Spilled Ink

Afghan American 17-year-old Yalda Jamali is much more private than her guitarist and songwriter twin brother Yusuf. As Muslim immigrants who run an Afghan restaurant, the twins’ parents “would be less than thrilled” to learn that Yusuf has been sneaking out to play with his band at “funky, punky” WhereHouse, especially since racial tensions have increased within their predominantly white Virginia town due to the arrival of Afghan refugee families. When an opening band encourages the audience to engage in racist rhetoric, Yusuf responds by leading the audience in a sing-along. He teases that it’s a profession of Islamic faith: “Say it three times and you’re officially converted.” Social media backlash follows, impacting their parents’ restaurant, and when Yusuf doesn’t come home one evening, the family finds him unconscious outside a strip mall. Utilizing Yal’s sharp-witted first-person POV, debut author Hashimi exposes how the prevalence of unchecked and unchallenged racism can lead to violence, as well as how American-born Afghans are othered and recently arrived Afghan refugees are scapegoated. Clever dialogue between the vividly individualized characters lightens harrowing depictions of anti-Islamic hate crimes in this tightly structured and engagingly paced read. An author’s note concludes. Ages 13–up. Agent: Sarah Heller, Helen Heller Agency. (June)