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Free Radicals
Afghan-American Mafi's sophomore year gets a whole lot more complicated when she accidentally exposes family secrets, putting her family back in Afghanistan in danger in this smartly written YA debut.
Sixteen-year-old Mafi Shahin knows life is not always fair. If it were she’d have just as much freedom as her older brother Rafi and her crush—basketball star Jalen Thomas—would see her as more than Rafi’s kid sister. And if life were fair, Mafi’s family in Afghanistan wouldn’t have to flee their homes to be safe.
Life may not be fair, but as the Ghost, her high school’s secret avenger, Mafi vows to make it a bit more even, meting out karmic justice on behalf of classmates who’ve been wronged. They simply leave a revenge note detailing the transgression in the knot of the SOL tree, and Mafi takes care of the rest.
But there are rules to being the Ghost: Don’t get caught. Never reveal your identity. Never involve the police, and definitely don’t get emotionally involved. But starting sophomore year, everything changes when instead of a revenge note, a wish turns up in the tree and Mafi breaks all her rules, putting her heart and even her family in Afghanistan at risk. Now Mafi will have to decide who she wants to be—the Ghost, making the world a just place from the shadows or something real, standing up for what’s right in the daylight.
Sixteen-year-old Mafi Shahin knows life is not always fair. If it were she’d have just as much freedom as her older brother Rafi and her crush—basketball star Jalen Thomas—would see her as more than Rafi’s kid sister. And if life were fair, Mafi’s family in Afghanistan wouldn’t have to flee their homes to be safe.
Life may not be fair, but as the Ghost, her high school’s secret avenger, Mafi vows to make it a bit more even, meting out karmic justice on behalf of classmates who’ve been wronged. They simply leave a revenge note detailing the transgression in the knot of the SOL tree, and Mafi takes care of the rest.
But there are rules to being the Ghost: Don’t get caught. Never reveal your identity. Never involve the police, and definitely don’t get emotionally involved. But starting sophomore year, everything changes when instead of a revenge note, a wish turns up in the tree and Mafi breaks all her rules, putting her heart and even her family in Afghanistan at risk. Now Mafi will have to decide who she wants to be—the Ghost, making the world a just place from the shadows or something real, standing up for what’s right in the daylight.
400 pages, Hardcover
Published March 21, 2023
6 people are currently reading
4457 people want to read
About the author
Lila Riesen
2 books39 followersLila Riesen is the author of Rainsong (2026) and Free Radicals (2023), which Publishers Weekly called “an emphatic and empathetic debut.” The daughter of Afghan and Australian immigrants, she lives in Irvine, California with her husband and son.
https://www.lilariesen.com/
https://www.lilariesen.com/
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August 24, 2022Author Note: I believe Goodreads is a place for readers and not authors, so I will not insert myself much on this page. While Free Radicals is largely a humorous novel, before you dive in, I'd like to share some content warnings (apologies if I've missed some):
Bullying
Cursing (mild)
Death/Dying (mild)
Discrimination/Harassment
Drug use (referenced)
Family issues/Parenting
Mental health/Mental illness
Military themes
Racism
Sexism/Misogyny/Toxic Masculinity
Sexual assault (referenced)
Sexual content (mild/moderate)
Violence (mild)
Xenophobia
Thank you so much for taking the time to read FR. In the meantime, if you enjoyed my writing, know that a second (unrelated!) YA book is in the works!
Bullying
Cursing (mild)
Death/Dying (mild)
Discrimination/Harassment
Drug use (referenced)
Family issues/Parenting
Mental health/Mental illness
Military themes
Racism
Sexism/Misogyny/Toxic Masculinity
Sexual assault (referenced)
Sexual content (mild/moderate)
Violence (mild)
Xenophobia
Thank you so much for taking the time to read FR. In the meantime, if you enjoyed my writing, know that a second (unrelated!) YA book is in the works!
June 23, 2023
This was a pleasant surprise. At the start of this book I thought that it would be similar in someways to another recent read, Ride or Die [ my review here ]. Mostly because in both books we are introduced to main characters that we are told do things that might be a little risky.
We're introduced to Mafi as the school's ghost, a person that is known to get revenge on those that have been done wrong and who Mafi believes to be telling the truth. In getting this revenge she might do things that are a little impulsive, but it's never the less fun in some capacity. It's something that I could get behind, and I fully expected the book to be full of Mafi going on these missions precipitated by the notes left for her.
What I got instead is something more akin to a traditional contemporary book. The element of Mafi getting vengeance was still there of course, but so was a well crafted romance between Mafi and her brother's former friend and teammate, a new friendship with a classmate, a complicated family story that really managed to take center stage while never feeling like it was taking time away from any of the other developments happening.
I started off feeling as though I fully understood everything that was going to happen. As I started to read I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. Mafi and her world opened up in a way that was a joy to read about, even when things started to get. more complicated for her and things weren't going at all in her direction.
This feels like one of the books that has slipped through the cracks, a truly underrated gem that I think a lot of readers would get something out of and I hope that young readers in particular do eventually manage to get their hands on it because I think it is most definitely a story worth experiencing for yourself.
We're introduced to Mafi as the school's ghost, a person that is known to get revenge on those that have been done wrong and who Mafi believes to be telling the truth. In getting this revenge she might do things that are a little impulsive, but it's never the less fun in some capacity. It's something that I could get behind, and I fully expected the book to be full of Mafi going on these missions precipitated by the notes left for her.
What I got instead is something more akin to a traditional contemporary book. The element of Mafi getting vengeance was still there of course, but so was a well crafted romance between Mafi and her brother's former friend and teammate, a new friendship with a classmate, a complicated family story that really managed to take center stage while never feeling like it was taking time away from any of the other developments happening.
I started off feeling as though I fully understood everything that was going to happen. As I started to read I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. Mafi and her world opened up in a way that was a joy to read about, even when things started to get. more complicated for her and things weren't going at all in her direction.
This feels like one of the books that has slipped through the cracks, a truly underrated gem that I think a lot of readers would get something out of and I hope that young readers in particular do eventually manage to get their hands on it because I think it is most definitely a story worth experiencing for yourself.
August 24, 2022
I was lucky enough to read Free Radicals in its earliest stages and I have to tell you, it is a pacey, fun, poignant read for ALL AGES, not just teenagers. I read this book in one sitting and fell in love with the characters and the sheer hilarity… It made me want to be a teenager again! I am a forever fan of Lila’s, now, and will read whatever she puts out next! Eagerly waiting for Netflix or some streaming service to jump on this. I NEED to see this on screen!
March 19, 2023
Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary audio copy of this YA #ownvoices debut about an Afghan American teen girl navigating first love, high school drama and dangerous family secrets connected to her relatives still in Afghanistan. Equally entertaining and moving, this gave me a bit of Margot Mertz vibes. Good on audio too narrated by Gilli Messer.
February 16, 2023
3.5
This contemporary 400 page YA book about an American Afghan girl dealing with life and boys and worrying about family in Afghanistan since America's withdrawal from the country, is written by an Afghan Australian, raised in America, and thus it seemed like a book I should review from an Islamic lens even if the blurb on the back seemed a little stereotypical with the oppressed-can't-meet-with-boys theme. Well, suffice it to say the blurb on the back is terribly misleading and this OWN voice book lightly sprinkles in Islam as cultural adoptions and there are flags, oh so many flags. In the first 20 pages alone there is normalizing and discussion of sex, watching pornography, voyeurism, a females breast being exposed, drinking alcohol, a trans character changing, cheating, gossip of the main character circle jerking three guys, partying, a boy sneaking over, parents vacuuming to cover the sounds of their son and his girlfriend in the bedroom, attempted sexual assault, and the book doesn't just say it is young adult, it specifies, 7th grade, ages 12 and up! I'm reviewing it as an Islamic School Librarian, but I am not ok with any 12 year olds reading this, and worry the American flag on top, the masjid on the bottom and the young girl on the side, just might entice a young reader to start reading, and that is alarming. The characters do not identify as Muslim, the grandpa known as Baba is a "conditional Muslim" he skips Ramadan, celebrates Christmas, and only prays a few times a week, so the drinking and the dating are really not concerns for the characters. I kept reading to see if there was some religious arc with the family in Afghanistan possibly coming, but SPOILER, I'll save you the read, there is no Islam, a Quran is mentioned to be stored in a box with old shoes, the dad starts reading the Bible and considers "converting" and there are make-out scenes, a pan sexual character, vandalism, sexual assault rumors, just to name a few. The writing is entertaining if not chaotic at times, but I cannot recommend this book for Muslim readers, and have reservations about some of the stereotypes for non Muslims, I will stay focused on the Muslim reader in this review, however, since the book is OWN voice, and just because I don't like or agree with various aspects, does not mean that they are not accurate or real.
SYNOPSIS:
Mafi is 16 and since rumors about what she did at a party with three guys started circulating she finds herself friendless and unseen. She has become the dealer of vengeance, working to ensure people get what is coming to them when the notes left in a tree are verified. Living each day in sweats and hoodies she dreams of Jalen, a basketball player, being more than just her brother's friend. When she starts to get sloppy in her justice "ghost" dealings she finds herself emotionally involved and her world changing as a result. There are numerous side characters and side stories that keep this book buzzing: her parents relationship falling a part, her sister away at college, her grandfather's dementia, her brother Rafi and his girl friend Bian, Rafi getting signed by a college for basketball that wants to make public his Afghan roots, a father who wants them to always deny their Afghan roots, Jalen's own drive to be signed with a college, Jalen's dad's PTSD, motocross, driver's license, the kid next door that smells of smoke, piercing noses, Brit, a popular trans activist with no sex drive who befriends Mafi, and rumors and gossip that poke and complicate every aforementioned character and relationship.
WHY I LIKE IT:
I have issues with the blurb on the back, the cultural/religious restraints are really non existent in the book, the SOL tree is only brought in for two acts of vengeance, and the age demographic is just too young to read about the sexual exploits, that are not detailed but are very present and normalized. I have issues with the religious references that are present anecdotally for the dismissiveness it implies, but it is not an issue for the characters- because religion is not a part of their lives, and honestly- ultimately, I'm glad it was kept at arms length, because with so many "haram" story lines, it would be problematic to see the characters identifying as Muslim. The writing at times was really engaging and smooth and I was shocked at how fast the pages were flying by. At other times it seemed too chaotic and underdeveloped. Keying a car seems such a sad planned act of vengeance, I wanted to know what acts she had done in the past other than the two mentioned in the book, there was a lot of set up to go deep on Bian, or Jalen's dad or Mafi's loss of friends, but it all just fizzled. I never felt emotionally tied to the family in Afghanistan, or the dad on the deck. I wanted to understand some of the walls the family established so that I could feel what the characters were feeling- and so often it just wasn't there. I absolutely loved the grandfather and his quirks and the sibling relationship of Rafi and Mafi as the story progressed. After the initial shock value, the book really did settle down and have a lot of heart, but those first 20 pages were aggressive, and the last twenty seemed to just unravel. I would have loved to see some commentary about the hypocrisy or ironies of Mafi's life, she has insights, they just seemed missing when reflecting on her own family quirks: her family doesn't want to identify as Afghan, yet all their nicknames are Afghani, she claims she can't hang out with boys, but she seems to all the time with no problem, they have no Afghan friends and yet there is no acknowledgement of this when the man on the moped shows up, how long Baba has lived with them seems inconsistent, they eat dinner together most nights but seem like strangers.
Politically, the author has her views and thus the characters theirs. For those not familiar there is enough information about Hazaras, and the Taliban, to understand her point of view, but I don't know that the books really conveys a lot of the nuance or accounts for why the family would be heading to Pakistan while dropping jabs at Pakistan's view of the Taliban. There is a bit of othering and we are the good ones not the terrorist ones that seems stereotypical, but the remarks are said in passing and not often.
FLAGS:
Sex, kissing, making out, voyeurism, porn, female breasts exposed, trans character changing, Islamophobic remarks, misogyny, bullying, language, loss, dementia, discrimination, drugs, mental health, rumors, gossip, lying, sexual assault, violence, PTSD, relationships, pan sexual, racism, theft, hate speech, death, fear, threats, sneaking out, Halloween, alcohol, hung over, violence, mention of murder, masturbation word play, a child using a dildo as a sword, pretty much every flag you can think of is present in some form.
TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
I would not shelve this book in an Islamic school library or classroom. I would hope that public libraries would not be displaying it near the books for younger YA as well. It isn't that I am holding it to a higher standard than other YA books, but it would be naïve to think that the Afghan architecture on the bottom right of the cover that looks like a mosque and the light hearted blurb on the back, might excite young Muslim readers, and thus I've posted this review as much for my own conscious in making sure parents don't pick this up for their kids as for warning Muslims that there isn't Islamic rep in the book.
This contemporary 400 page YA book about an American Afghan girl dealing with life and boys and worrying about family in Afghanistan since America's withdrawal from the country, is written by an Afghan Australian, raised in America, and thus it seemed like a book I should review from an Islamic lens even if the blurb on the back seemed a little stereotypical with the oppressed-can't-meet-with-boys theme. Well, suffice it to say the blurb on the back is terribly misleading and this OWN voice book lightly sprinkles in Islam as cultural adoptions and there are flags, oh so many flags. In the first 20 pages alone there is normalizing and discussion of sex, watching pornography, voyeurism, a females breast being exposed, drinking alcohol, a trans character changing, cheating, gossip of the main character circle jerking three guys, partying, a boy sneaking over, parents vacuuming to cover the sounds of their son and his girlfriend in the bedroom, attempted sexual assault, and the book doesn't just say it is young adult, it specifies, 7th grade, ages 12 and up! I'm reviewing it as an Islamic School Librarian, but I am not ok with any 12 year olds reading this, and worry the American flag on top, the masjid on the bottom and the young girl on the side, just might entice a young reader to start reading, and that is alarming. The characters do not identify as Muslim, the grandpa known as Baba is a "conditional Muslim" he skips Ramadan, celebrates Christmas, and only prays a few times a week, so the drinking and the dating are really not concerns for the characters. I kept reading to see if there was some religious arc with the family in Afghanistan possibly coming, but SPOILER, I'll save you the read, there is no Islam, a Quran is mentioned to be stored in a box with old shoes, the dad starts reading the Bible and considers "converting" and there are make-out scenes, a pan sexual character, vandalism, sexual assault rumors, just to name a few. The writing is entertaining if not chaotic at times, but I cannot recommend this book for Muslim readers, and have reservations about some of the stereotypes for non Muslims, I will stay focused on the Muslim reader in this review, however, since the book is OWN voice, and just because I don't like or agree with various aspects, does not mean that they are not accurate or real.
SYNOPSIS:
Mafi is 16 and since rumors about what she did at a party with three guys started circulating she finds herself friendless and unseen. She has become the dealer of vengeance, working to ensure people get what is coming to them when the notes left in a tree are verified. Living each day in sweats and hoodies she dreams of Jalen, a basketball player, being more than just her brother's friend. When she starts to get sloppy in her justice "ghost" dealings she finds herself emotionally involved and her world changing as a result. There are numerous side characters and side stories that keep this book buzzing: her parents relationship falling a part, her sister away at college, her grandfather's dementia, her brother Rafi and his girl friend Bian, Rafi getting signed by a college for basketball that wants to make public his Afghan roots, a father who wants them to always deny their Afghan roots, Jalen's own drive to be signed with a college, Jalen's dad's PTSD, motocross, driver's license, the kid next door that smells of smoke, piercing noses, Brit, a popular trans activist with no sex drive who befriends Mafi, and rumors and gossip that poke and complicate every aforementioned character and relationship.
WHY I LIKE IT:
I have issues with the blurb on the back, the cultural/religious restraints are really non existent in the book, the SOL tree is only brought in for two acts of vengeance, and the age demographic is just too young to read about the sexual exploits, that are not detailed but are very present and normalized. I have issues with the religious references that are present anecdotally for the dismissiveness it implies, but it is not an issue for the characters- because religion is not a part of their lives, and honestly- ultimately, I'm glad it was kept at arms length, because with so many "haram" story lines, it would be problematic to see the characters identifying as Muslim. The writing at times was really engaging and smooth and I was shocked at how fast the pages were flying by. At other times it seemed too chaotic and underdeveloped. Keying a car seems such a sad planned act of vengeance, I wanted to know what acts she had done in the past other than the two mentioned in the book, there was a lot of set up to go deep on Bian, or Jalen's dad or Mafi's loss of friends, but it all just fizzled. I never felt emotionally tied to the family in Afghanistan, or the dad on the deck. I wanted to understand some of the walls the family established so that I could feel what the characters were feeling- and so often it just wasn't there. I absolutely loved the grandfather and his quirks and the sibling relationship of Rafi and Mafi as the story progressed. After the initial shock value, the book really did settle down and have a lot of heart, but those first 20 pages were aggressive, and the last twenty seemed to just unravel. I would have loved to see some commentary about the hypocrisy or ironies of Mafi's life, she has insights, they just seemed missing when reflecting on her own family quirks: her family doesn't want to identify as Afghan, yet all their nicknames are Afghani, she claims she can't hang out with boys, but she seems to all the time with no problem, they have no Afghan friends and yet there is no acknowledgement of this when the man on the moped shows up, how long Baba has lived with them seems inconsistent, they eat dinner together most nights but seem like strangers.
Politically, the author has her views and thus the characters theirs. For those not familiar there is enough information about Hazaras, and the Taliban, to understand her point of view, but I don't know that the books really conveys a lot of the nuance or accounts for why the family would be heading to Pakistan while dropping jabs at Pakistan's view of the Taliban. There is a bit of othering and we are the good ones not the terrorist ones that seems stereotypical, but the remarks are said in passing and not often.
FLAGS:
Sex, kissing, making out, voyeurism, porn, female breasts exposed, trans character changing, Islamophobic remarks, misogyny, bullying, language, loss, dementia, discrimination, drugs, mental health, rumors, gossip, lying, sexual assault, violence, PTSD, relationships, pan sexual, racism, theft, hate speech, death, fear, threats, sneaking out, Halloween, alcohol, hung over, violence, mention of murder, masturbation word play, a child using a dildo as a sword, pretty much every flag you can think of is present in some form.
TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
I would not shelve this book in an Islamic school library or classroom. I would hope that public libraries would not be displaying it near the books for younger YA as well. It isn't that I am holding it to a higher standard than other YA books, but it would be naïve to think that the Afghan architecture on the bottom right of the cover that looks like a mosque and the light hearted blurb on the back, might excite young Muslim readers, and thus I've posted this review as much for my own conscious in making sure parents don't pick this up for their kids as for warning Muslims that there isn't Islamic rep in the book.
February 17, 2023
If I could give 0 stars, I would. This is a Muslim-baiting book filled with islamophobic rhetoric.
November 5, 2024
ok this was such a good book tbh!! 😍 i gave it 3 stars for a few reasons but mainly the confusing storylines. i wasn't sure what was important and what was just randomly thrown in...for example: the SOL tree was supposed to be (i think) like a main plot point that the whole book revolved around, but I honestly forgot about it and had to think about why it was back in the book when the author mentioned it again😭 and then her mom and dads relationship seemed like a huge issue but it wasn't handled well so it kinda blended into the background until the author "needed" it again. i just think there was too much going on and it wasn't executed well. however i loved the romance and relationship between Mafi and Raf! i liked how they kinda were already close at the beginning but got even closer throughout the book! and i always love to read about different cultures and opinions, it really helps me get out of my little bubble lol. so overall, this was a good read and i would prob recommend it!
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tw; racism, sexism, religious discrimination, PTSD of a parent mentioned, slut shaming
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tw; racism, sexism, religious discrimination, PTSD of a parent mentioned, slut shaming
╰┈┈┈┈╯
March 27, 2023
thank you so much to penguin teen and colored pages blog tours for gifting me an early copy in exchange for an honest review!!
i have no idea what was i expecting from this book, but it was not this. a conversation about Afghans right in the middle of one of their crisis, another about mysoginy and how rumors can destroy you, the importance of a legacy and feeling that you have a home somewhere... my heart broke every time i learned something new about this family. and i could get myself in Mafi's shoes: it's the typical time in your life that you would do anything for a boy, just like Taylor Swift said: "for you i would ruin myself a million times." i loved the concept of the title and how it translated to little details in Mafi's life. it felt real in the reaccions, the thoughts and actions, driven by the desire of being unseen but seen at the same time. also, Brit is my fave character, i started shipping her and Mafi at some point because of their interactions but i loooved how their friendship developed and i loved their scenes together. and the ending... i was starting to think the author had decided to use the question "what is the worst thing that can happen?" a lot of times and i was genuinly scared for everyone 😱
this is a very important book, specially for Afghans. i really hope it was a good representation because i truly enjoyed those hystorical pieces that we got from time to time. a good contemporary, totally necesary, if you ask me 💞
i have no idea what was i expecting from this book, but it was not this. a conversation about Afghans right in the middle of one of their crisis, another about mysoginy and how rumors can destroy you, the importance of a legacy and feeling that you have a home somewhere... my heart broke every time i learned something new about this family. and i could get myself in Mafi's shoes: it's the typical time in your life that you would do anything for a boy, just like Taylor Swift said: "for you i would ruin myself a million times." i loved the concept of the title and how it translated to little details in Mafi's life. it felt real in the reaccions, the thoughts and actions, driven by the desire of being unseen but seen at the same time. also, Brit is my fave character, i started shipping her and Mafi at some point because of their interactions but i loooved how their friendship developed and i loved their scenes together. and the ending... i was starting to think the author had decided to use the question "what is the worst thing that can happen?" a lot of times and i was genuinly scared for everyone 😱
this is a very important book, specially for Afghans. i really hope it was a good representation because i truly enjoyed those hystorical pieces that we got from time to time. a good contemporary, totally necesary, if you ask me 💞
March 30, 2023
TW: Bullying, Drug use, Family issues/Parenting, Mental health/Mental illness, Military themes
Racism, Sexism/Misogyny/Toxic Masculinity, Sexual assault (referenced), Sexual content (mild/moderate), Violence (mild) and Xenophobia
"We deserve to know when where we come from-who we are!"
Free Radicals is an powerful coming of age debut novel that packs an emotional punch. It's about an Afghan American teen named Mafi Shahin. Her father is constantly telling her to hide her Afghan ancestry. Mafi has an older brother named Rafi who plays on the high school basketball team. She has a crush on her brother's friend, Jalen. Mafi is targeted with vicious untrue rumors, she seeks revenge under the name Ghost of Santa Margarita High (A student who employs revenge on people).
It's about family, identity in the United States, our fears, threats and racism which causes people to live in the shadows. It highlights the Afghan community right in the middle of one of their crisis, another about misogyny and how rumors can destroy you. We must stand up for our identities. Free Radicals is an important book that everyone should read.
Thanks to Colored Pages Blog tours and Penguin teen for the book and a chance to review this debut novel.
Racism, Sexism/Misogyny/Toxic Masculinity, Sexual assault (referenced), Sexual content (mild/moderate), Violence (mild) and Xenophobia
"We deserve to know when where we come from-who we are!"
Free Radicals is an powerful coming of age debut novel that packs an emotional punch. It's about an Afghan American teen named Mafi Shahin. Her father is constantly telling her to hide her Afghan ancestry. Mafi has an older brother named Rafi who plays on the high school basketball team. She has a crush on her brother's friend, Jalen. Mafi is targeted with vicious untrue rumors, she seeks revenge under the name Ghost of Santa Margarita High (A student who employs revenge on people).
It's about family, identity in the United States, our fears, threats and racism which causes people to live in the shadows. It highlights the Afghan community right in the middle of one of their crisis, another about misogyny and how rumors can destroy you. We must stand up for our identities. Free Radicals is an important book that everyone should read.
Thanks to Colored Pages Blog tours and Penguin teen for the book and a chance to review this debut novel.
April 21, 2023
2 stars. i really hate giving ownvoices books less than 4 stars but sometimes it must be done. this book was one of the most confusing things i’ve ever read for so many reasons.
(short answer version)
plot: nonexistent
the romance: a little gross
pacing: killed the potential of this book
(long answer version)
plot:
the synopsis of this book makes it seem like mafi being the "ghost" will be a much bigger thing than it actually is. in reality, mafi does two (2) ghost missions across the whole book, and only the second one has actual consequences, which are resolved almost immediately and have no relation to the rest of the story. so since her being the ghost isn't the plot, what is? i still have no idea. this book has multiple moving parts: jalen and mafi's romantic relationship, mafi's straining relationship with her siblings, her relatives in afghanistan trying to escape. but the book doesn't weave them together in any meaningful way. all the events seem to just happen, and don't really impact one another until the very end of the book, when something *rafi* does endangers their family. the synopsis makes it seem like mafi's the actor here, but that's not true; mafi mainly just reacts to what other people do, which doesn't make for a very interesting main character. the only thing she actually does is gush about jalen and how much she wants to date him which, fair enough, she's a sophomore. but that takes me into...
the romance:
right off the bat, jalen is a senior and mafi is a sophomore. this might be a me thing, but i really hate that. sure it's only two years, but in high school that gap is *wide.* that aside, their relationship was kind of sweet, except that it developed out of nowhere. towards the end of the book we kind of get a reasoning for that, but it's so shoehorned and doen't get any time to breathe before the book moves on. jalen's character was actually really touching sometimes, but other times i was so confused on why he acted the way he did and why mafi even liked him.
pacing:
i mentioned that jalen reveals something at the end of the book that gets brushed over, and that happened multiple times throughout the book. there would be something really important or impactful that was revealed, or a scene that actually made my heart hurt, but then the character would all just move on or the scene would abruptly end. it was really jarring and really took me out of the book because the characters just... didn't react like people, they reacted like characters in a book. there was potential for hard-hitting moments, but they weren't given time to properly develop, so they fell flat.
there's more that i disliked about this book, but i think the three elements i described sum up most of my thoughts. unfortunately i do not recommend reading free radicals :/
thank you to netgalley and penguinteen for an eARC of this book, all opinion are my own.
(short answer version)
plot: nonexistent
the romance: a little gross
pacing: killed the potential of this book
(long answer version)
plot:
the synopsis of this book makes it seem like mafi being the "ghost" will be a much bigger thing than it actually is. in reality, mafi does two (2) ghost missions across the whole book, and only the second one has actual consequences, which are resolved almost immediately and have no relation to the rest of the story. so since her being the ghost isn't the plot, what is? i still have no idea. this book has multiple moving parts: jalen and mafi's romantic relationship, mafi's straining relationship with her siblings, her relatives in afghanistan trying to escape. but the book doesn't weave them together in any meaningful way. all the events seem to just happen, and don't really impact one another until the very end of the book, when something *rafi* does endangers their family. the synopsis makes it seem like mafi's the actor here, but that's not true; mafi mainly just reacts to what other people do, which doesn't make for a very interesting main character. the only thing she actually does is gush about jalen and how much she wants to date him which, fair enough, she's a sophomore. but that takes me into...
the romance:
right off the bat, jalen is a senior and mafi is a sophomore. this might be a me thing, but i really hate that. sure it's only two years, but in high school that gap is *wide.* that aside, their relationship was kind of sweet, except that it developed out of nowhere. towards the end of the book we kind of get a reasoning for that, but it's so shoehorned and doen't get any time to breathe before the book moves on. jalen's character was actually really touching sometimes, but other times i was so confused on why he acted the way he did and why mafi even liked him.
pacing:
i mentioned that jalen reveals something at the end of the book that gets brushed over, and that happened multiple times throughout the book. there would be something really important or impactful that was revealed, or a scene that actually made my heart hurt, but then the character would all just move on or the scene would abruptly end. it was really jarring and really took me out of the book because the characters just... didn't react like people, they reacted like characters in a book. there was potential for hard-hitting moments, but they weren't given time to properly develop, so they fell flat.
there's more that i disliked about this book, but i think the three elements i described sum up most of my thoughts. unfortunately i do not recommend reading free radicals :/
thank you to netgalley and penguinteen for an eARC of this book, all opinion are my own.
February 23, 2023
A friend on TikTok recommended this book to me, and I'm so glad he did. This book really packed an emotional punch. There's a lot going on, so I never got bored. I loved all of the characters, especially the relationship dynamics between siblings Mafi, Rafi, and Kate. As the youngest child of three from a multicultural background, I could relate to a lot.
March 21, 2023
Thank you Netgalley and Penguinteen for an eARC of this book, all opinions are my own.
2.5 rounded down. I have a complicated relationship with this book. At first, I thought it was lackluster and dry because a large chunk of the book was just Mafi pining for Jalen. Also, I don't like how their dad just dumped everything on them at the end. I understand that it was the climax but logically if he told the kids from the beginning a lot of the conflict wouldn't have happened. I do understand why she wrote it like this though especially because keeping things to oneself is very common in Asian Culture. Another issue I have with this book is that excluding the end of the book the main character's Afghan heritage felt sparsely mentioned at most everything was just dumped at the end. When their father dumped all that information on them my jaw literally dropped. It broke my heart because though this is just a book in my eyes this is the reality for many Afghans, poor Baba.
I loved Baba with my whole heart. His dementia related accidents broke my heart because he was just so sweet to all of his grandkids and was just so fun throughout the whole book. At first, I REALLY didn't like Mafi but as I continued to read the book, I realized that the two of us are quite similar. She allowed me to do some reflecting on myself. One thing I can't get past is the fact that Jalen used Mafi to get back at her brother and Mafi didn't consider this a HUGE red flag. It doesn't matter if they ended up together at the end that is still so wrong and it's just weird.
Overall, I am happy that we got an Afghan American as a main character but I can't overlook all of my dislikes for the book.
2.5 rounded down. I have a complicated relationship with this book. At first, I thought it was lackluster and dry because a large chunk of the book was just Mafi pining for Jalen. Also, I don't like how their dad just dumped everything on them at the end. I understand that it was the climax but logically if he told the kids from the beginning a lot of the conflict wouldn't have happened. I do understand why she wrote it like this though especially because keeping things to oneself is very common in Asian Culture. Another issue I have with this book is that excluding the end of the book the main character's Afghan heritage felt sparsely mentioned at most everything was just dumped at the end. When their father dumped all that information on them my jaw literally dropped. It broke my heart because though this is just a book in my eyes this is the reality for many Afghans, poor Baba.
I loved Baba with my whole heart. His dementia related accidents broke my heart because he was just so sweet to all of his grandkids and was just so fun throughout the whole book. At first, I REALLY didn't like Mafi but as I continued to read the book, I realized that the two of us are quite similar. She allowed me to do some reflecting on myself. One thing I can't get past is the fact that Jalen used Mafi to get back at her brother and Mafi didn't consider this a HUGE red flag. It doesn't matter if they ended up together at the end that is still so wrong and it's just weird.
Overall, I am happy that we got an Afghan American as a main character but I can't overlook all of my dislikes for the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2023
What worked: This story is a portrayal of a teen who is pushed to being 'invisible' after rumors circulate about her actions. But it's so much more than that. Sixteen-year-old Mafi Shahin crushes after her older brother's friend Jalen Thomas, lives in a house shrouded in secrets of Afghanistan and the family left behind, and her part-time gig as the high school's secret avenger. Mafi has rules that involve never reveal your identity, never involve the police, and don't get emotionally involved. She finds that life is so much more complicated than a set of rules.
I really enjoyed Mafi's story and all the messiness surrounding her life. Her Ghosting gig takes some serious wrong turns but leads her to people like trans friend Brit and even a possibility of more than just a friendship with Jalen.
Unique voice that is hilarious at times and also serious with the concept of the decision whether to stand up for what you know is right and also what is very important. Family secrets are shown throughout. Mafi knows her Baba-grandfather fled Afghanistan when the Soviets invaded in 1979, but her father refuses to discuss it. There's the black car that idles outside their house. The phone call that might be from the Taliban. Fear of being found and shipped back to Afghanistan has a tight grip on the family. Mafi doesn't get why the secrets. This part of the novel is so authentic and real. The desire of her father to be 'American' to the point of pushing the Afghanistan heritage aside is shown in one scene at the Spectrum in Irvine, Ca, where a man accuses Mafi and her brother of being 'terrorists'. This was very real as Orange Co, Ca is conservative. My heart ached for Mafi and her brother.
Mafi's voice is at times humorous with her Ghost attics, but also heartfelt when she shows her love for her Baba. The family relationship is complex and complicated.
Also, PTSD is shown with Jalen's father and how the scent of cologne from Afghanistan is triggering. Mafi's grandfather also shows this with the fear he has that family left behind will be killed.
Moving, heartfelt contemporary story of an Afghanistan American teen that is filled with humor, friendship, love, and the courage to stand up for what is right. Totally tugged at my heartstrings.
I really enjoyed Mafi's story and all the messiness surrounding her life. Her Ghosting gig takes some serious wrong turns but leads her to people like trans friend Brit and even a possibility of more than just a friendship with Jalen.
Unique voice that is hilarious at times and also serious with the concept of the decision whether to stand up for what you know is right and also what is very important. Family secrets are shown throughout. Mafi knows her Baba-grandfather fled Afghanistan when the Soviets invaded in 1979, but her father refuses to discuss it. There's the black car that idles outside their house. The phone call that might be from the Taliban. Fear of being found and shipped back to Afghanistan has a tight grip on the family. Mafi doesn't get why the secrets. This part of the novel is so authentic and real. The desire of her father to be 'American' to the point of pushing the Afghanistan heritage aside is shown in one scene at the Spectrum in Irvine, Ca, where a man accuses Mafi and her brother of being 'terrorists'. This was very real as Orange Co, Ca is conservative. My heart ached for Mafi and her brother.
Mafi's voice is at times humorous with her Ghost attics, but also heartfelt when she shows her love for her Baba. The family relationship is complex and complicated.
Also, PTSD is shown with Jalen's father and how the scent of cologne from Afghanistan is triggering. Mafi's grandfather also shows this with the fear he has that family left behind will be killed.
Moving, heartfelt contemporary story of an Afghanistan American teen that is filled with humor, friendship, love, and the courage to stand up for what is right. Totally tugged at my heartstrings.
June 1, 2023
I really wanted to like this book, and seeing a rating of 4+ on GoodReads convinced me to try it. I listened to the audiobook, and ugh, it seemed a lot longer than 6 hours. I think that was because I just wasn't enjoying it. I kept waiting for a plot--like, some kind of character arc for Mafi, and there wasn't one. The synopsis of the book talked about how Mafi was the Ghost--this was actually such a minor plot point that it certainly should not have been in the synopsis. It was a great premise, but not executed at all in the book. THAT would've made a good book. Mafi's dynamics with her parents were nothing short of troubling. She was convinced that her parents were splitting up, but we saw no evidence of this. Mafi's dealing with her parents and their very different backgrounds, and how those backgrounds affected their very different parenting styles, would've made a good book. As the Ghost, Mafi did some really stupid stuff, her mom bailed her out (literally), and never mentioned it to her husband. The same night Mafi got in trouble, she went out to visit her friend at 1 AM. MAFI IS SIXTEEN! Her parents treated their son completely differenly than Mafi, which also would've made a good storyline for a YA book. But THAT wasn't what this book was about. Oh, let's talk about Rafi. If you ask me, HE'S the character this book should've been about. HIS story was the most compelling! However, he was so unlikable. Ugh, the misogyny he was allowed to get away with! The fact that his mother would start vacuuming to cover up the sounds of him and his girlfriend in his bedroom. UGH! In whose world is this a natural part of growing up? And while I'm talking about the girlfriend, let's discuss how Mafi called her "it." Women need to be lifting each other up, and here we have a main character who hates her brother's girlfriend so much that she completely objectifies her (much like her brother did) by referring to her as IT. I could keep going--there are lots of weaknesses and overlooked opportunities, but I don't want to completely blame the author. I think this book could've been something if it had a better editor, someone who could have uncovered the crux of this mess.
March 21, 2023
Thank you, partners @lilariesen @penguinteen and @coloredpagesblogtours for my complementary advance electronic copy
Mafi Shahin is sixteen and has a secret--well, actually several. Her dad is constantly telling her to hide her Afghan ancestry and just fit in, because it's safer that way. She's also got a secret crush on her brother's friend Jalen--he's a high school basketball star, and why would he want to date her anyway? But the biggest secret of all is that she's a vigilante, meting out revenge and justice under the name as the Ghost of Santa Margarita High. But as her secrets become lies and the lies become entangled, she starts compromising more than her own conscience--she's now putting her family in Afghanistan at risk. So how does she stand up for what's right when so much is at stake?
What a strong voice Riesen has created! I felt the tension and the power and the chaos roiling within teenage Mafi, a potent mix is something essentially adolescent. Teens can feel pumped up on hormones and out of control, and that's the energy this book is infused with. Plus, teenagers are mean. All people are mean. And vigilantes are, almost by definition, flawed heroes. As centered as Mafi is on revenge she sometimes forgets justice. She's struggling with family tension, school stress, bullies, sex, reputation, and rumors. The story was alive with everyone rushing around, making bad decisions and hurting each other just like the free radicals in the body. I also appreciated that Riesen was so good at capturing dialect and accent, which also helped the story come alive. It was so alive that when it ended, I felt like everything wrapped up too quickly and everyone was strangely content in the end, even though we've been watching them all striving for so long. It made me wonder if there is a sequel coming? This was well-written and palpably real, and I recommend it for its good writing, for its authentic perspective, and for bringing a beautiful refugee/immigrant perspective to popular culture.
#FreeRadicals #NetGalley #FreeRadicalsbooktour #coloredpagestours #partner
Mafi Shahin is sixteen and has a secret--well, actually several. Her dad is constantly telling her to hide her Afghan ancestry and just fit in, because it's safer that way. She's also got a secret crush on her brother's friend Jalen--he's a high school basketball star, and why would he want to date her anyway? But the biggest secret of all is that she's a vigilante, meting out revenge and justice under the name as the Ghost of Santa Margarita High. But as her secrets become lies and the lies become entangled, she starts compromising more than her own conscience--she's now putting her family in Afghanistan at risk. So how does she stand up for what's right when so much is at stake?
What a strong voice Riesen has created! I felt the tension and the power and the chaos roiling within teenage Mafi, a potent mix is something essentially adolescent. Teens can feel pumped up on hormones and out of control, and that's the energy this book is infused with. Plus, teenagers are mean. All people are mean. And vigilantes are, almost by definition, flawed heroes. As centered as Mafi is on revenge she sometimes forgets justice. She's struggling with family tension, school stress, bullies, sex, reputation, and rumors. The story was alive with everyone rushing around, making bad decisions and hurting each other just like the free radicals in the body. I also appreciated that Riesen was so good at capturing dialect and accent, which also helped the story come alive. It was so alive that when it ended, I felt like everything wrapped up too quickly and everyone was strangely content in the end, even though we've been watching them all striving for so long. It made me wonder if there is a sequel coming? This was well-written and palpably real, and I recommend it for its good writing, for its authentic perspective, and for bringing a beautiful refugee/immigrant perspective to popular culture.
#FreeRadicals #NetGalley #FreeRadicalsbooktour #coloredpagestours #partner
April 9, 2023
“‘We can’t lose hope,’ says Mom, with a look at Baba. ‘But you also can’t spend every moment of your day worrying, Mama. We have to live in the present.’”
Mafi Shahin is sixteen and has multiple secrets. She is her high school’s secret vigilante, the Ghost, whose mission is to get justice for her classmates who have been wronged. Her family is Afghan, but her dad doesn’t want anyone to know they’re Afghan because of the prejudice they might face. On top of that, some of her family is trying to escape from Afghanistan. She has a crush on the star basketball player, who happens to be one of her brother’s teammates. She has to juggle everything while she feels like she has no one to turn to.
Lila Riesen’s debut novel highlights Afghan representation in addition to plenty of family and school drama. It was interesting to see that the Islamophobia that Mafi’s dad possesses is for their safety, and he passes it along to his children. I also appreciated the inclusion of a transgender character, which I rarely see in YA books. I was intrigued when I first heard about this book and read the synopsis; however, Riesen did not cover many of the points in the summary well. Mafi’s alter ego, the Ghost, was only mentioned in passing, which I was sad about. She is also very boy-crazy and because of that lost herself, her family, and her friends along the way. The first few pages are unexpectedly mature, and I don’t think they are fit for a YA audience. There are mentions of sex, pornography, alcohol, and a rumor going around the school about Mafi performing explicit acts at a party. While most of these themes are important to touch on, I think Riesen could have approached these topics more delicately. The initial chaos died, and I enjoyed the book more after that. I liked how the relationship between Mafi and her brother, Rafi, developed and how they had each other’s backs. Some plotlines are underdeveloped, but the representation in this book is good.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
Mafi Shahin is sixteen and has multiple secrets. She is her high school’s secret vigilante, the Ghost, whose mission is to get justice for her classmates who have been wronged. Her family is Afghan, but her dad doesn’t want anyone to know they’re Afghan because of the prejudice they might face. On top of that, some of her family is trying to escape from Afghanistan. She has a crush on the star basketball player, who happens to be one of her brother’s teammates. She has to juggle everything while she feels like she has no one to turn to.
Lila Riesen’s debut novel highlights Afghan representation in addition to plenty of family and school drama. It was interesting to see that the Islamophobia that Mafi’s dad possesses is for their safety, and he passes it along to his children. I also appreciated the inclusion of a transgender character, which I rarely see in YA books. I was intrigued when I first heard about this book and read the synopsis; however, Riesen did not cover many of the points in the summary well. Mafi’s alter ego, the Ghost, was only mentioned in passing, which I was sad about. She is also very boy-crazy and because of that lost herself, her family, and her friends along the way. The first few pages are unexpectedly mature, and I don’t think they are fit for a YA audience. There are mentions of sex, pornography, alcohol, and a rumor going around the school about Mafi performing explicit acts at a party. While most of these themes are important to touch on, I think Riesen could have approached these topics more delicately. The initial chaos died, and I enjoyed the book more after that. I liked how the relationship between Mafi and her brother, Rafi, developed and how they had each other’s backs. Some plotlines are underdeveloped, but the representation in this book is good.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
July 11, 2023
2.5 rounded up.
This is a difficult review to write. I feel like this book had SO much potential…it just wasn’t executed well.
To begin, I loved the representation in this book. I think that A LOT of young people out there will feel seen by these characters/this family! I also liked the main character, Mafi. She seems like a typical teenage girl with her crush on/obsession with Jalen, problems with friends, and trying to figure out her place in her world. So, super relatable characters and situations. Personally, I loved Baba. His character really came alive for me, and I felt like I intimately knew him. I loved the minor details and how involved he is as a character.
Here’s what I didn’t love: the pacing of the book and the overall plot. I actually couldn’t tell you what the overall plot of the book was. I’m not entirely sure. It’s supposed to be Mafi serving justice but that barely happened…and then the pacing was hard to keep up with in general. I wasn’t sure when things happened in relation to each other. One minute it was Halloween, the next it was something else, except it wasn’t but that wasn’t always clear. The writing seemed to take on a stream of consciousness style which probably contributed to my difficulty in keeping up with the pacing. Truly, 5-6 chapters would pass by and everything that had happened was all within 10 minutes. If it sounds confusing, it’s because I was confused.
So, this book was okay. This is an eARC, so it’s possible it felt like an early draft of this book because it was an early draft. I am curious to see the finished product! I have a good feeling about the author, so I am planning on keeping up with her.
Thank you PenguinTeen and NetGalley for this eARC
This is a difficult review to write. I feel like this book had SO much potential…it just wasn’t executed well.
To begin, I loved the representation in this book. I think that A LOT of young people out there will feel seen by these characters/this family! I also liked the main character, Mafi. She seems like a typical teenage girl with her crush on/obsession with Jalen, problems with friends, and trying to figure out her place in her world. So, super relatable characters and situations. Personally, I loved Baba. His character really came alive for me, and I felt like I intimately knew him. I loved the minor details and how involved he is as a character.
Here’s what I didn’t love: the pacing of the book and the overall plot. I actually couldn’t tell you what the overall plot of the book was. I’m not entirely sure. It’s supposed to be Mafi serving justice but that barely happened…and then the pacing was hard to keep up with in general. I wasn’t sure when things happened in relation to each other. One minute it was Halloween, the next it was something else, except it wasn’t but that wasn’t always clear. The writing seemed to take on a stream of consciousness style which probably contributed to my difficulty in keeping up with the pacing. Truly, 5-6 chapters would pass by and everything that had happened was all within 10 minutes. If it sounds confusing, it’s because I was confused.
So, this book was okay. This is an eARC, so it’s possible it felt like an early draft of this book because it was an early draft. I am curious to see the finished product! I have a good feeling about the author, so I am planning on keeping up with her.
Thank you PenguinTeen and NetGalley for this eARC
March 27, 2023
DNF at Page 216
I'm so sad to be giving up on this one because when it started, I was fully invested. I wanted to know so much. I was actually invested in the story of Mafi and her family. Sadly, this investment didn't last.
I think this is due to Mafi being both bland and unlikeable. Even though I just put this book down, I can't describe her in any depth. She was defined by her infatuation with Jalen (I'll get to this later), and because that was so shallow, she came off as shallow. Because she had no friends and no hobbies, she was an incredibly boring character to read about. Nothing about her was interesting or new.
As for Jalen, I'm not sure what's going on there. Honestly, I don't care. He's also bland. I didn't get Mafi's love for him, because he kinda creeped me out. I'm hoping that the rest of this book removes him as a love interest, but I won't be continuing to find out.
Even Mafi's Ghosting hobby thing was weird. Partly because it is apparently such a large thing she's doing yet we see almost none of it. And what she does do is pathetic.
The one bit of this I actyally liked was Baba, but his endearing presence was entirely overshadowed by the irritation everyone else caused. I wanted to love this one because I was on a tour for it, but it fell way short.
Colored Pages Book Tours provided a free copy in exchange for an honest review
I'm so sad to be giving up on this one because when it started, I was fully invested. I wanted to know so much. I was actually invested in the story of Mafi and her family. Sadly, this investment didn't last.
I think this is due to Mafi being both bland and unlikeable. Even though I just put this book down, I can't describe her in any depth. She was defined by her infatuation with Jalen (I'll get to this later), and because that was so shallow, she came off as shallow. Because she had no friends and no hobbies, she was an incredibly boring character to read about. Nothing about her was interesting or new.
As for Jalen, I'm not sure what's going on there. Honestly, I don't care. He's also bland. I didn't get Mafi's love for him, because he kinda creeped me out. I'm hoping that the rest of this book removes him as a love interest, but I won't be continuing to find out.
Even Mafi's Ghosting hobby thing was weird. Partly because it is apparently such a large thing she's doing yet we see almost none of it. And what she does do is pathetic.
The one bit of this I actyally liked was Baba, but his endearing presence was entirely overshadowed by the irritation everyone else caused. I wanted to love this one because I was on a tour for it, but it fell way short.
Colored Pages Book Tours provided a free copy in exchange for an honest review
April 2, 2023
“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦
𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 .”
Free Radicals by @lilariesen
As soon as I found out that this book has an Afghan representation, I was immediately drawn into it. So I signed up for this gorgeous book in a book tour hosted by @coloredpagesblogtours . Thank you so much for approving this book.
This book follows Mafi Shahin, an afghan- american girl with a lot of her experiences as a sophomore student and as a daughter in a family who she has no idea about their background in Afghanistan.
The first chapters did amazed me as it talks about what is radical and what it means to be a person with the label "free radical". As the plot expands, the romance story—which is something I wasn't really hoping to happen—becomes more in-depth. I was thinking, "I need to know more about what's happening in Afghanistan and what it's really like for Afghans to live in America." However, I didn't give up easily, and I finally found what I seek in the end. The family issues and the friends' drama were brilliantly portrayed. I also like how the characters had grown so much better.
I loved this book no matter what, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes contemporary fiction with multicultural interests.
“𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵
𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦.”
“𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.”
𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 .”
Free Radicals by @lilariesen
As soon as I found out that this book has an Afghan representation, I was immediately drawn into it. So I signed up for this gorgeous book in a book tour hosted by @coloredpagesblogtours . Thank you so much for approving this book.
This book follows Mafi Shahin, an afghan- american girl with a lot of her experiences as a sophomore student and as a daughter in a family who she has no idea about their background in Afghanistan.
The first chapters did amazed me as it talks about what is radical and what it means to be a person with the label "free radical". As the plot expands, the romance story—which is something I wasn't really hoping to happen—becomes more in-depth. I was thinking, "I need to know more about what's happening in Afghanistan and what it's really like for Afghans to live in America." However, I didn't give up easily, and I finally found what I seek in the end. The family issues and the friends' drama were brilliantly portrayed. I also like how the characters had grown so much better.
I loved this book no matter what, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes contemporary fiction with multicultural interests.
“𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵
𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦.”
“𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.”
May 29, 2023
Holy too much going on to actually understand what the purpose of the book is. I was introduced to too many characters and too many competing storylines right from the start. So I waded through the muck for a little while to figure out where the actual story would pick up with Mafi's vengeance work in high school that gave off some good vibes in reading the summary, obviously, which is why I wanted the book.
And then it pulled me left, pulled me right, then up and down until I was dizzy. There's a romance. There's sibling competition. There's high school. There's *sort of* retribution. But what was it all about? I'm not sure. Unfortunately this was a no-go for me and I don't even know who I'd recommend it to. I would prefer recommending The Black Coats over this one or it's just a bad case of misidentifying a book for publicity-- a bait and switch.
And then it pulled me left, pulled me right, then up and down until I was dizzy. There's a romance. There's sibling competition. There's high school. There's *sort of* retribution. But what was it all about? I'm not sure. Unfortunately this was a no-go for me and I don't even know who I'd recommend it to. I would prefer recommending The Black Coats over this one or it's just a bad case of misidentifying a book for publicity-- a bait and switch.
June 4, 2023
*okay so funny story...I lost this book for a WEEK and I couldn't find it but now I finished it! anyways, onto the review*
Honestly, I think it speaks volumes that even after it took me a while to find the book, I didn't pick it up right away? I read a book in between the start to finish of this book. I appreciated the author's voice in how she brought up her own experiences growing up as a white-passing Afghan in the United States, particularly in a liberal space such as California that appears from the outside to be the perfect safe haven for any minority group. However, there was a lot being done with this book and I think it took on a lot of topics all at once. This made the text difficult to read at times, especially when Mafi (the main character) was trying to figure out her situation with Jalen and her position as the Ghost in her school. Overall, I would give this book a solid 3/5 stars.
Honestly, I think it speaks volumes that even after it took me a while to find the book, I didn't pick it up right away? I read a book in between the start to finish of this book. I appreciated the author's voice in how she brought up her own experiences growing up as a white-passing Afghan in the United States, particularly in a liberal space such as California that appears from the outside to be the perfect safe haven for any minority group. However, there was a lot being done with this book and I think it took on a lot of topics all at once. This made the text difficult to read at times, especially when Mafi (the main character) was trying to figure out her situation with Jalen and her position as the Ghost in her school. Overall, I would give this book a solid 3/5 stars.
April 3, 2023
This was more of a slice of life, character-centered book than I anticipated. It had less about the Ghost's activities and the lives/experiences of Mafi's family in Afghanistan than the book description implies. It was a well written story covering many aspects of life as a teenage girl, including sexuality (and the slut versus saint mentality), first love, complicated familial relationships, and new and changing friendships. I appreciated hearing about how Mafi's family members' experiences as immigrants/political refugees affects the whole family. Mafi and the people around her were all realistic and well developed characters, and I appreciated the many forms of representation included in the book, particularly the Trans and PTSD rep.
Publisher recommended for ages 12+ and grades 7-12.
Publisher recommended for ages 12+ and grades 7-12.
May 19, 2023
So much going on! It was a bit of a slow start for me, but I found myself becoming deeply invested in these characters. So many plot points ended up going in a different direction than I thought they would that I had to keep reading and just let the story unravel. One of my favorite things (and most frustrating) was the relationship between Mafi and her brother. I don't have an older brother, but their bond felt so authentic to me. Side note, I defy any teenage girl not to fall in love with Jalen.
I confess I was a little sad about how it ended, but I also felt that it was realistic. Great audio production, would definitely recommend.
I confess I was a little sad about how it ended, but I also felt that it was realistic. Great audio production, would definitely recommend.
April 6, 2023
I couldn’t put this book down! The writing transported me effortlessly into Mafi Shahin’s world as she navigated romance, friendship, and inter-generational trauma. The engaging plot and diverse cast of characters taught me so much — as well as made me laugh and cry as I saw my own experiences reflected in those of Mafi’s family, and was exposed to a whole world of pain and suffering specific to the experiences of Afghans and Afghan-Americans. A moving read filled with empathy and nuance that I highly recommend to both teens and adults.
April 8, 2023
I lost what I typed, but TL;DR: too much going on to be effective! Refugee trauma that isn’t really fully explained, PTSD, parents who don’t seem to like or respect each other, sibling rivalry, getting kicked out momentarily, ghosts/fairy messages in trees that our MC is somehow karmically responsible for but it never really happens (?) rumors and expectations about sexuality for girls, MC defined by her crush…so none of it felt fully fleshed out. And it’s never cool to call a girl you dislike “it.”
2.5 rounded up for the idea!
2.5 rounded up for the idea!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2023
Free Radicals is an important look at the experience of Afghan Americans. Mafia's story delves into all aspects--family pressure, peer pressure, views on the plight of Afghans still in Afghanistan. It covers a lot and was eye opening to me.
I enjoyed all I learned, however, I didn't love the characters. There wasn't any one character that I could really get behind and that makes it hard for me to love a book. I would recommend it for readers wanted to understand the community a little more, but I wouldn't say it was a book I loved.
The audiobook reader did a good job though.
I enjoyed all I learned, however, I didn't love the characters. There wasn't any one character that I could really get behind and that makes it hard for me to love a book. I would recommend it for readers wanted to understand the community a little more, but I wouldn't say it was a book I loved.
The audiobook reader did a good job though.
April 4, 2023
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Free Radicals is a story that balances this idea of justice with transparency. On one hand it's a story about Ghost and Mafi as she enacts justice on her classmates. While she's happy to help right the scales, especially after she was targeted with vicious untrue rumors, but she's itching to do more. On the other hand, Free Radicals is a story about identity and family. About our fears, the threats, and racism which causes us to live in the shadows.
What starts off a story about Ghost becomes a story about the intricacies of family, identity in the United States, and our future. The ways in which her father, father, and brother all relate to their identity in different ways. But which, are all at its core, related to the ways we are perceived, safety, and our past.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/blog...
Free Radicals is a story that balances this idea of justice with transparency. On one hand it's a story about Ghost and Mafi as she enacts justice on her classmates. While she's happy to help right the scales, especially after she was targeted with vicious untrue rumors, but she's itching to do more. On the other hand, Free Radicals is a story about identity and family. About our fears, the threats, and racism which causes us to live in the shadows.
What starts off a story about Ghost becomes a story about the intricacies of family, identity in the United States, and our future. The ways in which her father, father, and brother all relate to their identity in different ways. But which, are all at its core, related to the ways we are perceived, safety, and our past.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/blog...
June 7, 2023
Meh. Mafi was meh, the situations she put herself in were meh. The commentary on what it's like living as a family that has a heritage as being political refugees was cool, but overall, it wasn't one that I loved and I only picked it up because I had to code it :/
April 12, 2024
3.3 rounded down to 3/5
"Free Radicals" is a compelling read that shines a light on important issues while exploring the journey of self-discovery and empowerment. While it may falter in its execution at times, its exploration of justice, identity, and the immigrant experience makes it a worthwhile addition to the young adult literary landscape.
Find my full review atWhat I'm Reading
"Free Radicals" is a compelling read that shines a light on important issues while exploring the journey of self-discovery and empowerment. While it may falter in its execution at times, its exploration of justice, identity, and the immigrant experience makes it a worthwhile addition to the young adult literary landscape.
Find my full review atWhat I'm Reading
Want to read
May 22, 2023I enjoyed Free Radicals and feel it will be an important story for many to pick up. This book covers tough topics such as bullying, racisim, threats, etc but also teaches you to embrace yourself and learn to love who you are. You see how everyone has their own version of their self and how they identify throughout this story.
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