cover image Rebels by Accident

Rebels by Accident

Patricia Dunn. Sourcebooks Fire, $9.99 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-1-4926-0138-8

Editor and journalist Dunn debuts with a powerful coming-of-age story (originally self-published), set on the brink of Egypt’s January 25 Revolution in 2011. Egyptian-American Mariam struggles with the contradictions of being Muslim in post-9/11 New York City. When the 15-year-old and her best friend Deanna get arrested at their first high school party, Mariam’s strict parents send both girls to stay with Mariam’s sittu (grandmother) in Cairo. As the girls discover boys, explore the pyramids, and test the limits of their fears and friendship, Mariam finds that Sittu is far from the “Darth Vader’s evil sister” she imagined—she is clever, loving, and tuned in to social media and the rebellious, hopeful pulse of her country. As Mariam and Deanna are swept into the protests of Tahir Square, they learn the price and the promise of rebellion: tragedy and hope inexorably intermingled. Dunn allows Mariam’s voice its space—making it tentative, passionate, doubting, and utterly believable—while creating a cast of Cairo youth, rebels, and expatriates that upend Mariam’s preconceptions and will do the same for many readers. Ages 12–up. Agent: Cynthia Manson, Cynthia Manson Literary Agency. (Dec.)