Allah swt is forgiving. I also know that a 13 year old reading this and a 19 year old reading this will view it very differently (see opening paragraph why my mindset going in was a disservice that I struggled to overcome, and why I mentioned that this is a mature read). I also know that life, real life, is never linear and clear, and yeah people fall in love with people that are not Muslim, I'm the daughter of a convert, and my parents met in college, I get the hypocrisy, I own it, I really do.
I can't reiterate enough how many of the points I loved about her finding herself, understanding and connecting to her deen and extended family, laughing in the relatability the book has in its commentary on Islamophobia, expectations, politics, but none-the-less, I ultimately cannot support the normalized conclusions and justifications of many of the threads.
FLAGS:
See opening paragraph
TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
Not appropriate for Islamic school book clubs, I can see perhaps college or University MSAs reading it for fun and then offering up their thoughts as being an incredible pulse on how our "New Adult" Muslims view the themes and topics the book tackles, but I take handing a book to a person as an amanah, and I don't think I could hand this to a middle or high school student.
SYNOPSIS:
Because I want to spend more time on the Islam and why I struggled with how it was connected, I'm simply going to copy and paste the publisher provided summary of the book:
A poignant coming-of-age graphic novel about an Egyptian American girl grappling with college, her family, and the political realities of her wider world.
Anisa is following in her sister Reem’s footsteps: She’s a freshman at her sister’s alma mater, she’s on the same premed track, and she’s inherited Reem's old hotpot, mini-fridge, and textbooks. Even though Anisa would prefer to study art, her parents discount that as a valid career choice. The path laid out before her starts to crumble as Anisa feels she doesn’t belong—either in her organic chemistry class or among the other Muslim students on campus.
When Anisa fails her first semester, she begs her parents to let her take time off to visit Cairo and stay with her beloved grandfather. Finally free to have her own experiences, Anisa begins a journey of self-discovery and, as she bumps up against familial, societal, and religious expectations, she starts to develop her own artistic voice. When Anisa returns to the United States, many of these expectations shift, but she learns to draw on the love of friends and family—including those she’s often at odds with—in order to stay true to herself.
WHY I LIKE IT:
I like that the book feels very real, that the character arc and growth, challenges and setbacks, struggles and character's voice, radiate authenticity and seeks to shed light on what not only shapes us and our view of the world, but understanding the politics, culture, religious, and lived experiences of what our parents also have been shaped by in a manner that is neither overly naive or harsh.
I appreciated the political commentary, the internal reflections of faith and her closeness with her grandfather in Egypt which often centers Islam. And as a work of fiction I understand in the broad sense that the book does not want to get didactic in its sharing of the deen, but it seems to want to have it both ways. It shares the Quranic Arabic in the pages with meaning of the translation in the backmatter, quotes uncited hadith and references Islamic customs, yet I feel by staying gray in how the character interpreted Islamic teachings and failing to commit to her showing her own rationale for the choices and understanding driving those choices, the book leaves holes in the plot and a lot of questions. For example, why is kissing her Sikh boyfriend considered a "mistake," only because she wears hijab? She commits to him by getting her mom and Muslim friends on board with their relationship with the book sharing that different opinions are good according to Prophet Muhammad (saw). She starts to wear hijab and says she is doing it for the right reasons, but those reasons are never shared. She develops a relationship with Allah swt which is beautiful, but what is the messaging for the reader, with her justifying her actions in light of that relationship?
Yes, I realize that that makes me the very hypocrite the characters push back against in the book: not being able to be human and error, and struggle, and inshaAllah come back to Allah, swt, I know that, but I also know that our youth are impressionable and we want to inspire them, not give them a "pass" through a fictional story to do haram because Allah swt is forgiving. I also know that a 13 year old reading this and a 19 year old reading this will view it very differently (see opening paragraph why my mindset going in was a disservice that I struggled to overcome, and why I mentioned that this is a mature read). I also know that life, real life, is never linear and clear, and yeah people fall in love with people that are not Muslim, I'm the daughter of a convert, and my parents met in college, I get the hypocrisy, I own it, I really do.
I can't reiterate enough how many of the points I loved about her finding herself, understanding and connecting to her deen and extended family, laughing in the relatability the book has in its commentary on Islamophobia, expectations, politics, but none-the-less, I ultimately cannot support the normalized conclusions and justifications of many of the threads.
FLAGS:
See opening paragraph
TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
Not appropriate for Islamic school book clubs, I can see perhaps college or University MSAs reading it for fun and then offering up their thoughts as being an incredible pulse on how our "New Adult" Muslims view the themes and topics the book tackles, but I take handing a book to a person as an amanah, and I don't think I could hand this to a middle or high school student.
October 27, 2025
I would like to thank edelweiss and the publish for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this story. We follow Anisa, an Egyptian American who is struggling during her first year of college. She leaves and goes to Egypt to discover herself all over again. We follow her on a journey of self-discovery, religious and family pressures and possibly a first romance. It was a great read and I liked the art.
August 5, 2026
An Egyptian American girl struggles with her family, friends, college, and politics in Landing in Place: A Graphic Novel written by Sherine Hamdy and illustrated by Myra El Mir. If you're looking for a graphic novel that reads like a well-written biography, try this book!
Landing in Place follows Anisa as she finishes high school and heads off to college. The youngest of two daughters born to Egyptian immigrants, Anisa's had a closer relationship with her father than her mother growing up. Having graduated early and following in her older sister's footsteps, Anisa is on the premed track at her sister's alma mater. The problem: Anisa would much rather study art, but her parents don't see being an artist as a reliable career. Her first semester at college crumbles, sending Anisa into a spiral as she feels like she doesn't belong with the other Muslim students on campus or in her premed classes.
When Anisa's sister lands an internship at a hospital in Egypt, Anisa decides that she is going to take time off from school and head to Cairo to spend time with her grandfather. She finds new friends and starts to discover who she really is. It isn't all sunshine and roses though, as she keeps bumping against expectations from people all around her. Frustrated and needing an outlet, Anisa turns to her art and an internship of her own. Unexpected events soon send Anisa racing back home. Turning to friends and family is the only way she will survive life from now on. Staying true to herself will be put to the ultimate test, but the payoff could change her life forever.
Landing in Place is a beautifully written and drawn graphic novel. Hamdy tells personal stories while also portraying the larger global events happening at the same time. This book feels so real to me that I kept having to check whether this was a graphic memoir or not (it isn't!). All in all, a heartfelt read that had me wanting to learn more about the different topics discussed in this book.
Landing in Place follows Anisa as she finishes high school and heads off to college. The youngest of two daughters born to Egyptian immigrants, Anisa's had a closer relationship with her father than her mother growing up. Having graduated early and following in her older sister's footsteps, Anisa is on the premed track at her sister's alma mater. The problem: Anisa would much rather study art, but her parents don't see being an artist as a reliable career. Her first semester at college crumbles, sending Anisa into a spiral as she feels like she doesn't belong with the other Muslim students on campus or in her premed classes.
When Anisa's sister lands an internship at a hospital in Egypt, Anisa decides that she is going to take time off from school and head to Cairo to spend time with her grandfather. She finds new friends and starts to discover who she really is. It isn't all sunshine and roses though, as she keeps bumping against expectations from people all around her. Frustrated and needing an outlet, Anisa turns to her art and an internship of her own. Unexpected events soon send Anisa racing back home. Turning to friends and family is the only way she will survive life from now on. Staying true to herself will be put to the ultimate test, but the payoff could change her life forever.
Landing in Place is a beautifully written and drawn graphic novel. Hamdy tells personal stories while also portraying the larger global events happening at the same time. This book feels so real to me that I kept having to check whether this was a graphic memoir or not (it isn't!). All in all, a heartfelt read that had me wanting to learn more about the different topics discussed in this book.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The idea of belonging is prevalent with young readers and more prevalent with immigrants now in the world we are living in. Finding a place to belong is important to our children.
Landing in Place is the perfect graphic novel for young readers who are looking for a place to belong and finding their interests to be relevant. The novel also features an Egyptian Muslim girl that many readers will relate to.
Anisa's family always encourages her to check "white" as her race on forms that she might fill out when she is applying for any opportunity. She finally succumbs to attending medical school and enrolls in premed classes although she would like to have a possible career in art. Anisa failed her chemistry class and persuades her parents to allow her to visit her grandfather in Egypt to relax for awhile. She discovers the power of prayer and becomes more comfortable in being identified as a Muslim. She returns home and now feels better about identifying as a Muslim in America and has learned to accept the challenges of who she really is.
Young readers will relate to this life lesson. This graphic novel is recommended for ages 12 and up in grades 7 and up.
Landing in Place will be available in May 2026. It is published by Kokila, a division of Penguin/Random House. It has an ISBN of 978-0-7352-2944-0.
Landing in Place is the perfect graphic novel for young readers who are looking for a place to belong and finding their interests to be relevant. The novel also features an Egyptian Muslim girl that many readers will relate to.
Anisa's family always encourages her to check "white" as her race on forms that she might fill out when she is applying for any opportunity. She finally succumbs to attending medical school and enrolls in premed classes although she would like to have a possible career in art. Anisa failed her chemistry class and persuades her parents to allow her to visit her grandfather in Egypt to relax for awhile. She discovers the power of prayer and becomes more comfortable in being identified as a Muslim. She returns home and now feels better about identifying as a Muslim in America and has learned to accept the challenges of who she really is.
Young readers will relate to this life lesson. This graphic novel is recommended for ages 12 and up in grades 7 and up.
Landing in Place will be available in May 2026. It is published by Kokila, a division of Penguin/Random House. It has an ISBN of 978-0-7352-2944-0.
September 7, 2026
Egyptian-American Muslim Anisa’s loving family puts her under a great deal of pressure. Her older sister, Reem is in medical school, following the exact path that Anisa’s parents have planned for her. When Anisa is accepted to the same program the first semester is a struggle because her heart isn’t in medicine, but she can’t bring herself to disappoint her parents. When Reem gets the opportunity to spend a rotation in Egypt, Anisa begs to follow her sister and spend her summer with her beloved Grandfather. What started out as an escape from the schooling that she didn’t want, becomes an opportunity for Anisa to find herself in her culture. She learns that the Egyptian uprisings that promised democracy have struggled to fulfill its promise, that her faith is more important to her than she has been able to admit, and that her art might be her professional and personal future. A budding cartoonist, Anisa tells visual stories of what she sees and lands an internship in a newsroom with her talents. She finds that wearing a hijab is freeing, something her mother is staunchly against. When a tragedy brings her back to the United States, which part of this new Anisa will return?
June 20, 2026
This graphic novel is a full experience and feels nonfiction though it's fiction with an Egyptian American girl named Anisa finishing up her final year of high school and going to her first year of college where she ends up doing miserably in organic chemistry and starts trying to find ways to tell her parents that she might not end up the doctor that her old sister is pursuing because she likes her drawing but also isn't that academically inclined. An opportunity presents itself to travel with her sister Cairo and spend time with her grandfather but it's also here where she connects to her Muslim faith and decides to wear hijab much to the chagrin of her mother back in the United States and others.
Including plenty of internal and external dialogue about decisions, emotions, and feelings, this is introspective and a perfect example of an SEL graphic novel for teens especially when something unthinkable happens and those panels are drawn heartbreakingly vivid.
Including plenty of internal and external dialogue about decisions, emotions, and feelings, this is introspective and a perfect example of an SEL graphic novel for teens especially when something unthinkable happens and those panels are drawn heartbreakingly vivid.
June 20, 2026
I struggled with my rating on this one. On one hand, Hamdy does a fantastic job of depicting a young woman in a period of transition and self discovery. Her thoughts and emotions all ring very true, especially so when she loses a family member about halfway through the book. The way she butts heads with her mother is also realistically depicted. Where this fell flat for me is that it feels like main character Anisa is only partway through her journey of discovery by the time this book ends. There's several important conversations about her future she never has with her parents, for example. I also felt like her decision to wear hijab wasn't fully explored. I didn't feel like she really expressed what wearing the hijab meant to her, not even when she's arguing with her parents about it.
September 5, 2026
Fans of Huda Fahmy’s graphic novel series will find a lot to love about Anisa Mustafa as she figures out her place in her family and the larger world. Her parents expect her to follow her older sister’s path and study medicine in college; she dreams of pursuing art. Her Muslim faith plays a big part in her journey, and everybody wants to offer opinions about it. Her parents left Egypt before she and her sister were born, and the things she learns about Egypt’s political history and unrest will likely be new to many readers. This is a thoughtful story about complicated relationships with family and friends and identity. The artwork by Myra El Mir is stellar, and truly brings Anisa’s world to life.
June 25, 2026
Anisa is starting college at her sister's alma mater, following in her pre-med footsteps--just like her parents want. But it isn't what Anisa wants. She is miserable and wishes she could pursue art and creative writing. When she fails a class, she jumps on the opportunity to take a semester off and spend it with her grandfather in Egypt, and she begins to find her place in the world. A lovely coming of age graphic novel.
June 5, 2026
I really enjoyed this story. An engaging combination of coming-of-age, political and personal awakening, and slice-of-life. Realistic and expansive. Some of the scene jumps felt a little abrupt, but overall I think the story flowed well.
June 18, 2026
Great graphic novel showing how hard it is to feel like you fit in when you are from another country. You end up feeling like you don't fit in anywhere. Main character is applying for college but still think it could be relevent for some MS'ers.
July 1, 2026
This is a wonderful graphic novel, both from a representation perspective and from a craft perspective. The art style was well suited to the story, and the characters were fleshed out and believable. I can see a lot of teens relating to Anisa's situation, or at least parts of it.
August 18, 2026
I read more than half of this Young Adult graphic novel and I just didn’t get into it. There are lots of characters to keep track of which made it hard sometimes to know what was happening and who she was talking to. Nothing wrong with it but just not engaging for me right now.
June 15, 2026
My rating 3.7, I found it jumped around a lot on subjects and themes. I loved the graphics and the arabic language throughout though.
July 27, 2026
Always fight for what you believe in.
July 30, 2026
Interesting coming of age story about a young girl struggling to be Muslim and be fully herself.
August 15, 2026
A beautiful exploration of the crossover between heritage, culture, religion, family responsibility, and politics.
September 24, 2026
So worth the read.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Anisa's pilot father and mother Nadia are very quiet about their past lives in Egypt before coming to the US, and Anisa often bristles against the expectations they have for her. She would rather go to college and be an artist like her best friend Tomoyo, but she is supposed to attend a medical program like her older sister Reem. After graduating in 2016, she goes to college, and her roommate Shazia is also Muslim, although seems to be much more observant. It's a tough year, and while she doesn't get good grades, she does meet Ajay, who is Indian, and has a pleasant relationship with him even though she isn't supposed to date. When Reem gets a chance to study in Egypt, Anisa asks to go as well, and stays with her mother's father, Geddo. She enjoyed being with him, and even gets an internship at a newspaper, drawing comics. Things are fragile politically, and she starts wearing a hijab, initially to blend in, but finds that she enjoys the freedom that wearing it brings. When her father suffers a stroke, she returns home, and is devastated when he dies. She and her mother disagree about many issues, but Anisa finally finds activities she enjoys and is able to make peace with her family and religion.
Artists seem to be very fond of detailing their experiences in graphic novels, and Landing in Place is similar to titles like Bermudez's Big Apple Diaries, Chan's Uprooted, Sattin and Hickman's Buzzing, Rodriguez and Bell's Doodles from the Boogie Down, Chang's How to Draw a Secret, Mercado's Chunky and especially Mai's Freshman Year. There are fewer graphic novels with Muslim characters, but this would go along well with Fahmy's Huda F Are You. Since Anisa's experiences after she graduates from high school are portrayed, and there is a lot of history that is discussed, this might do better with high school audiences, although there is nothing in the book that would keep it out of middle school libraries.
Anisa's pilot father and mother Nadia are very quiet about their past lives in Egypt before coming to the US, and Anisa often bristles against the expectations they have for her. She would rather go to college and be an artist like her best friend Tomoyo, but she is supposed to attend a medical program like her older sister Reem. After graduating in 2016, she goes to college, and her roommate Shazia is also Muslim, although seems to be much more observant. It's a tough year, and while she doesn't get good grades, she does meet Ajay, who is Indian, and has a pleasant relationship with him even though she isn't supposed to date. When Reem gets a chance to study in Egypt, Anisa asks to go as well, and stays with her mother's father, Geddo. She enjoyed being with him, and even gets an internship at a newspaper, drawing comics. Things are fragile politically, and she starts wearing a hijab, initially to blend in, but finds that she enjoys the freedom that wearing it brings. When her father suffers a stroke, she returns home, and is devastated when he dies. She and her mother disagree about many issues, but Anisa finally finds activities she enjoys and is able to make peace with her family and religion.
Artists seem to be very fond of detailing their experiences in graphic novels, and Landing in Place is similar to titles like Bermudez's Big Apple Diaries, Chan's Uprooted, Sattin and Hickman's Buzzing, Rodriguez and Bell's Doodles from the Boogie Down, Chang's How to Draw a Secret, Mercado's Chunky and especially Mai's Freshman Year. There are fewer graphic novels with Muslim characters, but this would go along well with Fahmy's Huda F Are You. Since Anisa's experiences after she graduates from high school are portrayed, and there is a lot of history that is discussed, this might do better with high school audiences, although there is nothing in the book that would keep it out of middle school libraries.
December 8, 2025
A well-written graphic novel that follows Anisa during her senior year and 1st year of college. Engaging art style and solid characterization.
I read an ARC from Edelweiss.
I read an ARC from Edelweiss.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews