"A poignant, prescient, compelling story of courage, friendship, family love and personal triumph in the face of Islamophobia"
February 2023 Debut of the Month | Shortlisted for The Branford Boase Award 2024
Masterfully exposing the brutal realities of Islamophobia in Britain, Ayaan Mohamud’s You Think You Know Me debut is a moving, stirring triumph that sees a quiet, hardworking teenager journey through horrendous Islamophobic abuse to find a courageous voice and, in her words, “optimism and dreams and faith”.
Informed by the author’s experiences, the novel shares the story of Hanan, who lost her father as she and her family fled civil war in Somalia. Now living in London with her mum, grandmother, twin brother and little sisters, Hanan is a model student, dedicated to her loving family, and to the memory of her beloved dad.
Though Hanan has a close friendship group, her school life is marred by institutional racism and bigoted bullying. And she bears great pressure, too: “it sometimes felt like…I needed to be so perfect to secure my family’s future.” What’s more, she carries her “dad’s legacy; my parents’ sacrifices; my family’s hopes for a good life against the undercurrents of racism in a place where people are surprised I succeeded.”
When the school caretaker is murdered (someone who’d shown Hanan tremendous kindness), shockwaves shudder through the community. The perpetrator happened to be Muslim, and now all Muslims are under scrutiny, no thanks to wildly inaccurate, Islamophobic newspaper headlines: “School caretaker murder declared ‘full-blown jihadi’ by close sources”.
Add to this a terrifying, close-to-home attack, and school proposing a ban on headscarves in the name of “achieving integration”, and Hanan finds the strength to break free from being the quiet girl people think they know. She stands up and speaks out with words that’ll leave readers reeling with rage at the racism she’s endured, and inspired by her strength and courage. If that wasn’t enough, this novel is also brilliant on family love, grief, and the complexities of friendship, loyalty and forgiveness.
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People like me are devils before we are angels.
Hanan has always been good and quiet. She accepts her role as her school's perfect Muslim poster girl. She ignores the racist bullies. A closed mouth is gold - it helps you get home in one piece.
Then her friend is murdered and every Muslim is to blame. The world is angry at us again. How can she stay silent while her family is ripped apart? It's time for Hanan to stop being the quiet, good girl. It's time for her to stand up and shout.
Compelled to write the story following the tragic deaths of Shukri Abdi, a 12-year-old Somali refugee, and Lee Rigby, a British Army soldier, Ayaan was keen to shine a light on the real-life stories behind the headlines.
She explores how the backlash from a crime committed by a Muslim affects an entire community and leads to a vicious cycle of violence. Offering insight into what it’s like to be confronted with Islamophobia at school during a time when hate crimes against Muslims are on the rise, this inspiring and powerful story is about finding the strength to speak up against hate, fear and injustice.
Ayaan aims to unite and create much-needed empathy and understanding among young generations of readers.
She said: “Like most Muslims living in the West, I have never forgotten the first time I experienced Islamophobia, and the fear of being abused because of my faith has always been a constant shadow. I wanted to explore this in You Think You Know Me, and also consider how different this experience might be from the point of view of a refugee who has already faced so much in a difficult world. “This story is everything I never read in books growing up because Hanan actively chooses her faith. It’s a beautiful part of her character that I was excited to write and for readers to see and I hope too that it proves educational for people who may not know much about Islam. “Up until now, the representation of Muslim characters in Young Adult books has been dire, and this is amplified when you consider the lack of characters who are visibly Muslim or who actively practise their faith. I believe it is vitally important that representation of all groups is shown across the spectrum of lived experiences and I can’t wait to see how readers respond to Hanan and her inspirational story.”
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed You Think You Know Me and determined it is suitable for children aged 13-18 years old
You Think You Know Me features in the following genres: Debuts of the Month, Recommendations, Featured Books for Young Adults, Gritty Reads, PSHE: Bereavement and Grief, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Children’s, Teenage and Educational, PSHE: Bullying and Discrimination, PSHE: Multiculturalism, Diversity and Inclusion, Star Books, Stories about Family and Friends, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Featured Books for 13+ readers
You Think You Know Me is available in Paperback
You Think You Know Me was written by Ayaan Mohamud and published by Usborne Publishing Ltd
You Think You Know Me has 349 pages
£8.09
