I Am Thunder

by Muhammad Khan

Fifteen-year-old Muzna Saleem, who dreams of being a writer, struggles with controlling parents who only care about her studying to be a doctor. Forced to move to a new school in South London after her best friend is shamed in a scandal, Muzna realizes that the bullies will follow her wherever she goes. But deciding to stand and face them instead of fighting her instinct to disappear is harder than it looks when there's prejudice everywhere you turn. Until the gorgeous and confident Arif shows an interest in her, encouraging Muzna to explore her freedom.

But Arif is hiding his own secrets and, along with his brother Jameel, he begins to influence Muzna with their extreme view of the world. As her new freedom starts to disappear, Muzna is forced to question everything around her and make a terrible choice - keep quiet and betray herself, or speak out and betray her heart?

A stunning new YA voice which questions how far you'll go to protect what you believe in.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, Muslims, Family, Religion

306 pages, Paperback

First published January 25, 2018

About the author

Muhammad Khan is a maths teacher in a secondary school in Tooting and takes his inspiration from the children he teaches, as well as his own upbringing as a British-born Pakistani. He lives in South London and will be studying for a creative writing MA next year at Roehampton.

Reviews

[♛ may · Rating 1 out of 5]

book #8 done for the booktubeathon ✔️ (i guess i keep going until the day is finish 😏)

pull up a chair bc I got some tea to spill and some roasts to serve

honestly I wasn’t actually planning on writing a review for this bc I didn’t enjoy it and I didn’t want to spend anymore time with it but there are SO MANY things that really made me uncomfortable and I cant just NOT talk about it

due to the fact that I am canadian I feel the need to balance out my salt with sugar and so here are some positives aspects about the book

there gonna be SPOILERS, kids, sorry i cant get away from this

positives
- I really appreciated how the book made a distinction between cultural practices and religion bc we all know how much people LOVE to use those two interchangeably (I just wish we had more dialogue on that topic, it was pretty brief)
- It called out extremist views
- It showed muslims to be normal citizens (again this was SOMETHING I REALLY WANTED MORE OF bc it wasn’t balanced out with the other awful muslim rep)
- It brought to light some really beautiful aspects of islam that no one really talks about
- Like the authentic saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him), “The Compassionate has mercy on those who are merciful. Be merciful to those on earth, the One who is in the heavens will show mercy to you.”
- Muzna went through a lot of character development and we got to see her character go from being non-practicing then witnessing her being manipulated and how that was really hard for her to accept and then finally seeing her choose a more moderate path
- Her struggle was real and we got to feel that, with her conflicting emotions and change of heart, it was well written
- There was some really nice friendships among the characters, latifah, a black muslim girl, was one of my favourites, shes a sweet little cupcake child

And now,,,,,,im going to get into the bad stuff

1. Muzna’s parents:
- for people who have left their home country of Pakistan and relocated to England, theyre incredible narrow-minded and awful
- they aren’t religious, so //naturally// her father associates ANYTHING to do with religion as evil x 100
- he screamed at a girl wearing hijab as SHE CROSSED THE STREET AND WAVED HER THANKS TO HIM
- he screamed at muzna and got angry when she wanted to wear pray LIKE??!!?? Where is logic??!!?
- Her mother is a piece of work
- There was an instance where shes like ‘im realistic with myself and I know youre my daughter isnt pretty so no one will marry you if youre not a doctor’
- And basically I puked in my mouth
- THEY PHYSICALLY STOPPED HER FROM TRYING HAIR REMOVAL EVEN THO SHE WAS GETTING BULLIED AT SCHOOL FOR IT
- 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️
- Her mom SLAPS HER for raising her voice
- I just
- I never seen parents this controlling and possessive and idiotic in books or in real life (thankfully)

2. islam
- So muzna herself wasn’t raised to be religious so her experiences are different but THE WAY ISLAM WAS FEATURED WAS ???disturbing to me??
- oh boi
- EVERY religious person was an extremist and radicalized and disgusting
- EVERY religious person was judgmental and arrogant and self-righteous and backward thinking and very forceful with their beliefs
- Like the first time muzna meets arif’s older brother he literally is like “whY ARENT YOU WEARING HIJAB”
- I ???? never??? Seen?? A?? human?? Do?? This??
- I was just looking for the normal, law abiding muslims that pray 5 times a day but also like smile at animals and breathe oxygen and go to mosques and don’t litter and just BE NORMAL HUMANS
- I just felt like there was either EXTREMELY secular muslims that are only muslim by name or there are these radicalized freaks, just black or white and no in between and that’s kinda a lot messed up
- A lot of crap was done in the name of religion and although it was brought up and called out, it made me really uncomfortable in the way it was expressed
- Arif pretty much forced muzna to wear hijab (he was nice about it) but ??? islam is literally your personal devotion toward God, it doesn’t involve people or reputation or showing off and I feel like this just missed the mark and point but goodness, YOU DON’T WEAR HIJAB FOR A BOY
- Yes yes later on she is proud of her hijab for herself and shes all, im doing this for God and I liked that but boi we gotta discuss the previous flaws

3. Marriage (oh boi, prepare yourself for this)
- So ahem, theres a scene and like I PROMISE IM NOT DRAMATIZING
- But arif and muzna are “dating” and theyre at his house chilling and he goes, and I quote “I’m so horny…marry me tonight.”
- Oh did I mention
- Theyre 15
- Lord help me
- So yeah, train wreck alert, they get married and have sex and ??? wow it got wild real quick
- This was actually a really disturbing scene to me like I just couldn’t deal
- Anyways, even after everything is solved and the conclusion is upon us, MUZNA STILL REFERS TO HIM AS HER HUSBAND AND HER PARENTS HAVE NO CLUE AND JUST WHY WAS THIS EVEN INCLUDED IN THE NARRATIVE WHY
- THIS ISNT ISLAM THIS ISNT ISLAM THIS ISNT ISLAM THIS ISNT ISLAM
- That’s NOT how it works, you cant just walk into a mosque and say yo I wanna get married and be done with it LIKE THERE HAS TO BE CONSENTING ADULTS AND PEOPLE AND FAMILIES AND FINANCES INVOLVED
- ლ(ಠ_ಠლ)

4. writing
- Now this aint no cardinal sin but the writing was so cringe
- From the first page muzna’s bestie uses the phrase “oh-em-gee” three times and nOT ironically and I just no
- The slang
- Oh God the slang hurt my eyes when I read
- This is an actual quote
- “'We're Muslims, innit?' he told her with a wink.
The bee stung lips retracted into a hyphen. Without another word, she stormed off. Arif chuckled loudly, but I was bricking it. I'd beaten the Queen Bee in a game of love.”
- I rest my case
- Also when muzna met arif, it was hardcore gag bc she kept talking about his amazing abs and muscles and idk about y’all but when I was 15, bois didn’t look like they were “pumping iron” and they sure didn’t smell like “musk and cedar” goodnight

There are A LOT of stereotypes present and while I cant go into all of them, I didn’t feel like this was a good rep for muslims especially not muslim girls growing up in the west, it really missed the mark for me wow im sorry @ expectations

Okay blah blah this is my opinion, disclaimer disclaimer, don’t come @ me, respect opinions and be a good person thanks

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fellow bookworms, keep your eyes peeled for this book on January 25th. Set in present day Britain, Muhammed Khan explores the racism and discrimination of the Muslim population in England(and the Western world) while also bringing the topic of the recruitment tactics of some extremist groups . His protagonist is a teenage girl by the name of Muzna Saleem. An only child, Muzna's future is filled with plenty of expectations from her parents, immigrants from Pakistan. All Muzna wants is to be a writer, to create books with strong Muslim characters, so that the racism that she deals with on a daily basis will become something of the past. On the other hand, her parents desire her to become a doctor. Although Muzna's parents do want their daughter to obtain a strong education, they fear the effects of living in a society and culture so different than their origin country. We see Muzna 's parents very concerned about the friends that Muzna makes. When a female friend gets herself in trouble and Muzna's father loses his job, the family move to another area and a new school. It is here that Muzna catches the eye of a good looking young man, Arif. As Muzna and Arif grow closer, Muzna begins to question everyone around her, including her parents.

I absolutely devoured this book and I loved the strong character that Muzna embodies. When a favorite teacher is wrongly accused, Muzna sets about to lead the school body on a campaign to reinstate him. Muzna is the very character that she wants to write about in her books. When Muzna meets Arif, we see that it is only gradually that Muzna is being led towards extremism. Early in the novel, Muzna is ridiculed for the way that she looks and Arif's kind manner is a breath of fresh air. Especially in a new school.

Muhammed Khan was determined to show how young people(specifically, girls) are being recruited into joining extremist groups.What we can see as a reader, is that Muzna is on the outs with her parents, she is aware and speaks up regarding the racism she sees towards Muslims. But as many friends and adults begin to point out to her, Muzna does not see the pull that Arif and his older brother begin to have on her. What begins as curiosity to explore her religion, soon becomes an isolation from those around her. But I loved that through it all when these things were happening, Muzna has those little whispers of doubt. We see that as strong as she is, Muzna is also vulnerable.

As a teacher reading this book, written by a teacher that is trying to explore his own questions about how these things happen, "I am Thunder" and its main character, Muzna deeply moved me and scared me too. Our children are so vulnerable in the internet age. Books like this will hopefully encourages us to "not keep quiet." I don't want to jinx it, but I felt that this book is definitely on par with "The Hate U Give. " It certainly deserves our attention.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I feel like YA novels are a little reserved when it comes to talking about serious issues. I'm not sure why, maybe the author hasn't fully committed to the idea, maybe they don't think YA readers could handle it or maybe they are afraid to write something that could end up being a little controversial. But when I read those books that are afraid to really talk about an issue, it just kind of skits around the issue and the book often ends up being forgettable, one-dimensional and just vapid. This book was not one of those books and so it ended up being something quite powerful and striking, while also being an enjoyable read and it did not feel preachy at all. Khan really didn't hold back while talking about massive issues like racism, islamophobia and radical terrorists.

I think what really helped the novel was Muzna. Apart from being an awesome characters who was so funny, smart, three-dimensional and caring, she had some great character development. From the start of the book to the end of the book, she goes through things that mature her and change her. She is just trying to find herself, like any other teenager and it was hard to see her struggle with what she wanted vs what her family wanted for her and struggle with people bullying her just because she was a Muslim. I certainly don't understand why people can be so prejudiced, ignorant and horrible to people just because of where they come from, what religion they are or what colour their skin is. I did really enjoy how Muzna wrote about being an immigrant family's daughter. Her family expected her to be "proper" like a Pakistani girl but Muzna thought that it was unfair because she had been brought up in Britain with British traditions and British people all around her. She considered herself to be British and she was but her family just couldn't understand her.

The writing was good. Muzna did sound like a teenage girl so that really made the novel believable. The writing was simple but I really enjoyed reading it. I especially liked the dedication at the start of the book.

I would definitely recommend this and I would read more by Muhammad Khan.

* I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I wrote Muzna’s story for you. Muslim or non-Muslim? It doesn’t matter to me. It shouldn’t matter to you. You are thunder. Don’t keep quiet.”

“‘The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any’ Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize-winning author.”

“It was cruel to bring me up in Britain, make me go to school with British kids, then expect me to act like a girl from back home. Outside of having brown skin, speaking the language, and half-heartedly cheering the cricket team on with Dad, I had no real idea of what it meant to be Pakistani.”

[Jananee (headinherbooks) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Rating: 2.5/5 stars

In order to best summarise my thoughts, I’ve decided to split it up into things I liked and things I didn’t like so let’s just get into it.

Just a brief summary first to get started though – this book follows Muzna who’s a teen trying to fit in a world where most everything seems to be going against her. We follow her as she tries to juggle the differing societal expectations of both her British and Pakistani backgrounds, her overprotective parents, her unruly best friend, Islamophobia and, of course, boys.

Things I Liked
- It was an incredibly fast and short read and the subject matter is engaging so you will probably, like me, find yourself flying through the book

- Muzna was a very likeable character and you end up empathizing with her a lot as the books goes along. Yes, she does make some incredibly questionable decisions but I guess the same can be said of any teen her age.

- It had a really good discussion of Islamophobia and fear mongering that has become almost synonymous with today’s society. Muzna is the object of a lot of misplaced anger throughout this book, from various characters, and it provided a good insight into what it might be like for Muslim individuals living in Western countries in today’s political climate.

- Had a very thought-provoking and interesting discussion on extremism and the tactics employed by extremist groups to recruit in foreign countries. I’m not sure how much of this part of the book was based in fact but it was terrifying to see how easily teens were preyed upon.

Things I Didn't Like
- I didn’t get along with the writing AT ALL. The author used a very heavy British accent throughout the novel and whilst this might have been an endearing concept, it was executed horribly. At times the dialogue was unbearably cringe inducing and the characters so two-dimensional that it become hard to read. This is a debut novel, and therefore the author should be given some benefit of the doubt but it really could have done with some stronger editing.

- Whilst I do think the author did a good job in discussing Islamophobia, I think they choose to focus on the most extreme instances of religious intolerance for effect and ignored the more subtle microaggressions that occur everyday. Whilst I do not discount or diminish the experiences Muzna faced, I do think the whole discussion could have used a little more nuance.

- I would have loved to see more of some the secondary characters who I felt were often introduced and then pushed to the side, quickly forgotten. One of these characters was Khadijah who genuinely seemed like such an interesting figure and one that had a significant impact on Muzna’s life and so the fact that she was only included for a few scenes continues to puzzle me.

In the end, I think I Am Thunder had an interesting concept but a poor execution. Despite this book probably not being for me, it is #OwnVoices for Pakistani and Muslim representation and has the potential to do wonders for teens looking for such representation in books.

I’ve linked a few #OwnVoices reviews down below so make sure to check them out!
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Aditi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“These terrorists are the antithesis of Islam. They’re not Muslim. Violence has no place in religion, and the terrorists are responsible for their own crimes, not the religion and not us.”

----Samira Ahmed


Muhammad Khan, a British author, has penned a very intriguing debut YA novel called, I Am Thunder that revolves around a teenage Muslim girl living with her parents in Britain where everyday she wakes up to find a new challenge or bully to overcome with, but her life drastically changes when her family moves to different part of the city and she is admitted to a posh school, and there she meets a charming Muslim boy. Little did she knew that behind that charming smile, a sinister motive is awaiting for her and that would not only ruin her life but would ruin the lives of millions of souls, if not taken care of.


Synopsis:

Fifteen-year-old Muzna Saleem, who dreams of being a writer, struggles with controlling parents who only care about her studying to be a doctor. Forced to move to a new school in South London after her best friend is shamed in a scandal, Muzna realizes that the bullies will follow her wherever she goes. But deciding to stand and face them instead of fighting her instinct to disappear is harder than it looks when there's prejudice everywhere you turn. Until the gorgeous and confident Arif shows an interest in her, encouraging Muzna to explore her freedom.

But Arif is hiding his own secrets and, along with his brother Jameel, he begins to influence Muzna with their extreme view of the world. As her new freedom starts to disappear, Muzna is forced to question everything around her and make a terrible choice - keep quiet and betray herself, or speak out and betray her heart?

A stunning new YA voice which questions how far you'll go to protect what you believe in.


Muzna has forever embraced and accepted bullying and judgement on her looks and dressing sense among her peers, but when she moves to South London along with her family and gets admitted to a posh school, she realizes that its high time to stand up against bullying since she is now prohibited to talk to her bestie who was involved in a shameful act. And when she meets the most good looking boy of her class, named, Arif, she realizes for the first time that she too has a chance in love and more than that. Little did she knew that the innocent looking boy who lives with his radical and religious extremist brother named Jameel, would manipulate her in the name of Allah. And she needs to not only save herself but a million other lives, before its too late. But can she, when she is head-over-heels in love with Arif?

The author's writing style is fresh and is laced with humor, suspense and drama. The dialogues are realistic and the author have vividly portrayed the voice of a 15-year old Muslim girl in Britain, so much so, that the readers will be able to easily contemplate with the modern day language used by the youngsters. The pacing is really fast, as the readers will be instantly sucked into the flow of the story and the action, and will keep them glued till the very end.

The characters in this book are very well developed with enough honesty in the demeanor. The main character, Muzna, is an extraordinary young girl, who is pushed into a world full of challenges, nasty remarks about her facial hair, and constant bullying, yet she gradually picks herself up with the help of a friend, who in the end uses her for his own sinister purposes. Although the story is based mainly upon religious extremists ideals and its flaws, yet somehow, it felt like most of the time, the author tried to shed light of the cheesy romance between Arif and Muzna and the climax is way too dramatic.

In a nutshell, its a solid and engrossing book about modern day challenges and religious issues that is faced by almost every other Muslim in a foreign country.


Verdict: An enthralling YA story centered around terrorism and bullying.

[Marie Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Am Thunder follows the story of 15 year old Muzna, an ordinary Muslim-teen, trying to fit into a new high school in London. Her strict Pakistani parents want only the best for her - urging her to become a Dr, even though Muzna dreams of becoming an author, especially so she can represent Muslim voices in writing. Whilst trying to settle into the new school environment, she becomes friends with Arif, and it is this relationship, along with his brother, Jameel, that Muzna starts to question. Should she follow her head or her heart?

This book. Just WOW. I have read a lot of YA books over the years and this is definitely up there with the very very best. Muzna is a breath of fresh air - her intelligence and personality is apparent from the very first page. This book shows the struggles of an everyday Muslim teenager and it's fantastic that voices like this are finally being heard. This book covers very important issues such as Islamophobia, terrorism, extremism and bullying, yet all of these are covered in a powerful, yet sensitive manner. You can't have a YA book without friendships and relationships and I think that's what makes this book so great - it really does have a brilliant mix on everything I could dream for in a book. Muzna deals with normal teen problems as well, such as body-issues, parent relationships, grades and changing friendships, and it is this what allows us to connect so well with her as a character. This is a MUST read and a great asset to the YA book industry.

I predict huge success for I Am Thunder and can't recommend it enough! One of my favourite YA books ever!

Review also on my blog: https://lotsoflivres.com/2018/01/25/i...

[Suzanne Bhargava · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been prevaricating about writing this review, because I wanted to do the book justice. It was brilliant. A strong contender for my Carnegie nomination next year.

As debuts go, I was blown away by the dialogue and narrative voice, which feels fresh and authentic (it was brave genius of Muhammad Khan to use his South London students as beta readers / slang police).

The story is mainly about Islamophobia, extremism and the balancing act of being a British born Pakistani teenage girl. Woven through these main parts are issues of body image, self esteem, family pressures, slut shaming, falling in love, bullying, the varied ways of being a Muslim, grooming, catfishing, and radicalisation. It’s a lot, but it works.

And the story, like real life, is full of grey areas - a big one is how Arif (the gorgeous love interest) pulls Muzna into extremist views using the truth - in the mainstream media, when a black man kills people he’s a gangbanger, when a brown man kills people he’s a terrorist, and when a white man kills people he is a lone wolf with mental health issues. And when hundreds of Asians are killed in an attack, it doesn’t make front page news. All these things are true, but your heart breaks for Muzna as you see where her anger could lead her.

But she is a strong, smart, albeit vulnerable young woman, so the reader holds out hope for her that she will do the right thing.

[Usman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty, smart and clever. I had heard a lot about this book and was a bit worried it would not live up to its hype. It is even more amazing. The main character is detailed and very relatable. She explores her faith and her identity in a very realistic way. She reminded me of my younger sister who is reading the book and will post her own review in time. The reader sees events and experiences shape Muzna in real time. When things start to go wrong she has no one to turn to. This is the strength of the book and a powerful warning. Thanks to the media frenzy around Islam and terrorism Muzna doesn't know who to trust anymore.

The book manages to squeeze in a lot of topics including racism, radicalization, living in a multi-ethnic multi-faith society, open dialogue between teenagers and their parents, and doing the right thing. I am Thunder is my top read of 2018. It will be tough to top.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most confronting books I have read this year and a story that really hits the nail on the head. Firstly, I want to take this moment to thank the author, Muhammad Khan, for writing this story. This book is definitely an eye opener for Non-Muslim readers and a warm hug to the Muslim readers as stated in his author’s note. Whilst dialogue among 16 year olds can be cheesy, I found the book to be very well written, honest and beautifully illustrated the world today. It's a book that will definitely spark positive discussion among Muslims and Non-Muslims alike. As a Muslim/Hijabi woman reading this book, I had such a personal connection to the story and the character but felt extremely thankful I didn’t experience absolutely everything the protagonist, Muzna went through.

The author did a fantastic job in demonstrating the constant confusion in families who put culture first, Islam second which is a leading cause of clash and confusion in communities. Cultural identity is a real challenge especially among the youth and I really felt for Muzna being an only child growing up in the western world with strong ties to her cultural traditions and expectations, it can be a challenge. Whilst the western world provides amazing opportunities to us, one can feel trapped between to cultures. The character profiling in this book was very real.

In addition to cultural identity, the fury Muzna and her parents felt when waking up to headline news of terrorist attacks and murder of innocent victims carried out in the name of our faith was all too real for me. It was a wave of mixed emotions - anger for what this mob did in our name and the compounding weariness of stepping out of our house wearing the hijab - that need to constantly be vigiliant in your own country in case of being on the receiving end of hate attacks for crimes you never committed or endorsed - yet refusing to live in fear. I also felt Muzna had the right idea of wanting to set a passive example in the community to demonstrate that these acts committed do not represent my faith or me with her aspiration to be a novelist.

What was also frighteningly real in this book was how realistic the story was – with strong characters making poor decisions or turned a blind eye to things you think is so obviously wrong but that's exactly why it was so real because it demonstrated exactly how extremists operate. They select articulate, intelligent individuals who may have a vulnerability such as a fractured home life and they target that as part of their mission to ‘recruit’ and 'use'.

Again, this book is extremely well written and fast paced. I am sure readers will have an emotional reaction to the story. Personally, I gasped, cringed, laughed, cried and I even had to put the book down for a moment as I was getting so worked up over it (it's so real). I feel this is an important story and as a favour to me, I ask everyone to read this when it’s out :)

Special thanks to Pan Macmillan Publishers for sending me an Advanced Review Copy of this book – review will be posted as part of the blog tour next month.

[Katie.dorny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really didn’t want this to have a love story; I understand why it did veer that way but I didn’t want it to be.

This book veered wildly from I love it woah to this is dragging and it’s moving a bit too fast/extreme?

I have to state that as a white Christian I am not able
to comment on everything in this book - I am not knowledgable on the common environment of a British muslim.

This book was very interesting for me; but for about 50% of the book it also felt very young and I dragged my feet a little. On the other hand it dealt with some very serious topics and it did educate me a lot in regards to these.

The last third of the book was where it really picked up: the writing matured as the protagonist Muzna did and I felt a kinship with this woman as she developed her sense of self and independence.

[Corinne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was truly excited to start this novel. Muslim representation in YA fiction is hard to come by and this seemed like a great concept. Other reviewers have mentioned that the writing and dialogue are pretty cheesy and unrealistic, which I might have been able to see past if the messages presented here were important and handled well. Unfortunately, I found that the book did not seem to understand it's own message.

Here are some problematic elements that I cannot deal with:

1. Slut Shaming and Bullying: Tallulah is the completely one dimensional bad girl. She is pretty and all the boys love her and she never stops twerking on them or running her hands down their abdomens when speaking to them and at one point she's even sexting in class.
"Even Tallulah stopped taking pictures between her thighs."
She's presented as so outrageously sex driven and flat that Khan is practically bullying her through his characterizations.

2. Sexual Assault Apologia: At one point a classroom full of students witness a teacher accidentally touch a student's thigh while slipping and falling to the ground. The student proclaims to the class that he is going to report the teacher for sexual assault. Something that would not stand up under an investigation if administrators interviewed a couple of student witnesses.
“Mr Dunthorpe was shook. He kept blinking as his chest fluttered beneath his argyle tank. We all knew why. The media had made it clear that sexual allegations - even fake ones - could end a teacher’s career.”
At this point in history, do we need anyone else to yell "VINDICTIVE PEOPLE MAKE SEXUAL ASSAULT CLAIMS TO RUIN THE LIVES OF GOOD MEN"? We don't. CTRL+ALT+DELETE.

3. Child Marriage: A completely unchallenged (though not legally binding) marriage is performed so that two teens can have sex without being sluts like Tallulah. This occurs late at night at a mosque after one of the characters proclaims, "I'm so horny!" followed by a proposal for marriage.

4. Radicalized for a Hot Boy: Muzna instantly falls in love with Arif because he's a hottie (so hot, in fact, that at one point they are in public and he bends down to tie his shoe and Muzna witnesses an adult woman take a cell photo of his ass) and changes everything about herself for him without a second thought. Her religious exploration is inspired entirely by Arif and what he thinks she should do. Which, to this reader, is an insulting exploration of the Muslim faith and an insulting representation of how teen girls behave. Only offering explorations of Muslim faith through the characters who are attempting to radicalize Muzna and plan a terrorist attack as opposed to showing her researching, and learning about Islam on her own or from trusted sources who are not terrorists is such a bizarre choice.

I hate to give this book one star and I'm considering not rating it at all. I desperately want there to be books with Muslim characters (or diverse MCs in general) and it bums me out to be harsh on a diverse book. But I can't ignore the madness and straight up damaging stereotypes about women and girls in this thing. I cannot recommend.

[Becca Younk · Rating 1 out of 5]

In the year of our lord 2018 we are really gonna slut-shame a teenage girl in a YA book? OKAY I GUESS THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. Tallulah, presented as the foil to our heroine Muzna, has one characteristic. Sex. She sexts in class, takes photos of her genitalia during class, touches the love interest's body inappropriately, oh, and has mango tits. What do mango tits look like, you may ask? No idea. If you figure out what mango tits look like, also please explain to me what teenage girl would ever describe a fellow students' breasts like that. The only people who would describe women's body parts as food items are male writers or erotic fiction.

Don't worry though, Muzna isn't a prude, she has sex! But she gets married first, so she's not a Slutty McSlutster like Tallulah. Yes. This is a YA book, featuring a protagonist who gets married at the ripe old age of 15. This means Muzna ends up with very adult worries like "Are we headed to divorce" after a fight with her husband. Nothing in this book ever challenges the idea that a 15 year old getting married might not be the best idea. I'm going to repeat that. AT NO POINT IS THIS BOOK ANYTHING BUT POSITIVE ABOUT A MINOR GETTING MARRIED. I can't. I am always going to be against child marriage being presented in a positive light in YA books. If being anti-child marriage is the hill I'm going to die on, I am willing to die on that hill.

I cannot emphasize how disappointed I am with this book. Representation is so important in all books, and possibly even more important in YA. While the premise of this book is great, the ideas in it are so damaging that I cannot recommend reading this. If you want a more in-depth analysis of the novel, check out Episode 23 of The Bookstore podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

[Anniek · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a pretty disappointing read for me. I was hoping it would make a strong statement, but instead I felt like the big middle ground between not being that religious and radicalizing was completely passed over. A lot of the time I couldn't follow the MC's reasoning and motivations for her life choices at all.

[Shazia · Rating 1 out of 5]

okay so this is one that slj sent for me to review. but i could not get through it, hence no professional review but i still feel the need to share my thoughts on this kind of garbage book.

so. can we not have men write books in the point of view of teenage girls? can this stop happening? and then on top of that, this book is about a muslim girl who like, is drawn to extremist religious views, because of a boy??

i get that this book is like the author’s response to hearing about girls literally leaving their normal lives to go join isis and yeah that’s wild that it happens but dude, this is not your story to tell. just because the author is muslim (i am assuming) STILL is not reason enough to write this book. it’s so biased and skewed, and is just what the author assumes young muslim girls are like, and what convinces them to make the decisions that they choose.

at a time where #ownvoices is needed, it is still so very important that the voice is accurate, realistic, relatable, and just sharing the same religion as your character is not enough. seeing all the 5 star reviews on goodreads from white women just makes me cringe, because i doubt they even know much about islam and if this is the one book they pick up and read, there's just so much in here that is wrong. it like, reinforces terrible stereotypes. i hated it.

in the book’s defense, i did not finish it so who knows maybe it got better, but judging from the few reviews i read i already have an idea that i would have just hated it more.

[Ashlen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lots of topical issues at stake here, too bad the author can't overcome his misogyny or inadequate prose to hold a decent discussion of these issues. The "love interest" is literally kidnapping teenage girls, radicalizing them, and drugging them so he can send them to Syria to marry terrorists who are active in ISIS. What?
Diversity matters in literature, but this book doesn't deserve your stubborn pity stars. This is just garbage. Nothing else.

[Filly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I HATED this book.
I’m still so frustrated with how stereotypical this book was, but I had to write my review before I forgot everything that happened. Let’s start by saying it’s so ironic how a book “representing” Islam and Muslims followed the exact stereotypes given to Islam and Muslims!!! I mean c’mon the least bit of research could’ve helped write a better book. I’m pretty sure even the author was confused on what was being written, because half way through the book he changed the way he was portraying a character. Let me paint the picture for you- man with beard, wearing an Islamic cap, always in traditional clothing, always has a strict face, and is influential in his religious beliefs- if you’ve seen any news talking about Muslims, this is going to light up a nice little thought in your head (terrorist). And of course this character ended up being a terrorist. I’m actually so disgusted and annoyed by how this was written and hope this book stops being sold.

Anyways, the main character, Muzna, is raised in an Islamic family that think worship is an act of extremism?!? This character continues to move schools because of an event that brought so called “shame” upon her family. At this school, she meets a guy that she immediately has a crush on. He happens to be the secret “terrorist’s” brother. She starts to find interest in this guy and whatnot and his brother gets involved. She starts meeting this guy and his brother and this guy is all “omg Muzna i love you mwah mwah mwah…but we’ve got to keep it halal” LIKE WHAT?!?
She keeps meeting this guy and his brother (talk about a third-wheel) and one day when she’s alone with her crush they’re like LET’S GET MARRIED. Wth?!? (At this point I wanted to light this book on fire. I was so done.) So they got married just so they could do the deed. Fast forward a few days and Muzna finds herself in her husbands basement looking through his brother’s computers. What does she find in those computers? Plans to bomb a train station and a national monument. After she gets the police informed and her husband’s brother is caught, she supposedly goes on to live a life where her parents finally love her and she is more satisfied.

Other than how horribly represented Muslims are in this book, there are multiple other factors that made me dread it. I’m just going to list them:
•Everything about this is cringey
•It was so terribly repetitive
•The book had too much going on

A specific scene that pissed me off was when Muzna, her crush, and his brother we’re leaving a religious gathering and a popular gang came to throw tomatoes at them. This felt so invalidating because it’s nothing like what Muslims face in our real world. Keep the tomato throwing for bad concert performances not hate crimes against minority groups.

If you read this review, I hope you never consider reading this book. It’d be a serious waste of your time and energy.

[Divya Agrawal · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't even know why I was so excited for this book.

The blurb is super catchy and intriguing while the story is total opposite. Blurb promises of a strong Muslim female lead who will fight for her rights and be the one who she wanted to be. And Arif he seemed like a caped hero.

Well, I'm glad for the twist about Arif but is he even a human? I would've digested his wrong doing or anything but forcing your religion on someone, making her girlfriend wear hijab etc.

Now, Muzna is nothing like I expected. She is a not so naive girl but still portrayed as one. She would fantasize about naked guys and all but she would easy fell for that hacker and Arif. Her want to be naive just irked me.

Her parents. Let me tell you no mother would tell her daughter that she needs to look appealing for her dad. At least not a desi one. I could relate with her parents at some point like becoming a doctor is like all desi parent's dream.

I was expecting it to be about Islamic culture and how terrorism has affect normal people but it was nothing like that.

[Chiara · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was disappointing. I only read about 20% and had to stop. The premise seemed ok, and I was keen to find out what this new friend's secret was (though I have a good guess, based on the author's foreword), but the writing was unsubtle, and the characters a bit overdone. This, however, may not have stopped me - what finally did was a reference to an antagonist as slutty and cruel, despite the fact that the main character's only interaction with her did not involve any of either. She was a bit mean, sure, but not cruel. References to the female villain as slutty, particularly without any evidence of this being the case (but it must be true because she's a villain), always make me put a book down.

[Marwa Abdulla · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t usually review the books I read, but I’m going to with this one. This book had a new concept to write about, which was great. However, it made it sound that praying was a gateway to terrorism. After you pray, you’re supposed to feel serenity and peace not hate and anger. Representation matters, but accurate representation matters more!

[Rebecca Mc · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was interested in the story but thought the writing was terrible. Did not finish.

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am Thunder by Muhammad Khan was a pleasant surprise!

I love books that let me inside another person's life and culture, and I am Thunder met the bill! This book welcomes the reader into a Muslim and Pakistani lifestyle which is something totally new to me. I've seen the headlines, I've had classmates, but I've never been able to learn this much about a culture in one sitting. While this book is only ONE view in a Young Adult (and slightly dramatic) book, it was still truly intriguing. Hats off to Muhammad Khan, seriously.

This book does cause some waves in the reading community though - I've seen lots of praises and lots of criticism. So, I'll just share my thoughts.

I like that this book follows one young woman's story. Yes, it's like a soap opera and slightly dramatic at times but isn't all YA? Muzna's story gives some fabulous insight into her culture (for example, the difference between a religion and the actual practices someone follows). Her family life, her thoughts, her trouble deciding what to do with her life and the effect it has on everyone felt very REAL. It felt like I was reading a book made for and by a teen - she wants to meet boys, she wants to impress people, she wants to try to have a life but do what's best for her family too. I could totally relate to her in that aspect. She struggles with being a teenage girl trying to just BE a teenage girl.

Are there parts of this book that were rough and tough? Yes. I don't fully know what this woman's culture would be in an accurate depiction, so maybe this is all my views as a reader. Buuuut... her parents are HARSH. It seemed like no matter what this girl did that they weren't proud of her. It's no wonder that Muzna "acted out" because there was no way she'd ever please those parents. It was borderline abusive. I don't think it was a culture thing... honestly, I'm certain it's not supposed to be a reflection of their culture. Those parents were borderline abusive if not actually abusive. Like, show a little familial love? Or at least, don't be cruel at all times of the day?

Extreme religion was also apart of this book, so let there be a trigger warning for those who might be bothered by this topic. I found it interesting to read, but at times it felt like everyone were quite extreme with their religious practices. I know there's only so many pages in a book, but there could have been some "softer" practices or realistic ones. I know many lovely people who study and follow various religions who aren't as "crazy" or as extreme as some of these characters.

If I had to list the good things about this book, they'd be the following:
1. This book showcases a different religion and a different point of view in a largely read genre. I like that YA has diverse books like this one floating around so readers can learn more about the world. Difficult topics like religion and politics should be brought into books (especially YA) so more people can learn and experience the world.

2. Muzna felt like a real character with real struggles. She didn't feel out of place or goofy. She made me really feel for her story and want to know more about her.

3. This book can start wonderful discussions. It's the type of book I wish we read back in high school. I could have picked apart this book and had some really great discussions with my classmates and teachers. Just think of a diverse class discussing their points of views on topics like these! Oh, it'd be an interesting time!

Overall, this book is a really well written book! Muhammad Khan has written a beautiful story that will introduce you to Muzna's world.

Three out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Fateha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* not bad, interesting premise, however too many cliche.

[Naima · Rating 2 out of 5]

“It was cruel to bring me up in Britain, make me go to school with British kids, then expect me to act like a girl from back home. Outside of having brown skin, speaking the language, and half-heartedly cheering the cricket team on with dad, I had no real idea of what it meant to be Pakistani. I mean, how could I?”

2.5 stars

This is an #Ownvoices novel told from the perspective of a British-Pakistani teenager, Muzna, as she navigates her last year (though, the first 30 pages take place when she is thirteen) in secondary school. But it’s not just any coming-of-age story. It deals with some heavy topics such as bullying and extremism, and the struggle it takes to summon the courage to do the right thing in a very difficult situation.

Going into this book, I knew Khan had experience in teaching teens, and it showed in his work. The portrayal of school life and the secondary characters we meet in Muzna’s lessons felt very real and relatable. I also appreciated the cultural representation we see through Muzna’s family. She wants to be a novelist but her parents have almost cemented the idea in her that she must be a doctor. The frustration and guilt that comes with wanting to please your parents and following your heart is something that’ll allow many readers to connect with her character.

Something else I loved was following her journey to discovering her personal and religious identity through the course of the book. The author explores well how diverse people are within a particular religion, and how upbringing and environment can influence its interpretation and practice. It helped to understand better how radicalisation can take root in a young person’s mind, and how that mind-set might be changed.

That being said, I believe a very necessary perspective was missing from the book – one that would have helped to distinguish right from wrong, when it came to the extreme views some characters had. I understand Khan’s choice to keep Muzna in the dark and questioning about what she thinks is right, however, I wish we saw Muzna seeking information about her religion from a more trusted source than the internet. Khan brought to light extreme views as well as the misconceptions that rise from quoting verses from the holy book out of context, but he did not address them enough to let the readers know that it is not what the faith teaches. A great opportunity to educate and correct false image of Muslims was missed, in my opinion. This is something that could have been fixed during the last third of the book, with the inclusion of interactions between Muzna and a character in possession of the correct information, or through a credible book Muzna might have read to learn more about her religion, which could’ve then prompted her to make the difficult choice at the end.

Despite my concerns, I do think this a topic that needed to be addressed (for which I applaud the author), even if it wasn't executed the way it should have been.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Books for sending me an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

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[halfirishgrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was cruel to bring me up in Britain make me go to school with British kids,
then expect me to act like a girl from back home. Outside of having brown skin, speaking the language, and half-heartedly cheering the cricket team on with Dad, I had no real idea of what it meant to be Pakistani. I mean, how could I?

I Am Thunder is a YA novel unlike any I have come across before, just because it takes a topic that is timely and significant and tackles it head-on. Muhammad Khan doesn't pull any punches when it comes to exploring the vulnerability of young Muslims when it comes to being recruited into terrorist organisations. The second half of this book, as we watch Muzna struggle with her identity and come to terms with the truth is truly powerful and amazing.

I did have a few issues with the first half of the book. There were times the writing was a bit clumsy, and the fact that the novel takes us from Muzna's youth to near adulthood in the space of a few hundred pages meant that some things felt a little lacklustre, instead of being properly explored.

I was also really moved by the note from the author at the beginning, about what prompted him to write the book: "Writing [the book] was painful, but I needed to understand what might lead someone to make these bad choices." And I think that's something a lot of Muslims - unfortunately - have to try and deal with, a question they have to ask themselves. That Muhammad Khan has gone ahead and written a book that does deal with this question head-on is kind of amazing.

Read my full review on Cultured Vultures.

[Heidi Coles · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not good

I had high hopes during the first 25% but it steadily got worse. The dialogue is very stilted and used to info dump on the reader. The only believable character was jameel. Not worth the effort.

[Kausr H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me proud to be a Muslim. Muzna is an amazing hero. I saw myself and my sisters in her. Loved how the author touched on so many important issues with honesty and compassion.

[Alex Granger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolute tour de force! Instead of watering down difficult topics like Islamophobia and radicalization, Khan tackles them head on through the innocent eyes of an intelligent and relatable heroine. Muzna is adorably flawed and naïve and perhaps the novel’s greatest achievement is in slowly developing her into the powerful young lady she is destined to become. Rarely do teenage female protagonists go on to achieve this level of heroism, so it is only fitting that Muzna should be a person of colour and a girl in a headscarf.

The book reminded me of the white privilege I have been conditioned to take for granted and how that can sometimes colour our views. I saw my own students in the diverse cast of characters that simply leap off the page and I can’t wait to share the book with them on release. I know they’re going to love it as much as I do!

The author mixes humour and witty dialogue with thrills and moments of genuine terror. Without saying too much, I felt Jameel was a beautifully realised villain. If this book doesn’t end up on prize lists it will be a damning indictment on the state of the publishing industry and its failure to recognise ethnic talent.

Expect this book to stay with you long after you put it down!

[Ren (A Bookish Balance)]

ARC provided by Netgalley and Pan Macmillan.

DNF @ 20%

So, this wasn't for me. I found I Am Thunder read a bit too juvenile for my personal tastes and I had such a hard time getting past the dialogue. Every line her best friend says is especially cringeworthy and made it difficult to want to continue on in the novel. I think Muhammad Khan has a lot of potential as a writer, she has some really great descriptive scenes here, so I am willing to check out her novels in the future, but this is a pass for me.

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[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

• Family, faith and extremism
• Subtle but powerful
• Muzna is intelligent and funny
• The South London slang is “next level”
• Truly eye opening, and a must read for everyone; the voice UKYA is crying out for

[Namira ☾ · Rating 1 out of 5]

i`m that person who never dnf a book. I will try to read it. But this book man.
i had so many issues with it.
One of the reasons was how badly the father was speaking about our religion and that wasn`t acceptable.
honestly I had so high expectations.