I am Malala

I really liked this one for no other reason than I am completely in awe of the main character. This is one of those stories that if you didn’t know was actually true you would completely believe was fiction. What’s more is you’d probably think the author was making the characters a little unrealistic. Malala is just incredible! I like the way the work was structured, starting with the moment she was shot and then going back in time to see the series of events, and Malala’s own development that led to that moment. I think it is a great work to structure the work because it shows the development of the main character, while also allowing the reader to stress about the end result for the entire work. It is similar to Romeo and Juliet in that fashion.

I think the themes of bravery and standing up for what you believe are incredibly powerful and important ideas made even more so by the fact that this is a work based in reality. It shows to us that there are good people in the world, strong people, willing to stand up for what is right despite the incredibly costs that it may impose. It is an incredible story of inspiration and it also reminds us as readers of just how strong we can be, even if we don’t think we can be.

This text focuses around Malala who is an adolescent despite the fact that she has more bravery than any adult I have ever met. I think she is a relatable character, she is not a god or some untouchable individual, just someone who stood up for what she knew was right. I think it would help to inspire students to do the same. Additionally, I also think that this novel really illustrate how we take some things for granted such as a free education and a sense of safety. These are important ideas for students to think about when in high school.

On top of this, in the times we live in I think it is important to have a book that looks at the events of the Middle East and illustrates a very very clear distinction between actions taken by Radical Islamic terrorists, the Taliban, and ordinary Muslim citizens. Here is a hero that stood up to the Taliban, and she is a Muslim. Kinda puts the whole assumption about Muslims on pretty shaky ground.

Overall, I really enjoyed the novel and was blown away by Malala herself. The only thing that could possibly hurt it is that the novel is foreign in many ways to students and may not draw them in as much as a traditional YA work set in a high school. I think that this obstacle can and should be overcome however. A- overall on this one.