What do you think?
Rate this book
IraqiGirl: Diary of a Teenage Girl in Iraq
I feel that I have been sleeping all my life and I have woken up and opened my eyes to the world. A beautiful world! But impossible to live in.
These are the words of fifteen-year-old Hadiya, blogging from the city of Mosul, Iraq, to let the world know what life is really like as the military occupation of her country unfolds. In many ways, her life is familiar. She worries about exams and enjoys watching Friends during the rare hours that the electricity in her neighborhood is running. But the horrors of war surround her everywhere—weeklong curfews, relatives killed, and friends whose families are forced to flee their homes. With black humor and unflinching honesty, Hadiya shares the painful stories of lives changed forever. “Let’s go back,” she writes, “to my un-normal life.” With her intimate reflections on family, friendship, and community, IraqiGirl also allows us to witness the determination of one girl not only to survive, but to create, amidst the devastation of war, a future worth living for. "Hadiya's authentically teenage voice, emotional struggles and concerns make her story all the more resonant." — Publishers Weekly “Despite all the news coverage about the war in Iraq, very little is reported about how it affects the daily lives of ordinary citizens. A highschooler in the city of Mosul fills in the gap with this compilation of her blog posts about living under U.S. occupation. She writes in English because she wants to reach Americans, and in stark specifics, she records the terrifying dangers of car bombs on her street and American warplanes overhead, as well as her everyday struggles to concentrate on homework when there is no water and electricity at home. Her tone is she does not hate Americans, and although she never supported Saddam Hussein, she wonders why he was executed... Readers will appreciate the details about family, friends, school, and reading Harry Potter, as well as the ever-present big issues for which there are no simple answers." —Hazel Rochman, Booklist “IraqiGirl has poured reflections of her daily life into her blog, reaching all over the cyber-world from her home in northern Iraq. She writes about the universals of teen life—school, family, TV, food, Harry Potter—but always against the background of sudden explosions, outbursts of gunfire, carbombs, death.… [A]n important addition to multicultural literature.” —Elsa Marston, author of Santa Claus in Baghdad and Other Stories About Teens in the Arab World “A book as relevant to adults as teenagers and children. Hadiya’s clear, simple language conveys the feelings of a teenager, offering a glimpse into the daily life of a professional middle-class Iraqi family in an ancient-modern city subjected to a brutal occupation.”
—Haifa Zangana, author of City of An Iraqi Woman's Account of War and Resistance
These are the words of fifteen-year-old Hadiya, blogging from the city of Mosul, Iraq, to let the world know what life is really like as the military occupation of her country unfolds. In many ways, her life is familiar. She worries about exams and enjoys watching Friends during the rare hours that the electricity in her neighborhood is running. But the horrors of war surround her everywhere—weeklong curfews, relatives killed, and friends whose families are forced to flee their homes. With black humor and unflinching honesty, Hadiya shares the painful stories of lives changed forever. “Let’s go back,” she writes, “to my un-normal life.” With her intimate reflections on family, friendship, and community, IraqiGirl also allows us to witness the determination of one girl not only to survive, but to create, amidst the devastation of war, a future worth living for. "Hadiya's authentically teenage voice, emotional struggles and concerns make her story all the more resonant." — Publishers Weekly “Despite all the news coverage about the war in Iraq, very little is reported about how it affects the daily lives of ordinary citizens. A highschooler in the city of Mosul fills in the gap with this compilation of her blog posts about living under U.S. occupation. She writes in English because she wants to reach Americans, and in stark specifics, she records the terrifying dangers of car bombs on her street and American warplanes overhead, as well as her everyday struggles to concentrate on homework when there is no water and electricity at home. Her tone is she does not hate Americans, and although she never supported Saddam Hussein, she wonders why he was executed... Readers will appreciate the details about family, friends, school, and reading Harry Potter, as well as the ever-present big issues for which there are no simple answers." —Hazel Rochman, Booklist “IraqiGirl has poured reflections of her daily life into her blog, reaching all over the cyber-world from her home in northern Iraq. She writes about the universals of teen life—school, family, TV, food, Harry Potter—but always against the background of sudden explosions, outbursts of gunfire, carbombs, death.… [A]n important addition to multicultural literature.” —Elsa Marston, author of Santa Claus in Baghdad and Other Stories About Teens in the Arab World “A book as relevant to adults as teenagers and children. Hadiya’s clear, simple language conveys the feelings of a teenager, offering a glimpse into the daily life of a professional middle-class Iraqi family in an ancient-modern city subjected to a brutal occupation.”
—Haifa Zangana, author of City of An Iraqi Woman's Account of War and Resistance
205 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2009
17 people are currently reading
998 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
June 22, 2020
"My mother told me not to write about politics. She said write about normal life. But I don't have a normal life so how can I follow her advice?" 3 August 2005
Hadiya wrote a blog about her life from 2004-2018. This book covers 2004-2007 (what we would call high school) with a brief note about 2008-09 but I went to her blog to see what happened later. It ends up being about life under military occupation by the United States. She lives in Mosul, with family in Lebanon, Syria, Baghdad, and Kurdistan. She also provides a glimpse into the Syria of fifteen years ago, one that was a refuge for so many people, a city that epitomizes peace and "real life" to Hadiya during this time period, since her family retreats to Aleppo on multiple occasions when their home is damaged by bombs, gunfire, or someone they know is killed. All along Hadiya is trying to be a good student so she can go to pharmacy school.
The way the book is presented I believe it is targeted at middle to high schoolers as a way to develop empathy for Hadiya and others like her, similar to how The Diary of Anne Frank is used in classrooms. There is an extra Q&A from students her age at the end.
I bought this from Haymarket books as part of my reading goals for the year. It doesn't escape me that the two books I've read from Iraq so far have been from the voices of children who have had to leave the country. I was brought to tears more than one time, so had to take a bit longer to read this one.
Hadiya wrote a blog about her life from 2004-2018. This book covers 2004-2007 (what we would call high school) with a brief note about 2008-09 but I went to her blog to see what happened later. It ends up being about life under military occupation by the United States. She lives in Mosul, with family in Lebanon, Syria, Baghdad, and Kurdistan. She also provides a glimpse into the Syria of fifteen years ago, one that was a refuge for so many people, a city that epitomizes peace and "real life" to Hadiya during this time period, since her family retreats to Aleppo on multiple occasions when their home is damaged by bombs, gunfire, or someone they know is killed. All along Hadiya is trying to be a good student so she can go to pharmacy school.
The way the book is presented I believe it is targeted at middle to high schoolers as a way to develop empathy for Hadiya and others like her, similar to how The Diary of Anne Frank is used in classrooms. There is an extra Q&A from students her age at the end.
I bought this from Haymarket books as part of my reading goals for the year. It doesn't escape me that the two books I've read from Iraq so far have been from the voices of children who have had to leave the country. I was brought to tears more than one time, so had to take a bit longer to read this one.
August 17, 2010
Unable to review it.. since I wrote it !!
October 15, 2014
This book was brought to my attention by one of my high school students and I can't thank her enough for it. This is a terrific YA book about a young woman who begins a blog about her life in Mosul, Iraq at age 15 in 2004. The topics she covers are the profound and banal, but life isn't very banal when bombs kill people everyday and the family can't go out of their homes. Under the pseudonym, Hadiya, the young woman talks about how life has changed drastically during and after the war. Under Saddam it was a place where the family could go out for ice cream at midnight. Now the courage to go out for ice cream at all was unnerving. Hadiya doesn't mince words about how the United States ruined Iraq. She points out the differenced between Shi'ite and Sunni were practically unknown to Iraqs and didn't matter, now it matters quite a bit. Life is hard and a place where people die everyday and gasoline and food prices have skyrocketed. Relatives die and people are scattered all over the Middle East as refugees or residents of Iraq. The ability to leave is a hard fought battle with many consequences. Even Hadiya tries to pick her major based on the idea that some professions are more potable than others. The book comes from original blog posts from the Iraqigirl website. There are some questions and answer sessions with her editors and some students from the same area. Great job and I'm so glad my student told me about this wonderful book.
August 15, 2013
Adolescence sucks.
Mood swings, identity struggles, major life decisions, cloudy thoughts and actions ("Why did I just say that to my bff?"...). Being a "normal" teen is hard enough.
But then add the trauma of war on top of all that, and it's a wonder a youth can survive adolescence without committing suicide.
In this transcript of Hadiya's blog, you clearly see how "normal" she is but how abnormal (well, to us) her life is. In one blog post, she will talk about TV shows, food, a family vacay or a college visit. Her life is endless studying for exams!
But in other posts, she'll write about car bombs, and car bombs and more car bombs. Car bombs getting closer and closer to her home. She will write about another friend or family member who was killed. More explosions, more death. Curfews. No electricity for half the day (yet they're lucky to have any electricity).
As time goes on and her English improves, she starts expressing her sadness, hopelessness and pessimism in poems.
She doesn't know who she is when she looks in the mirror. She thinks she is so thin, ugly. She thinks some of her thoughts are evil. They aren't, Hadiya!
Over time, Hadiya writes more about politics too. Her opinion of Saddam Hussein changes as time passes. Fascinating.
But then, oh my gosh, the first time she tried a cherry, it was, like, sooo good!
The reading level is "young adult," but I didn't find it an easy read. I had to stop every so often to process what I just read. It's heartbreaking. Infuriating. I always look for a glimmer of light or hope when I read about death, war, suffering, pain. There isn't much hope here.
But maybe that's the point.
Mood swings, identity struggles, major life decisions, cloudy thoughts and actions ("Why did I just say that to my bff?"...). Being a "normal" teen is hard enough.
But then add the trauma of war on top of all that, and it's a wonder a youth can survive adolescence without committing suicide.
In this transcript of Hadiya's blog, you clearly see how "normal" she is but how abnormal (well, to us) her life is. In one blog post, she will talk about TV shows, food, a family vacay or a college visit. Her life is endless studying for exams!
But in other posts, she'll write about car bombs, and car bombs and more car bombs. Car bombs getting closer and closer to her home. She will write about another friend or family member who was killed. More explosions, more death. Curfews. No electricity for half the day (yet they're lucky to have any electricity).
As time goes on and her English improves, she starts expressing her sadness, hopelessness and pessimism in poems.
She doesn't know who she is when she looks in the mirror. She thinks she is so thin, ugly. She thinks some of her thoughts are evil. They aren't, Hadiya!
Over time, Hadiya writes more about politics too. Her opinion of Saddam Hussein changes as time passes. Fascinating.
But then, oh my gosh, the first time she tried a cherry, it was, like, sooo good!
The reading level is "young adult," but I didn't find it an easy read. I had to stop every so often to process what I just read. It's heartbreaking. Infuriating. I always look for a glimmer of light or hope when I read about death, war, suffering, pain. There isn't much hope here.
But maybe that's the point.
September 20, 2015
For what it is, this book is okay, I just wish it had been more.
I do understand why she didn't make any comments about the Iraqi side of the war because there's an inherent danger in that, but I was still disappointed not to get something more insightful. She mentions the dangers like car bombs and flying bullets often. Those are valid complaints, and I'm sure she's suffered from PTSD, but she never holds anyone but US troops responsible for how difficult her life has become. The bullets aren't all from US soldiers' guns and car bombs are not SOP for the US military, so I found what she wrote about the situation so limited and one-sided that it's done nothing to shape my opinion of the war. I was hoping for more.
I do understand why she didn't make any comments about the Iraqi side of the war because there's an inherent danger in that, but I was still disappointed not to get something more insightful. She mentions the dangers like car bombs and flying bullets often. Those are valid complaints, and I'm sure she's suffered from PTSD, but she never holds anyone but US troops responsible for how difficult her life has become. The bullets aren't all from US soldiers' guns and car bombs are not SOP for the US military, so I found what she wrote about the situation so limited and one-sided that it's done nothing to shape my opinion of the war. I was hoping for more.
July 25, 2015
Intriguing. At times depressing. At times aggravating. At times filled with the everyday concerns of a student hoping to do well in school and which career path she wishes to follow in future.
A series of IraqiGirl's blog posts from 2005-2007 are compiled here allowing us insight into the life of a teenager living in Mosul, Iraq during the US "liberation/occupation". In some places, notes are added to help the reader understand a bit more in depth to some of the incidents and dates she refers to in passing.
Young adult reading for sure; adults may find the blog post format a bit different than the usual narrative prose style of writing. Many Americans may be shocked and insulted by some of the posts in which she vents her anger and frustration with the instability and violence that the US occupation brought to her city and country. But as always, a war seen from the viewpoint of the invading nation is not necessarily seen the same way by the people living in the occupied nation.
This is one of those books that will be pulled off the shelf and re-read many times by me.
A series of IraqiGirl's blog posts from 2005-2007 are compiled here allowing us insight into the life of a teenager living in Mosul, Iraq during the US "liberation/occupation". In some places, notes are added to help the reader understand a bit more in depth to some of the incidents and dates she refers to in passing.
Young adult reading for sure; adults may find the blog post format a bit different than the usual narrative prose style of writing. Many Americans may be shocked and insulted by some of the posts in which she vents her anger and frustration with the instability and violence that the US occupation brought to her city and country. But as always, a war seen from the viewpoint of the invading nation is not necessarily seen the same way by the people living in the occupied nation.
This is one of those books that will be pulled off the shelf and re-read many times by me.
August 2, 2016
Interesting reprinting of a teenage girl's blog posts; gives an inside view of the war in Iraq. I was interested in the subject matter and the book is nicely "packaged". However, I was a bit disappointed that the book didn't have more depth and thoughtfulness. Yes, the subjects (war, peace) are quite serious, but the short blog posts from a teenage girl don't seem to delve very deeply. I think my expectations were too high. Plus, a blog post by definition is a short, quick piece - not the depth I wanted...
August 10, 2016
I give the title credit for being precise - this is the diary of a teenaged girl. A really, really normal one. Her diary is about as readable as mine from that age would have been. I gave up about halfway through.
November 5, 2021
"She said some words that made me shiver. She said that when she remembers her niece, she feels as if someone is taking her heart away and now there is nothing in its place. You know, that is exactly what I feel when I think of Baghdad and remember how beautiful it was and how much happier we were in Saddam's time" ~Hadiya (IraqiGirl)
On March 19, 2003 American sent 117,194 troops to Iraq on George Bush Jr.'s premise of his and his father's long-time business partner Saddam Hussein having "weapons of mass destruction", and to "Free Iraq".
America "freed" Iraq by killing over 200,000 Iraqi civilians.
America "freed" Iraq by never being held accountable for all of the war crimes American troops committed.
America "freed" Iraq by creating Abu Ghraib.
America "freed" Iraq by American troops and snipers target practicing on Iraqis, especially children.
America "freed" Iraq by raping more than thousands of Iraqi women and children.
This is the diary of Hadiya; an Iraqi teenage girl who blogs about her life under the American occupation of Iraq. While war wages around her Hadiya tries to focus as much as she can on school and doing her best; she has no control over the world crumbling around her, but she is determined to be her best academic self. Reading Hadiya's posts and the fear, loss, anger, hopelessness, and sadness her and her family, and all Iraqis, endured during the first years of the American invasion was heartbreaking. What was even more painful was reading some of the comments ignorant Americans posted on her blog about how she and Iraqis should be grateful for America invading their country and for the "freedom" America was bringing them.
I remember March 19, 2003 clearly. While my sisters and I were watching a 5 foot blizzard accumulate outside the news played in the background on the TV talking about "Operation: Iraqi Freedom". Meanwhile, Iraqi children were witnessing the unsettling first moments of an invasion as American troops were deployed into their homeland.
I've always loved school, and have been in college getting degrees since I graduated high school a decade ago except for 1.5 years. Hadiya's love for learning and determination to do her very best to become a better version of herself despite whatever life circumstances she was going through was deeply inspiring to me.
This is the only diary I've read by an Iraqi about their experiences through the war. I'm trying to find more diaries, especially of young teens, who have lived through wars/occupations/natural disasters/genocides/etc within our lifetime to hear their stories, their truths. It is one thing to read a book about an event or time period, and quite another to read the stories of people for whom it was their lived experience.
On March 19, 2003 American sent 117,194 troops to Iraq on George Bush Jr.'s premise of his and his father's long-time business partner Saddam Hussein having "weapons of mass destruction", and to "Free Iraq".
America "freed" Iraq by killing over 200,000 Iraqi civilians.
America "freed" Iraq by never being held accountable for all of the war crimes American troops committed.
America "freed" Iraq by creating Abu Ghraib.
America "freed" Iraq by American troops and snipers target practicing on Iraqis, especially children.
America "freed" Iraq by raping more than thousands of Iraqi women and children.
This is the diary of Hadiya; an Iraqi teenage girl who blogs about her life under the American occupation of Iraq. While war wages around her Hadiya tries to focus as much as she can on school and doing her best; she has no control over the world crumbling around her, but she is determined to be her best academic self. Reading Hadiya's posts and the fear, loss, anger, hopelessness, and sadness her and her family, and all Iraqis, endured during the first years of the American invasion was heartbreaking. What was even more painful was reading some of the comments ignorant Americans posted on her blog about how she and Iraqis should be grateful for America invading their country and for the "freedom" America was bringing them.
I remember March 19, 2003 clearly. While my sisters and I were watching a 5 foot blizzard accumulate outside the news played in the background on the TV talking about "Operation: Iraqi Freedom". Meanwhile, Iraqi children were witnessing the unsettling first moments of an invasion as American troops were deployed into their homeland.
I've always loved school, and have been in college getting degrees since I graduated high school a decade ago except for 1.5 years. Hadiya's love for learning and determination to do her very best to become a better version of herself despite whatever life circumstances she was going through was deeply inspiring to me.
This is the only diary I've read by an Iraqi about their experiences through the war. I'm trying to find more diaries, especially of young teens, who have lived through wars/occupations/natural disasters/genocides/etc within our lifetime to hear their stories, their truths. It is one thing to read a book about an event or time period, and quite another to read the stories of people for whom it was their lived experience.
March 2, 2022
I read this book back in the 9th grade:)
February 21, 2017
This book is a reproduction of Hadiya’s blog. She is a young girl living in occupied Mosul, Iraq. It is labeled as teen and biography and politics. I’m not going to review it per se but lament on some of the thoughts and feelings I had while reading this book. I think Hadiya is brave and finds her voice at such a young age. Many times as an adult I don’t use my voice or speak my truth or opinion. This book delves into the details of living in an occupied and war torn city. She has hopes and dreams, goes to school and has a large, extended family. She is proud of her country and of being Muslim. This book makes me question my privilege, my “rights” as a U.S. citizen and human, race, religion, politics, foreign policy, etc. Are any of us so different? Don’t we all face obstacles on the way to our dreams and hopes? Most times Hadiya’s obstacles to her hopes and dreams are life and death situations such as car bombs exploding in front of her house, her school being bombed, road closures, curfews, no electricity or clean water, killed, injured and kidnapped relatives, relatives fleeing to other countries and the remnants of chemical warfare in the air making some sick. She wonders if living in these conditions has made her despondent and sometimes wish for death or if she’s experiencing typical teenage angst. She struggles with what life used to be like compared to her current reality. She quotes beautiful poems, writes her own poems and some of her prayers. Is she a victim or can she create the life she wants and dreams of living? This is an excellent book and very thought provoking.
June 19, 2017
As I said in my update, the virtues of this book far, far outweigh its weaknesses. Hadiya is a smart, articulate, and outspoken young woman, and her blog was eye-opening and often heartbreaking, even for me. Here is a sample of what I mean:
(Hadiya and her family have been able to visit Syria.) "I love Syria because her the people know what freedom means. I love Syria because in Syria there are green trees and happy children and a real life. I love Syria because here simple families live a simple life far from violence..." (page 121).
Hadiya wrote that in 2006. It is absolutely heartbreaking knowing what's now happening in Syria. and Mosul, her native city, is still in turmoil more than ten years later.
As Hadiya explains to her blog friends, Mosul had been a multicultural city. One of her best friends was Christian; others were Shia and Sunni. No one cared. She did not like Saddam Hussein, but her life was far better under him than under the American occupation.
What have we done to these countries, and why??!
After reading this blunt but eloquent journal, I want to know if Hadiya is still okay. It ends in 2009, with Hadiya in university, studying to be a pharmacist, and with the death of her beloved grandfather. As I said above, Mosul is still in turmoil. Is she still all right? And her little niece and nephew, and the rest of the family? Is there any way to know?
Every politician in the West should read this book and consider the lives they have destroyed.
(Hadiya and her family have been able to visit Syria.) "I love Syria because her the people know what freedom means. I love Syria because in Syria there are green trees and happy children and a real life. I love Syria because here simple families live a simple life far from violence..." (page 121).
Hadiya wrote that in 2006. It is absolutely heartbreaking knowing what's now happening in Syria. and Mosul, her native city, is still in turmoil more than ten years later.
As Hadiya explains to her blog friends, Mosul had been a multicultural city. One of her best friends was Christian; others were Shia and Sunni. No one cared. She did not like Saddam Hussein, but her life was far better under him than under the American occupation.
What have we done to these countries, and why??!
After reading this blunt but eloquent journal, I want to know if Hadiya is still okay. It ends in 2009, with Hadiya in university, studying to be a pharmacist, and with the death of her beloved grandfather. As I said above, Mosul is still in turmoil. Is she still all right? And her little niece and nephew, and the rest of the family? Is there any way to know?
Every politician in the West should read this book and consider the lives they have destroyed.
March 3, 2021
This memoir consists entirely of posts from an anonymous Iraqi girl's blog about life under the US military occupation. Americans like myself hear so much about the dangers and suffering of life under Saddam Hussain, but no one ever talks about the dangers of living under the occupation. The blog's author just wants to be a good daughter and a good student. She wants to go to pharmacy school. But her city is full of gunfire and bombs, her school is falling apart and routinely damaged, her family is constantly in danger.
All she wants to do is be a normal teenager. Much of this book is being a normal teenager, for that matter. She worries about her grades and her friends, enjoys TV shows and family vacations, studies hard and writes poetry. But there's the bombs, and the killings, and the suffering. She wants the Americans to leave her country- of course she does! From her point of view, we're the ones who brought all the trouble. And she writes too about Americans commenting on her blog, wishing all sorts of horrible things on her because she's not grateful for our intervention, when her world was falling apart and there was no other person who seemed responsible.
I think this should be a must-read for Americans. It's not what we've heard at home. It is still the truth.
All she wants to do is be a normal teenager. Much of this book is being a normal teenager, for that matter. She worries about her grades and her friends, enjoys TV shows and family vacations, studies hard and writes poetry. But there's the bombs, and the killings, and the suffering. She wants the Americans to leave her country- of course she does! From her point of view, we're the ones who brought all the trouble. And she writes too about Americans commenting on her blog, wishing all sorts of horrible things on her because she's not grateful for our intervention, when her world was falling apart and there was no other person who seemed responsible.
I think this should be a must-read for Americans. It's not what we've heard at home. It is still the truth.
May 10, 2016
I chose to leave this book in my bathroom and read it slowly as it was never written to be read in one sitting. It tells the experiences of one teenage girl living in Mosul over a fairly lengthy period of time. It was reminiscent to some other books I have read - Zlata's Diary, I am Fifteen and I do Not Want to Die - and yet though similar, she tells her own tale written in blog posts which allowed her to express herself and get some feedback from Americans - the youth of the country that was bombing her land and making life a misery. It was quite eye-opening for me as to what it was like for a civilian living in Iraq during the period that the US was attacking it in an attempt to stop terrorism. To hear of the difficult living conditions faced by the civilians of the area is horrifying. I think it is important for people to try and put themselves in another's "shoes" so to speak to try and gain a better understanding of what their life is like. This collection of blogs is good in that respect - especially when read slowly to allow it all to sink in.
January 22, 2014
This is clearly the blog of a teenager and while at times it seems childish and lacks any literary elements, it makes this story all the more realistic and relatable. Raw, emotional, and completely honest, Hayedi tells the story of the Iraqi war from the unique and insightful perspective of a teenager living there. She speaks of Barbies and bombs, she worries about midterm exams and whether she will live until tomorrow or not, showing that she is just a typical girl being exposed to such indescribable danger and violence. For such a simple book that really lacked any dimension or development, it left a profound impact on me. Hayedi makes you wonder about how easily you could have ended up on her place, she tells the side of the story we all too often overlook, and most of all she makes you reflect upon your own life. This I feel is what makes a great piece of literature because beyond the typos and mistakes, every word was heartfelt and sincere.
February 16, 2018
This book is written as a diary or blog, which is how it came about. It presents what was happening in Iraq after the US invasion from the viewpoint of the author, a teenage Iraqi girl using the name Hadiya. She provides details of living conditions of the Iraqi civilian population including intermittent electricity, curfews, closing of roads & bridges without notice, bombings, shootings, kidnappings, and other major events. While all of theses things were happening Hadiya was trying to attend school and study. The diary and chat format worked for me and the details were quite interesting seeing how people manage to endure the war and still try to live somewhat normal lives. I thought Hadiya tended to mention primarily shootings and killing by American soldiers and very little about the violence between Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds. Overall I found it interesting and insightful.
October 28, 2016
Expected a little more depth from this novel. I was a little caught off guard by who (despite her circumstances), Hadiya is very much a normal teenage girl. She's easily charmed by cute babies, extremely studious, not prone to little spats with her older sister. Shockingly, has very little concern about boys at 16. I could not say the same about myself when I was her age!
Overall, a very interesting look at what happens in the neighbourhoods of normal people who happen to be in Iraq. Not to downplay the hardships, which there is no lack of. But it really does read like a diary of a teenage girl who starts out with shaky English. I think if Hadiya actually wrote an intentional story/memoir/whatever, it may have a a more lasting impact.
Overall, a very interesting look at what happens in the neighbourhoods of normal people who happen to be in Iraq. Not to downplay the hardships, which there is no lack of. But it really does read like a diary of a teenage girl who starts out with shaky English. I think if Hadiya actually wrote an intentional story/memoir/whatever, it may have a a more lasting impact.
March 22, 2017
I was looking to expand my reading. I haven't read much set in the Middle East but I saw this as a recommended read for the district GT students. I stole a copy from the teachers workroom and began to read.
I'm impressed that she writes her blog in English, not her native language. I'm impressed that she continues to blog on Wordpress. I'm impressed that she is so willing to share her life. I'm impressed by the author.
It's important for us to learn about the other point of view. Regardless of how we feel about the US relationships in the Middle East, this presents an underrepresented voice: the civilian trapped by war.
I would far recommend this over The Book Thief.
I'm impressed that she writes her blog in English, not her native language. I'm impressed that she continues to blog on Wordpress. I'm impressed that she is so willing to share her life. I'm impressed by the author.
It's important for us to learn about the other point of view. Regardless of how we feel about the US relationships in the Middle East, this presents an underrepresented voice: the civilian trapped by war.
I would far recommend this over The Book Thief.
June 22, 2017
Right from the get-go, fifteen year old Hadiya makes it plain she cares very little for what we THINK we know about Iraq and its people. This book, a collection of posts from Hadiya's IraqiGirl blog in addition to comments and chat messages, chronicles the experiences of a "typical" Iraqi teen during one of the most controversial wars in our recent history. This is an important read, so don't miss it.
February 24, 2018
IraqiGirl: Diary of a Teenage Girl in Iraq tells the story of a young girl (Hadiya) and her family, and how they lived during the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Hadiya retold many true stories about the conflict going on within her own country and she described the dangers of living in a war zone very vividly. Hadiya's stories also talk about her school and her friends, and how the violence in Iraq effected them. Hadiya's story is truly eye-opening and inspirational.
December 17, 2012
It's a blog with commentary and timeline information from a girl during the invasion of Iraq.
August 30, 2016
I had to read this book for school summer reading. I think the topic is very good, but as it was like a diary it didn't appeal to me as much.
May 4, 2017
Enlightening. A modern day Anne Frank diary. Read it. Learn.
November 19, 2024
I downloaded this e-book for free from Haymarketbooks and I’m so glad I read it.
Hadia is 6 months younger than me. While reading this I was thinking about how I was going through the same things as her: taking high school finals, finishing high school, thinking of colleges I want to go to, wondering what I should major in in college, etc. However, Hadia was doing it without clean water, electricity, and with car bombs, war planes, and fighting all around her due to the US occupation of Iraq for “weapons of mass destruction” that didn’t exist! Hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women, and children Iraqi’s died because of the US and this book details the life of a 15 year old girl during that time.
This should be a book read in every high school around America. Every high school reads The Diary of Anne Frank, and we all know what happens to Anne Frank, but we also need to add more recent and relevant to todays day/age books that show what and how the US has destabilized other countries, and this is the best one.
I’ve visited IraqiGirls blog and her last post is from 2018, when she would have been 29 years old. I wish I could know how her life is today, what she has been doing in the last 6 years, how her life has changed/stayed the same. Most of all I hope she is safe and happy.
Hadia is 6 months younger than me. While reading this I was thinking about how I was going through the same things as her: taking high school finals, finishing high school, thinking of colleges I want to go to, wondering what I should major in in college, etc. However, Hadia was doing it without clean water, electricity, and with car bombs, war planes, and fighting all around her due to the US occupation of Iraq for “weapons of mass destruction” that didn’t exist! Hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women, and children Iraqi’s died because of the US and this book details the life of a 15 year old girl during that time.
This should be a book read in every high school around America. Every high school reads The Diary of Anne Frank, and we all know what happens to Anne Frank, but we also need to add more recent and relevant to todays day/age books that show what and how the US has destabilized other countries, and this is the best one.
I’ve visited IraqiGirls blog and her last post is from 2018, when she would have been 29 years old. I wish I could know how her life is today, what she has been doing in the last 6 years, how her life has changed/stayed the same. Most of all I hope she is safe and happy.
July 24, 2020
Hmm. I didn’t love this, but I suppose it was perfectly fine at what it aimed to be: a way for readers to learn how Iraqis felt about the U.S. occupation of their country. As other reviewers have mentioned, it didn’t really go as deep as I would have liked, but I think that’s because we expected something different - the book is exactly as it purports to be, a collection of a teenager’s blog entries, not a memoir written in reflection.
What I found bothersome while reading this was how one-sided the blogger’s thoughts seemed to be. She blamed the U.S. soldiers for all of the bullets flying, the car bombs, and the mortars. But not once does she indicate any consideration of WHY the soldiers are there, with WHOM they are exchanging gunfire, or WHO is planting the car bombs.
So I suppose the lesson here is that civilians whose lives are seriously disrupted, endangered even, don’t necessarily understand or even care why. They just want the disruption and danger to stop. Something to be considered no matter how you fell about it intellectually.
What I found bothersome while reading this was how one-sided the blogger’s thoughts seemed to be. She blamed the U.S. soldiers for all of the bullets flying, the car bombs, and the mortars. But not once does she indicate any consideration of WHY the soldiers are there, with WHOM they are exchanging gunfire, or WHO is planting the car bombs.
So I suppose the lesson here is that civilians whose lives are seriously disrupted, endangered even, don’t necessarily understand or even care why. They just want the disruption and danger to stop. Something to be considered no matter how you fell about it intellectually.
May 25, 2022
"Oh, then it will say in newspapers in the morning: Brave American saves life of little girl!"
"But I am not an American!" answers the man.
"Oh, what are you then?" the policeman asks.
The man says, "I am a Pakistani."
The next day the newspaper says: Islamic extremist kills innocent American dog.
Overall the story was extremely insightful in regards to United States occupation in Iran during the early 2000s. The main character of the story is constantly battling her own political views, trying to figure out what it means to be occupied by a foreign nation.
"But I am not an American!" answers the man.
"Oh, what are you then?" the policeman asks.
The man says, "I am a Pakistani."
The next day the newspaper says: Islamic extremist kills innocent American dog.
Overall the story was extremely insightful in regards to United States occupation in Iran during the early 2000s. The main character of the story is constantly battling her own political views, trying to figure out what it means to be occupied by a foreign nation.
Read
August 13, 2021I don't really feel like I can give this a star rating. This is a print out of some of a young girl's blog during war time. Since it goes on for a few years the writing definitely matures. It's interesting to see inside of a normal teenager's head during the Iraqi war.
April 2, 2020
One of the many individual voices that make up the chorus of the Iraqi people who weathered and endured the violence and oppression of the US occupation.
August 23, 2010
Reviewed on my blog The Perpetual Page-Turner
How I Got This Book: The people at Haymarket were kind enough to send it to me. This did not affect my opinion or rating of the book.
Rating: 3.5 stars
IraqiGirl is a compilation of blog posts written by an anonymous girl blogging her way through the Iraq War. She shares in her posts the horrors of the war and talks about her life as a teenager in Iraq. She speaks of the typical struggles of any teenager--worrying about exams, friendships, sibling rivalry, figuring out who she is-- but then within the next sentence she will relay an experience about drinking dirty water, a car bomb exploding near her house or the electricity only being on for four hours and you remember that this is not your typical coming of age story. Her voice is typical of that of any sixteen year old and her fears, hopes and dreams are heartbreaking and raw.
I very much enjoy memoirs and diaries as I enjoy learning about people. The thing I love about this book is that she was just writing for her own blog so there is an authentic and honest account of her life. It was not written with any other intention other than to share her life, hopes and dreams with whomever who read it. She was not paid to write this beforehand so it is real and does not contain nicely packaged life lessons.
Her story made my heart break. When she started this blog in 2004, I was going into my freshman year in college. I followed the happenings going on in Iraq and I felt compassionately for the innocent people who were in the middle of this war but will admit I really didn't think too much of it. There were two countries engaged in this war and yet I never felt any of the effects of it as this young girl did. The war was real to her everyday. The war was only real to me when I saw a report on the television or heard of someone whose loved ones were in Iraq and even then it wasn't the type of reality as waking up in the middle of the night to warplanes or mortars exploding. This account of the war--no matter what your feelings were about the war -- will force you to think about those who were caught in the middle of this. I think sometimes it is easy to think of war to be like the scenes of The Patriot or a movie like that where the two opposing forces walk towards each other in a battlefield that is void of any civilians. The fighting is contained to the battlefield. Today's wars are not like this. They are messy and uncontained.
This book was extremely eye-opening and it was interesting to read her story and "watch" her grow. She has alot of followers in the US who have read her blog from the beginning and have been able read about everything unfolding. I would recommend this book to anybody with an interest in learning about people from other cultures, the Iraq War or people who enjoy a good diary. The only things that kept this rating at 3.5 stars were the fact that it WAS a bunch of blog posts so at some points it was very scattered, random and mundane. Overall, it was very insightful and well worth the read. I finished it all in one day. I think it would be interesting for teachers to use in their classroom as there were interesting discussion questions afterward.
This book certainly made me appreciate my freedom and all the things I take forgranted in my daily life.
You can visit her blog at: www.iraqigirl.blogspot.com
How I Got This Book: The people at Haymarket were kind enough to send it to me. This did not affect my opinion or rating of the book.
Rating: 3.5 stars
IraqiGirl is a compilation of blog posts written by an anonymous girl blogging her way through the Iraq War. She shares in her posts the horrors of the war and talks about her life as a teenager in Iraq. She speaks of the typical struggles of any teenager--worrying about exams, friendships, sibling rivalry, figuring out who she is-- but then within the next sentence she will relay an experience about drinking dirty water, a car bomb exploding near her house or the electricity only being on for four hours and you remember that this is not your typical coming of age story. Her voice is typical of that of any sixteen year old and her fears, hopes and dreams are heartbreaking and raw.
I very much enjoy memoirs and diaries as I enjoy learning about people. The thing I love about this book is that she was just writing for her own blog so there is an authentic and honest account of her life. It was not written with any other intention other than to share her life, hopes and dreams with whomever who read it. She was not paid to write this beforehand so it is real and does not contain nicely packaged life lessons.
Her story made my heart break. When she started this blog in 2004, I was going into my freshman year in college. I followed the happenings going on in Iraq and I felt compassionately for the innocent people who were in the middle of this war but will admit I really didn't think too much of it. There were two countries engaged in this war and yet I never felt any of the effects of it as this young girl did. The war was real to her everyday. The war was only real to me when I saw a report on the television or heard of someone whose loved ones were in Iraq and even then it wasn't the type of reality as waking up in the middle of the night to warplanes or mortars exploding. This account of the war--no matter what your feelings were about the war -- will force you to think about those who were caught in the middle of this. I think sometimes it is easy to think of war to be like the scenes of The Patriot or a movie like that where the two opposing forces walk towards each other in a battlefield that is void of any civilians. The fighting is contained to the battlefield. Today's wars are not like this. They are messy and uncontained.
This book was extremely eye-opening and it was interesting to read her story and "watch" her grow. She has alot of followers in the US who have read her blog from the beginning and have been able read about everything unfolding. I would recommend this book to anybody with an interest in learning about people from other cultures, the Iraq War or people who enjoy a good diary. The only things that kept this rating at 3.5 stars were the fact that it WAS a bunch of blog posts so at some points it was very scattered, random and mundane. Overall, it was very insightful and well worth the read. I finished it all in one day. I think it would be interesting for teachers to use in their classroom as there were interesting discussion questions afterward.
This book certainly made me appreciate my freedom and all the things I take forgranted in my daily life.
You can visit her blog at: www.iraqigirl.blogspot.com
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews