Amina’s Voice took me by surprise. I should never have doubted the countless glowing reviews that urged me to pick this up but I am so glad that its Goodreads Choice Award nomination pushed me to finally get my hands on it. Wow. Khan has such a lush, gorgeous writing style and she brought Amina’s story to life with such skill for a debut novelist.

Amina, our protagonist, had such a vibrant voice. I completely adored her and all of the secondary characters. Her relationships with her family and friends were fleshed out and played a pivotal role in the story. It was nice to see a healthy but realistic family dynamic in a contemporary like this, as well as friendship troubles that were not blown out of proportion. Amina herself goes such a transformation as she grows more comfortable in her skin. Her character arc made my heart melt with gooey feels.

I was impressed by how well Khan handled the struggles of being twelve. The incorporation of themes like friendship, family and faith made this such a powerful story that I know is going to touch the hearts of a lot of readers. Amina’s faith as a Pakistani-American Muslim was such an integral part of the story and while I tend to avoid books where religion is a main focus, the way that Khan included these discussions in the narrative felt natural and organic. I loved that there were so many positive interfaith relationships as well.

Overall? What a pleasant surprise. Amina’s Voice is a powerful and gorgeously written story that will stick with its readers long after the final page. I loved Amina and the cast. It is so important that novels like this continue to find popularity, especially in the middle-grade genre. I cannot wait to see what Khan comes out with next.

➸ Trigger warnings for

Islamophobia, racism, and hate crimes

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