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The Next New Syrian Girl  By  cover art

The Next New Syrian Girl

By: Ream Shukairy
Narrated by: Victoria Nassif
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Publisher's summary

Furia meets I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter about the unlikely friendship between two very different Syrian girls, the pressures and expectations of the perfect Syrian daughter, and the repercussions of the Syrian Revolution both at home and abroad.

Khadija Shami is a Syrian American high school senior raised on boxing and football. Saddled with a monstrous ego and a fierce mother to test it, she dreams of escaping her sheltered life to travel the world with her best friend.

Leene Tahir is a Syrian refugee, doing her best to adjust to the wildly unfamiliar society of a suburban Detroit high school while battling panic attacks and family pressures.

When their worlds collide the result is catastrophic. To Khadija, Leene embodies the tame, dutiful Syrian ideal she's long rebelled against. And to Leene, Khadija is the strong-willed, closed-off American who makes her doubt her place in the world.

But as Khadija digs up Leene’s past, a startling and life-changing discovery forces the two of them closer together. As the girls secretly race to unravel the truth, a friendship slowly and hesitantly begins blooming. Doubts are cast aside as they realize they have more in common than they each expected. What they find takes them on a journey all the way to Jordan, challenging what each knows about the other and herself.

Fans of Samira Ahmed’s Love, Hate, and Other Filters and Tahereh Mafi’s A Very Large Expanse Of Sea will love Khadija and Leene’s sharp-witted voices in this dual POV narrative. The Next New Syrian Girl is a poignant and timely blend of guilt, nostalgia, devotion, and bad-ass hijabees.

©2023 Ream Shukairy (P)2023 Little, Brown Young Readers

Critic reviews

"The Next New Syrian Girl captures the importance of friendship and the complicated journey one undertakes in the present to reconcile both past and future. A heartfelt and multifaceted novel that sings of hope."—Laila Sabreen, author of You Truly Assumed

“The Next New Syrian Girl finds empathy, light, and connections in a story that sheds insight into war, trauma, and loss. Khadija and Leene’s journey will stay with you long after the last page.”—Adiba Jaigirdar, award-winning author of Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating

"The Next New Syrian Girl is a powerful and (sadly) relevant story...a testament to the power of young girls to change the world when they stand with one another instead of competing like society wants them to. Unputdownable, heart-breaking, and heart-healing all at once."—Yamile Saied Méndez, Pura Belpré medalist author of FURIA, a Reese’s Book Club selection

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Emotional

Identity, family relationships, deep friendship, tragedy, resilience. Dual POV from 2 great characters. Thoroughly enjoyed!

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I stayed til the end

I wasn't a huge fan, but there was one story line that I wanted to know how it turned out. It had a nice surprise at the end. The voice for the reading did not help get me excited at all. I would read another book by this author in hopes that as she develops she will be able to weave many interesting elements into one book.

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