Hello everyone and welcome back to the blog! Today is my stop in the “Hollow Fires” Book Tour and I have a review as well as some favourite quotes for you.

DISCLAIMER: A review copy of this book has been sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

And now without further ado, let’s start with this post.

1. About the book

A powerful, gripping YA novel about the insidious nature of racism, the terrible costs of unearthing hidden truths, and the undeniable power of hope, by New York Times bestselling author Samira Ahmed. Perfect for fans of Sadie and Dear Martin.

Safiya Mirza dreams of becoming a journalist. And one thing she’s learned as editor of her school newspaper is that a journalist’s job is to find the facts and not let personal biases affect the story. But all that changes the day she finds the body of a murdered boy.

Jawad Ali was fourteen years old when he built a cosplay jetpack that a teacher mistook for a bomb. A jetpack that got him arrested, labeled a terrorist—and eventually killed. But he’s more than a dead body, and more than “Bomb Boy.” He was a person with a life worth remembering.

Driven by Jawad’s haunting voice guiding her throughout her investigation, Safiya seeks to tell the whole truth about the murdered boy and those who killed him because of their hate-based beliefs.

This gripping and powerful book uses an innovative format and lyrical prose to expose the evil that exists in front of us, and the silent complicity of the privileged who create alternative facts to bend the truth to their liking.

Title – Hollow Fires
Author – Samira Ahmed
Genre – Young Adult Mystery Thriller
Release date – May 10th, 2022

Rating: 5 out of 5.

2. Review

“Hollow Fires” is written in a dual P.O.V. where we follow Safiya and Jawad during their journey and how their lives changed drastically.

This book was such a powerful read and beautifully written. I couldn’t get enough of it and actually read it in one sitting. “Hollow Fires” has these useful time stamps in the beginning of the chapters, as the book is set in the present time and in the year 2023. Which is interesting as it shows in detail what’s going on. I really appreciated the time stamps as it helped me understand the story better.

I loved the writing style and can’t stop gushing about it. The mystery aspect of this novel was great as well, and I loved how everything came together in the end. As you’ve probably understood by now, I don’t even know how to write a review for this book, as I just loved it so much. “Hollow Fires” might even be my personal favourite of 2022, and I might recommend it to everyone that’s visiting the bookshop I’m working at.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this book to everyone. “Hollow Fires” was such an important and interesting read that deserves all the praise. The only thing left for you to do is grab a cup of tea, some tissues, and please read this novel.

3. Favourite Quotes

  1. You never forget the first time you see a dead body.
  2. Or my needling curiosity that my friend Asma called nosiness.
  3. When you see a dead body, you freeze, a layer of ice forming under your skin.
  4. I don’t blame her, though. It wasn’t her fault at all. She was one of the kind adults, the ones who cared.
  5. All the adults kept saying we shouldn’t let them scare us. Ummm? Why not? It was scary.
  6. […]ridiculous heart-eyed reverie[…]
  7. God. I sounded like a middle-aged lady with a lot of cats and embroidered pillows. Could I be any more of a dork?
  8. “Obviously some racist who hacked the school website. Oh, and a happy New Year to you, [insert name].”
  9. I wanted to throw it at [insert name]. But that would only end badly for me. Besides, I had terrible aim.
  10. It was another reminder of who gets the benefit of the doubt. Of who America sees as innocent until proven guilty.
  11. But it didn’t matter when some media made corrections, because the first lie became the truth people heard.
  12. Like I’m supposed to have a sixth sense for racists because I’m brown? That’s not how it works.
  13. “The entire extent of our relationship was -” “About finding the chemistry in chemistry?”
  14. Forgetting is not an option. And that’s one way you can be the change.

4. Where to buy?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58511505-hollow-fires

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316282642/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin_ca-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=330641

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hollow-fires-samira-ahmed/1140137040?ean=9780316282642

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Hollow-Fires-Samira-Ahmed/9780316282642?ref=grid-view&qid=1646255635566&sr=1-1

Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/hollow-fires/9780316282642-item.html?ikwid=hollow+fires&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=d045818e451cb3c6e8f6d164886865c1

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316282642

5. About the author

Samira Ahmed is the bestselling author of Love, Hate & Other Filters, Internment, Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know, and  Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds, as well as a Ms. Marvel comic book mini-series.  Her poetry, essays, and short stories have appeared in numerous publications and anthologies including the New York Times, Take the Mic, Color Outside the Lines, Vampires Never Get Old and A Universe of Wishes.

She was born in Bombay, India, and grew up in Batavia, Illinois, in a house that smelled like fried onions, spices, and potpourri. A graduate of the University of Chicago, Samira has taught high school English in both the suburbs of Chicago and New York City, worked in education non-profits, and spent time on the road for political campaigns.

Samira currently lives in the Midwest. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found on her lifelong quest for the perfect pastry.

Author Links:

Website: https://samiraahmed.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sam_aye_ahm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sam_aye_ahm/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8345582.Samira_Ahmed

6. Tour Schedule

Please don’t forget to check out the posts of the other bloggers on this tour! Follow this LINK to see the schedule.

*A review copy of this book has been sent to me via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.