Split

by Muhammad Khan

A day can change everything.

Fifteen-year-old Salma Hashbi has been caught with her boyfriend in a totally humiliating misunderstanding. Instantly accused of being easy, she is shunned by everyone at school, shamed by her community and worst of all, has disappointed her mum.

Enough is enough and Salma decides to fight back against the prejudice and rumours, and audition for the role of her dreams. But on the hottest day of the year, with everything against her, can Salma make it in time and show the world who she really is?

A powerful story of standing up and standing out, written exclusively for World Book Day 2020 by the Branford Boase Award-winning Muhammad Khan.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Short Stories

95 pages, Paperback

Published March 5, 2020

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

[Alice Minihane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to start with the positives. This book does spread positive messages with a nice positive outlook at the end. Furthermore, for a free book, it did give me an enjoyable evenings read. However, I feel like the target market was rather unclear. The themes in this book at the beginning is more aimed at 15 and 16 year olds but the style of writing (I would say) is more geared towards 11, 12. Although the dialect is very beautiful, for me the writing was a little too tell and not show. In addition, I was under the impression, due to the blurb, that the whole book was going to be about the prejudice attitudes she receives from her school and her being shunned but that only really lasted for around 30 pages. From then on it’s about a newly formed friendship. Also, there was an incident with the police involved where I was left very confused as it was simply brushed over even though that alone could create a story. Having said that, the police incident is used for the friend to reveal more of his thoughts about his home life. In conclusion, I would still definitely recommend reading this because it gave an insight to a girl like Salma’s life that I had never truly noticed. And just remember upon reading this that this books purpose is to shed insight on issues with race and sexuality to as many people as possible as this is one of the world book day specials. :)

[Bethany Paisley · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
Bit too on-the-nose I think, but that's to be expected with a shorter book.
Overall charming (excuse the pun) and I liked the London setting.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly I thought "oh god this book is trying too hard to be a hit with the kids". However as the story developed I got more invested in the main character and her story.
It is a very relevant book to youngsters at the moment and definitely would resonate with a lot of young people/teens. All in all a good uplifting story.

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought I would like it more than I actually did, as I really enjoyed Muhammad Khan’s I am Thunder novel. However I think that because it was a novella and so was short, it meant that I couldn’t get invested in the characters and the plot.

[venus paris · Rating 1 out of 5]

what

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know when you have that funny feeling in your tum, you know you have read a good book!
This book has been written for World Book Day & wow oh wow, it is amazing!
Muhammad Khan never fails with his books & I feel like I could buy this book for every school & young person out there.
It contains everything that young people experience today in day to day life. Muhammad is so astute and observant about what young people live through, day in, day out..... bullying, home life, religion, sexual orientation, social media, etc etc. Muhammad has managed to successfully squeeze it all in to one small but mighty powerful book. Excellent!

[Tayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Read for the OWL's readathon 2020- Potions prompt *
Salma goes on her first date with Tariq who posts pictures making it look like more happened. This becomes the talk of the school and neighbourhood and Salma is seen as a slut even though she’s telling the truth. She gets suspended from school, grounded at home and looses her best friend. It seems like she won’t even be able to attend the audition she wanted to go to.

On the day of the audition she goes anyway as her moms at work and meets Billie: a non-binary/enby teen who was being threatened by a gang. Salma sorts the situation and the two hang out before the audition. The story progresses into a newfound friendship, drama & a lot of happiness.

[Emma Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book that I have read in a long time. Every teenager should read this..

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant story as always from this fantastic contemporary writer, on a strong theme of being yourself and following your dreams.

[From the screen To the ring · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was really epic what a sigma boook. I'd love to read it it is great.
We're no strangers to love
You know the rules and so do I
A full commitment's what I'm thinkin' of
You wouldn't get this from any other guy
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
And if you ask me how I'm feeling
Don't tell me you're too blind to see
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt youWe're no strangers to love
You know the rules and so do I
A full commitment's what I'm thinkin' of
You wouldn't get this from any other guy
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
And if you ask me how I'm feeling
Don't tell me you're too blind to see
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt youWe're no strangers to love
You know the rules and so do I
A full commitment's what I'm thinkin' of
You wouldn't get this from any other guy
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
And if you ask me how I'm feeling
Don't tell me you're too blind to see
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt youWe're no strangers to love
You know the rules and so do I
A full commitment's what I'm thinkin' of
You wouldn't get this from any other guy
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
And if you ask me how I'm feeling
Don't tell me you're too blind to see
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt youWe're no strangers to love
You know the rules and so do I
A full commitment's what I'm thinkin' of
You wouldn't get this from any other guy
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
And if you ask me how I'm feeling
Don't tell me you're too blind to see
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt youWe're no strangers to love
You know the rules and so do I
A full commitment's what I'm thinkin' of
You wouldn't get this from any other guy
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
And if you ask me how I'm feeling
Don't tell me you're too blind to see
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt youWe're no strangers to love
You know the rules and so do I
A full commitment's what I'm thinkin' of
You wouldn't get this from any other guy
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
And if you ask me how I'm feeling
Don't tell me you're too blind to see
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt youWe're no strangers to love
You know the rules and so do I
A full commitment's what I'm thinkin' of
You wouldn't get this from any other guy
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
And if you ask me how I'm feeling
Don't tell me you're too blind to see
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt youWe're no strangers to love
You know the rules and so do I
A full commitment's what I'm thinkin' of
You wouldn't get this from any other guy
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
And if you ask me how I'm feeling
Don't tell me you're too blind to see
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt youWe're no strangers to love
You know the rules and so do I
A full commitment's what I'm thinkin' of
You wouldn't get this from any other guy
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
And if you ask me how I'm feeling
Don't tell me you're too blind to see
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt youWe're no strangers to love
You know the rules and so do I
A full commitment's what I'm thinkin' of
You wouldn't get this from any other guy
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
And if you ask me how I'm feeling
Don't tell me you're too blind to see
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it
I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
Never gonna give you up, never gonna

[RuthyMB · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice short story with very modern day references, good characters. Would be better if it was longer and more detailed!

[Shahrun · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book was brilliant, full of surprises and great characters from start to finish. Would love to read more by this author. The cover is beautiful too.

[Anna Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Muhammads books! This is up to his usual standard! Beautiful, complex, & also pretty funny. Highly recommended.

[Alfie Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, impactful and inclusive, this is yet another brilliant UKYA book from Muhammad Khan. When Salma Hashbi is caught up in a scandal which is completely not her fault she begins to be shunned everywhere, by her best friend, people at school and even her Pakistani Muslim community. When the opportunity arises for her to audition for a musical theatre role that is asking for a fresh take on Cinderella, Salma sees her chance to fight back, rebel and show the world exactly what she can do. I loved this World book Day 2020 title and it may be my favourite WBD story to date. The author is able to cram so much into such a short space and not a single word is wasted. The cast are loveable and diverse and the messages are empowering and clear. What more can you ask from a book?

[Robert O’Halloran · Rating 1 out of 5]

Words can’t describe how woefully terrible this book was. The characters are boring and unlikeable, the plot and resolution is terribly cliched and several pages consist of the predictable and worn-out Underdog vs. Bully storyline. Please avoid at all costs.

[Farida · Rating 2 out of 5]

Content Warnings: death, someone tries to pull a girl's skirt up, slut-shaming, victim blaming, transphobic/unsupportive parent, homophobia and transphobia.

[FeedMyReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you're a teen approaching adulthood life is full of challenges but when Salma discovers that she is the talk of her school, her community and more, it falls on her to try to keep her life from spiralling out of control and so going for her audition for a play becomes central to her thoughts and priorities. Along the journey Salma must discover just how much judgement there is in the world and decide if she wants to simply bow her head and keep quiet or rise against the challenges that people present.

This is a book of under 100 pages but it feels like it packs a huge amount into those pages as this book delivers a clever, well told story that will get you thinking about so many areas of life that you take for granted. All of this from such a short book shows an author who has a real talent.

[Reuben Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great little short story, and so nice to revisit a side character from I Am Thunder. Khan always has a great ear for teen voices and does really well with writing honest relatable characters. I loved that we saw some non binary representation in this one, and it was done really well! Even though it was short, Salma still went on a brief journey there in her understanding and I really enjoyed seeing that.
Unfortunately I had a rather frustrating issue with the library copy of the ebook - there were pages missing so every chapter cut off abruptly in the middle of a sentence. 😫 By the time I realised it was a persistent issue I was already into the story and didn’t wanna stop so I put up with it but obv I’ll have missed some detail and nuance.

[Riaz Ujjan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw the title of the book I thought it is about love and split in it. But when I started reading found that it is story of girl, whose father has died & mother is a working woman who has retired all the debts of her late her husband. She is sometimes friend to her daughter & sometimes typical mother. The girl faces a deception from a person but she not only strikes back but pursue her dream of acting. On way to the audition she finds a trans who has more faith in him than herself. In the end she gets selected for acting.
Overall a story telling positives of life in a society where negatives rein.

[Martha Greally · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this from a book swap thing and picked it because I liked the idea of a book that focussed on cultural differences for young people in modern Britain. It was good but but it was 100% a children’s book so it was very simplistic and not challenging at all. I think it’s a lovely idea for young people to read and the exact kind of book that would be really helpful for young people who don’t feel they fit in (the main character is British Pakistani and her friend is non binary). It’s a cute read but definitely not for adults. It’s very short though so I just blasted through it in one sitting.

[BookAholicEllie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough my school librarian gifted me this copy. Great ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 short story.
It tells the story of Salma who becomes involved in a scandal with a boy and is an aspiring actress. Both of these things are looked down upon in her community. 
It deals with topics such as bullying, relationships , religions and a non binary character.
I loved salmas character especially when she meets billie as she is independent and a Fierce girl who sticks up for others and eventually herself
I am looking forward to reading Muhammads next book coming out later this year

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great novella!!! Reading this as an adult, I see it was obviously for teens 12-18 years but I can never resist world book day novellas. I used to read them every year and when I saw this, I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t even know what it was about until I started reading!!! Love the diversity rep!! Love how it serious and funny and shows how important relationships matter in your life. That has been judge at that auditions needs a massive slap in the face, just wanted to get that out there because he annoyed me so much

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Salam is a sassy, sharply drawn character and Khan’s ability to write great dialogue and capture her struggles at home and at school is spot on. I loved the story and am impressed at how much is packed into this short book. It is pacy, well written and puts a spotlight on gender and diversity. Loved it!

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 3 out of 5]

My copy of Split was a free World Book Day read back in 2020, so I figured it was time to get it read.

It comes in at a short 95 pages, with the remainding 20 pages being taken by a chapter of someone else's book.

I found the book to be a little on the short side thus I was unable to fully engage with the characters and become invested into the plot.

For me the characters fell flat, they had zero character and were monotone.

[Auro Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

An easy and quick read with a lot of controversy topics mentioned that I am glad were inlcuded.

I liked how strong and persevering the main character was.

In general, a good read that I am sure a lot of poeple liked but it didn't work for me.

[Jon Plummer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A refreshing lively short story about self-belief, risk-taking and the importance and place of friendship. Like many YA books it also has something to say about the dangers of social pressures and group-think: safety and belonging sometimes need to be weighed against vision and courage.

[Savannah Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in 2020 as my teacher gave me it arpund world book day as she had picked up extra copies. I loved it as was a story to do with #BLM #LGQBT, trust me if you love a good teen book, it's worth it, a real nice quick read to start you off on ya books and is written really well x

[Anne Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

book for tenagers - was quite engaging and characters OK. Story of a young Asian girl who meets up with a non-binary young person who she saves from being bullied on a bench. They find agood friendship with each other cos of things they both share.

[Rebecca Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a brilliant book and I absolutely loved it.I really liked the main character Salma but my Favourite character has to be Billie.

This book discusses alot of important topics from race to gender and I really think it did such a good job of handling them.

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy, short little read for younger teens.
Sadly, there were some grammatical and spelling mistakes throughout, which I picked up on.
But nice storyline and message in the story.
Wish the ending was stronger and we knew a bit more about what happened next- quite a sudden ending.