Samira and Samir- Abandoned!

What started out as a fantastic book, Samira and Samir by Siba Shakib gradually grew dull and monotonous. I think it was just the idea of the plot that intrigued me. The idea of a young girl (named Samira) in Afghanistan forced to grow up as a boy (called Samir), so not to ruin her father’s honor was something I had never heard of. The beginning was mostly about Samira’s parents, and the focus slowly turned to Samir’s relationship with her male friend, Bashir. At first, their peculiar interactions were exciting, but then they seem to stand still in age—nothing much happens developmentally, and the author begins to ramble. I couldn’t read more than 10 or so pages at night, for there was nothing to keep me going and the book is quite grim. Tragic tale after tragic tale was told and stories of rape were repeated. It wasn’t that I couldn’t keep track of what was happening, but I just lost interest in knowing. Unfortunately, I have decided to abandon this book, 201 pages into the 280 page book. Perhaps I will later return to finish up the last bit, but for now I will move onto a book with a lighter topic and more of a grab. However, I cannot credit this book for nothing. The topic still interests me, and is something I’d be willing to possibly read more about. In fact, the New York Times just wrote an article on how common females disguised as males so to avoid oppression are in Afghanistan.

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin offers a theory about what happens after one dies. Zevin describes an afterlife in which all age backwards until the dead reach infancy again. At infancy, the dead are shipped back down a river to be reborn on earth. Initially, I saw this theory as quite optimistic, but I was soon proved wrong. While this would be a wonderfully satisfying afterlife for one who already lived a long life on earth, it is only full of missed opportunities for a dead teenager such as the main character, Liz. Dead at 15, Liz never has the chance to get her driver’s license, go to prom or to her best friend’s wedding. She becomes addicted to looking through lenses at the observation deck, where she can see into the lives of her loved ones who are still alive, destroying her mental and social health. Although Zevin describes the after world (often called “elsewhere”) with great detail, she neglects to give Liz much of a personality. Liz has few distinct features. I can’t help but wonder whether this was intentional, rather than lazy writing. Possibly Zevin meant to make Liz’s life and afterlife applicable to every teenage girl, without turning her into a complete stereo-type or cliché. Zevin illustrates her ideas of life after death through a generic girl, putting a twist on the idea of heaven.

Naughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Naughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman explores an interesting concept of roll reversal of skin colors. In the novel, people with light skin tones (nicknamed the Naughts) were second class citizens to those with darker skin tones (nicknamed the Crosses). Despite the advances that have been made in civil rights and in the mindset of the citizens, there are numerous ideas pertaining to skin color that many have never given much thought to. For example, the traditional color of a band-aid is tan, to blend with a white person’s skin tone. Blackman described a Naught applying a brown band-aid, which stuck out on his pale skin. Why is it that with all of the ethnic variety in America, no one has put other color skin tone band-aids on the market? The book made the reader question other products and ideas that he or she has just always accepted. It became clear throughout the novel that it was irrelevant who was being forced to live a second class life; all should live equally, although that is an unrealistically optimistic ideal.