Rebels by Accident

October 13, 2014
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.

October 15, 2014
An American teen visiting her Egyptian grandmother in Cairo witnesses the beginnings of the Arab Spring movement. After being caught at a wild high school party, Mariam and her best friend, Deanna, are sent to spend the remaining five months of the school year with her conservative grandmother in Egypt. Mariam dreads her grandmother's legendary strictness: "[F]rom the stories my baba [father] has told me...I would probably have more freedom in jail." But Deanna, who "loves anything Egyptian," immediately embraces the adventure. (Deanna's tastes run toward romance novels featuring stereotypical illustrations of "pseudo-Arab lover boy[s]" on the covers.) Mariam's initial mockery of her friend's books later becomes ironic when the plot begins to center more heavily on romantic entanglements than the rebellion against President Hosni Mubarak. By the end of the teens' stay in Egypt (which ends up being a mere five days), both girls have found boyfriends for themselves and a love match for the grandmother. The timeline makes the many musings on true love more mawkish than believable. Meanwhile, there are so few scenes about the demonstrations in Tahrir Square or meaningful conversations about the political landscape that readers will develop little sense of the historical significance of the real Egyptian rebellion. This novel may mean well, but it fails to find a balance between romance and the reality of regime change. (Historical fiction. 12-14)

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November 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Miriam and her best friend Deanna land in jail following an ill-advised attempt to crash a party shortly before the police arrived. Egyptian American Miriam, always kept on a tight leash by her parents, is convinced her life will end following the party incident. Instead, she's handed a worse fate; her irate parents send her to Egypt to live with her notoriously strict Sittu (grandmother). Deanna's mother decides that she should go, too, so they are promptly shipped off together. Sittu, however, strikes little resemblance to the harsh woman described by Miriam's father and clearly has a few secrets up her sleeve, as they begin to suspect her online activities have something to do with the civil unrest bubbling up around them. Miriam and Deanna's trip coincides with the dawn of the Arab Spring on the eve of the protests in Tahrir Square. Much is packed into the story of their very short time in Egypt, from sightseeing, quarrels, and crushes to matchmaking, illness, and the protests. The narrative is at its most compelling during scenes set in Tahrir Square as the characters try to communicate amid the chaos., though these scenes comprise only a very small part of the story line. Miriam's growing self-awareness and reluctant connection to her Egyptian identity and Sittu are the primary focus. Though the plot feels contrived and often predictable, it is still an enjoyable, fast-paced read. A sweet coming-of-age tale that sheds light on the plight of anyone who feels like an outsider.-Jill Heritage Maza, Montclair Kimberley Academy, Montclair, NJ

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2014
Grades 6-9 After Mariam and her best friend, Deanna, are caught at a high-school party that got out of control, Mariam's parents decide to send her to stay with her sittu (grandmother) in Egypt so she can learn about her family. She has always been embarrassed about her heritage and is afraid of her grandmother, who her father always said ruled with an iron fist. Deanna joins Mariam, and the two are off on a whirlwind tour of Egypt, from visiting the pyramids to ice-skating in a mall. But after the girls learn about an uprising to encourage the people of Egypt to protest their government, they become stuck in the middle of a revolution. Both characters are a bit naive, Mariam's sittu turns out to be almost too understanding, and there are no great surprises during their five-day trip. But even as some of these overarching ideas are predictable, the discussion of politics and revolution is inspiring. A good choice for libraries looking to expand offerings about other cultures and politics.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)