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diamondxgirl
A look into colonialism and feminism wrapped in the Moroccan culture. This scifi will be a fall darling!
Let’s get this out of the way first - Mirage has a beautiful cover that will tell you it’s a fantasy but the first sentence of the description sets things straight - this book is definitely in the scifi genre.
In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer.
That’s right, Mirage is set in space. Before you write it off, let me tell you why the setting is not really about space but about the world Somaiya has created.
Amani, our main character, lives in a world where she’s been kidnapped to body double for the princess. Why? Is it because there’s a brutal battle for the crown by warring communities? No (you thought you were going to have your fantasy in right here, didn’t you?). Princess Maram can not be seen in public because the people of the world she will someday rule hate her.
The Kushaila people hate Princess Maram because they’ve been invaded by the Vathek (where her cruel father hails from). In this moment, Mirage becomes so much more than the warring factions but a look at colonialism and oppression.
So this exploration of colonialism and oppression should be enough to make you pick up this book but then Somaiya goes ahead and throws in:
1. Romance
2. Moroccan culture
3. Space (did I mention this is a scifi?)
4. Feminism
And by throws in, I mean completely wraps the story in a way that will have you wondering when you can get your hands on book 2. Like, can I climb in Somalia’s head? It sounds great in there.
The relationship between Amani and Maram is complete hook. They’re both living an experience where their worth as a woman boils down to a man’s needs. Amani has the extra layer of being forced to act as a woman whose sole worth is defined by furthering her father’s agenda and yet, she finds small ways to rebel. And the two of them together? Good lord I hope we see a whole lot more of them together in the future. Burn. It. Down.
So likely you’re already considering this book because I just told you there’s literally no reason not to read it but I want to add that the audio for Mirage is an excellent choice of reading. Rasha Zamamiri is a standout for bringing the right intonation and depth to all of the voices in the story, but especially Amani. I found myself so immersed in the story (thanks to Rasha’s narration) that hours would pass before I knew it.
*Audiobook provided by MacMillan Audio, which did not affect my opinions here.
Let’s get this out of the way first - Mirage has a beautiful cover that will tell you it’s a fantasy but the first sentence of the description sets things straight - this book is definitely in the scifi genre.
In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer.
That’s right, Mirage is set in space. Before you write it off, let me tell you why the setting is not really about space but about the world Somaiya has created.
Amani, our main character, lives in a world where she’s been kidnapped to body double for the princess. Why? Is it because there’s a brutal battle for the crown by warring communities? No (you thought you were going to have your fantasy in right here, didn’t you?). Princess Maram can not be seen in public because the people of the world she will someday rule hate her.
The Kushaila people hate Princess Maram because they’ve been invaded by the Vathek (where her cruel father hails from). In this moment, Mirage becomes so much more than the warring factions but a look at colonialism and oppression.
So this exploration of colonialism and oppression should be enough to make you pick up this book but then Somaiya goes ahead and throws in:
1. Romance
2. Moroccan culture
3. Space (did I mention this is a scifi?)
4. Feminism
And by throws in, I mean completely wraps the story in a way that will have you wondering when you can get your hands on book 2. Like, can I climb in Somalia’s head? It sounds great in there.
The relationship between Amani and Maram is complete hook. They’re both living an experience where their worth as a woman boils down to a man’s needs. Amani has the extra layer of being forced to act as a woman whose sole worth is defined by furthering her father’s agenda and yet, she finds small ways to rebel. And the two of them together? Good lord I hope we see a whole lot more of them together in the future. Burn. It. Down.
So likely you’re already considering this book because I just told you there’s literally no reason not to read it but I want to add that the audio for Mirage is an excellent choice of reading. Rasha Zamamiri is a standout for bringing the right intonation and depth to all of the voices in the story, but especially Amani. I found myself so immersed in the story (thanks to Rasha’s narration) that hours would pass before I knew it.
*Audiobook provided by MacMillan Audio, which did not affect my opinions here.
Wildcard is an intense follow up to last year’s Warcross and I can’t wait to see the internet unpack everything that is going on there. I love how Marie gave Emika the power she needed to become the woman she is at the end of the book. Also, the audiobook is fantastic, with a full array of emotions captured by narrator Nancy Wu. So let’s talk about how we go from now to Warcross, Wildcard, and Black Mirror…
4 Reasons the World We Live in Today Could Become the World of Warcross & Wildcard
1. Virtual Reality - We are living in a world where Facebook has 400 employees dedicated to VR technology, along with every major tech company in the world. It doesn’t seem unrealistic that the tech could become standard in every home.
2. Crime Detection - Minority Report was once just a movie but now it’s a legit thing (https://www.techemergence.com/ai-crime-prevention-5-current-applications/).
3. CEOs Playing Politics - Going to space sounded really cool until Elon Musk was discovered to have donated to the Republican Party (https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-political-donations-2018-7). It’s no secret or new thing to have the people with money controlling the political scene but it is something worth watching.
4. Separating the Mind from the Body - So yeah, earlier this year, a team of scientists at Yale revealed (https://thenextweb.com/science/2018/04/25/scientists-can-now-keep-brains-alive-without-body/) they were able to keep the brain of a pig going after it was out of body.
4 Reasons the World We Live in Today Could Become the World of Warcross & Wildcard
1. Virtual Reality - We are living in a world where Facebook has 400 employees dedicated to VR technology, along with every major tech company in the world. It doesn’t seem unrealistic that the tech could become standard in every home.
2. Crime Detection - Minority Report was once just a movie but now it’s a legit thing (https://www.techemergence.com/ai-crime-prevention-5-current-applications/).
3. CEOs Playing Politics - Going to space sounded really cool until Elon Musk was discovered to have donated to the Republican Party (https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-political-donations-2018-7). It’s no secret or new thing to have the people with money controlling the political scene but it is something worth watching.
4. Separating the Mind from the Body - So yeah, earlier this year, a team of scientists at Yale revealed (https://thenextweb.com/science/2018/04/25/scientists-can-now-keep-brains-alive-without-body/) they were able to keep the brain of a pig going after it was out of body.
At first I was like, what the heck am I reading? But now I’m like, aw a dog! What the heck did I just read???
I really love Chip’s Spidey.
Come for the laughs, stay for the heart.
Do you love swag and snail mail? Gordon has tons of fun swag just for signing up for his newsletter (no purchase required but you should definitely preorder YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY). Check it out here.
Do you love swag and snail mail? Gordon has tons of fun swag just for signing up for his newsletter (no purchase required but you should definitely preorder YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY). Check it out here.
Alright, Jeff Zentner. You promised me this book would come without tears but that is a lie!
Rayne and Delilah are the alternative late-night access channel personalities of Josie and Delia, two best friends who are high school seniors on the cusp of their whole lives changing. Rayne and Delilah’s Midnite Matinee is their story and it will grab your heart in a way you can’t even expect.
Whew.
Any YA fan alive in the last two years has probably heard of Jeff Zentner or maybe seen one of his selfies. If you’ve met Kelly or I, you’ve likely had The Serpent King thrust into your hands without remorse. Jeff creates characters you can’t forget and stories so tangible that you’ll wonder if you’re living in the Matrix and that’s the real world over there.
Rayne and Delilah is no different. While you’re probably wondering how this man takes access channel TV and a road trip and leaves you with tears and joy, I can promise you their journey is completely worth it.
Without spoiling the story, Jeff tackles:
1. The ever-changing landscape of a friendship as youth grow more into themselves and hold onto the pieces of their youth so important to them.
2. Parental abandonment and the complexity of the feelings that go with it.
3. Young love that comes slowly and yet hits you all at once.
4. The uncertainty of that small part of our lives between senior year and whatever comes next.
5. Meeting your idols, celebrity and otherwise.
Oh, and there will be tears. But not the tears of his previous two books yet all the same.
Rayne and Delilah are the alternative late-night access channel personalities of Josie and Delia, two best friends who are high school seniors on the cusp of their whole lives changing. Rayne and Delilah’s Midnite Matinee is their story and it will grab your heart in a way you can’t even expect.
Whew.
Any YA fan alive in the last two years has probably heard of Jeff Zentner or maybe seen one of his selfies. If you’ve met Kelly or I, you’ve likely had The Serpent King thrust into your hands without remorse. Jeff creates characters you can’t forget and stories so tangible that you’ll wonder if you’re living in the Matrix and that’s the real world over there.
Rayne and Delilah is no different. While you’re probably wondering how this man takes access channel TV and a road trip and leaves you with tears and joy, I can promise you their journey is completely worth it.
Without spoiling the story, Jeff tackles:
1. The ever-changing landscape of a friendship as youth grow more into themselves and hold onto the pieces of their youth so important to them.
2. Parental abandonment and the complexity of the feelings that go with it.
3. Young love that comes slowly and yet hits you all at once.
4. The uncertainty of that small part of our lives between senior year and whatever comes next.
5. Meeting your idols, celebrity and otherwise.
Oh, and there will be tears. But not the tears of his previous two books yet all the same.