S.K. Ali – The Hub

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2023) Featured Review of All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
Razorbill / Penguin Random House
Publication Date: March 2, 2022
ISBN: 9780593202340

Salahudin (Sal) and Noor are two Pakistani American teens trying to make the best of it before graduating and escaping Juniper, the California desert town where they have few prospects. Noor has had to apply for college in secret, since her abusive uncle expects her to stay and help run the liquor store as payment for him taking her in. Sal has recently lost his loving mother, Misbah, and he’s struggling to keep his family’s motel afloat while his alcoholic father descends into grief. Sal and Noor used to rely on each other, but since The Fight, things are awkward between them. Yet just as they start to reconnect and trust each other again, maybe even fall in love, Sal’s desperate attempts to make money to save his family’s motel endangers them both.

Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2020) Nominees Round Up, November 5 Edition

Click here to see all of the current Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers nominees along with more information about the list and past years’ selections.

Teen Titans: Raven (Teen Titans #1) by Kami Garcia, illustrated by Gabriel Picolo
DC Ink
Publication Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1401286231

An origin story of DC’s Raven, this graphic novel opens on a scene between Raven and her adoptive mother discussing what appears to be a recent shocking revelation when their car is hit. Her mother dies and Raven is left with amnesia. Raven is taken in by her mother’s estranged sister and cousin. Raven has to re-learn who she is while navigating high school while being pursued by a demon.

Teen Titans: Raven stars a well-known character. The excellent artwork, and intriguing characters make this a quick read.

Those who like YA DC graphic novels such as Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale by Lauren Myracle will like this. Also a great entry book for those wanting to check out YA graphic novels starring women. Continue reading Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (#QP2020) Nominees Round Up, November 5 Edition

Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2020) Nominees Round Up, September 13 Edition

Click here to see all of the current Best Fiction for Young Adults nominees along with more information about the list and past years’ selections.

Love from A to Z by S. K. Ali
Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: April 30, 2019
ISBN: 978-1534442726

Zayneb and Adam and their similar fascinations with marvels and oddities are serendipitously thrown together when they both visit Doha during their spring break. Zayneb is visiting after an unfortunate note she writes about her Islamaphobic teacher is found, and Adam is returning home after finding out he has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which his mother died from when he was young.

Continue reading Best Fiction for Young Adults (#BFYA2020) Nominees Round Up, September 13 Edition

Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2020) Nominees Round Up, July 25 Edition

Click here to see all of the current Amazing Audiobooks nominees along with more information about the list and past years’ selections.

The Things She’s Seen by Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina; Narrated by Miranda Tapsell
Listening Library / Penguin Random House
Publication Date: May 14, 2019
ISBN: 978-1984884398

A car accident may have killed Beth Teller, but her spirit lingers to help her detective father cope with the overwhelming grief of her loss. When a small-town arson case meant merely to distract him leads both of the Tellers to interview a prophetic witness, Isobel Catching, life and death connections are formed. Catching can see Beth, too, and from her hospital bed Catching spins for the Tellers a convoluted tale of grayness, shimmering beasts, indescribable pain, and The Other Place. Meanwhile, bodies continue to collect around town as Catching’s poems intensify. Can the Tellers see the horrifying truth of the case unfolding before them before anyone else gets hurt? Told in alternating perspectives, Beth through prose and Catching in verse, this gripping thriller by Aboriginal siblings shines a light on cultural bias and trauma while affirming the indomitable spirit of young women.

Continue reading Amazing Audiobooks (#AA2020) Nominees Round Up, July 25 Edition

2018 Morris Award Finalists: An Interview with S. K. Ali

S. K. Ali is a finalist for the 2018 William C. Morris YA Debut Award for her novel Saints and Misfits. The award winner will be announced at the ALA Midwinter Meeting Youth Media (YMA) Awards on Monday, Feb. 12, 2018.

Smart, funny, and incredibly hard-working Janna Yusuf, an Arab American hijabi teen, is dealing with the usual teen issues of crushes, family, and friends. She finds her life thrown into personal upheaval after she is sexually assaulted by the seemingly devout cousin of her close friend, someone revered at her local Mosque. She grapples with the challenge of coming forward about the assault and not sure who or whether she can tell. She starts relying on unlikely friends, and finds the strength to stand up for herself. Continue reading 2018 Morris Award Finalists: An Interview with S. K. Ali