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When Michael Met Mina
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Before Mina, my life was like a completed jigsaw puzzle but Mina has pushed the puzzle onto the floor. I have to start all over again, figuring out where the pieces go.
When Michael meets Mina, they are at a rally for refugees - standing on opposite sides.
Mina fled Afghanistan with her mother via a refugee camp, a leaky boat and a detention centre.
Michael's parents have fou ...more
When Michael meets Mina, they are at a rally for refugees - standing on opposite sides.
Mina fled Afghanistan with her mother via a refugee camp, a leaky boat and a detention centre.
Michael's parents have fou ...more
Paperback, 354 pages
Published
July 28th 2016
by Pan Macmillan Australia
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Darvey
There is some swearing, but no sex at all.
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
My tongue is tripping over the terrifically timely topics touched in The Lines We Cross. Universally relevant, remarkably well written; my personal recommendation for required reading resonates with me in an invigorating, inspirational way.
Generally, offspring look up to their parents, seeing them as large-and-in-charge with all the answers. Beyond that, there is an inherent knowledge: parents are good people. (My reminder to myself when first meeting Michael) an amiable, ill-informed adolescent ...more
Generally, offspring look up to their parents, seeing them as large-and-in-charge with all the answers. Beyond that, there is an inherent knowledge: parents are good people. (My reminder to myself when first meeting Michael) an amiable, ill-informed adolescent ...more
Randa Abdel-Fattah has done it again! I'm lucky enough to be a part of the blog tour celebrating the release of this book, so you can watch my review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y25F3...
4 strong stars! (Alternate title to WHEN MICHAEL MET MINA.)
I must have been sleeping under a rock for the last couple months, because I wasn't aware that this was the US release for WMMM. Embarrassingly, I was waiting for the better part of a year for Book Depository to get it back in stock & was even considering the hefty $25 postage fee for it. But unfortunately, I'm not in that financial circumstance at the moment, so I was delighted when I realized that it was already available to me. I ...more
I must have been sleeping under a rock for the last couple months, because I wasn't aware that this was the US release for WMMM. Embarrassingly, I was waiting for the better part of a year for Book Depository to get it back in stock & was even considering the hefty $25 postage fee for it. But unfortunately, I'm not in that financial circumstance at the moment, so I was delighted when I realized that it was already available to me. I ...more
I feel like I’m one of the only readers to have seriously disliked this book.
The politics and discussion is ON POINT and super relevant! But I felt there was a HUGE disconnect with the characters, nothing really happened, and there was no character development whatsoever except for Michael, and even that felt super forced
Ehhhhhh idk. I’ll probably write a proper review for this soon, but overall I really wanted to love this and I love the messages, but I think the execution and story was poorl ...more
The politics and discussion is ON POINT and super relevant! But I felt there was a HUGE disconnect with the characters, nothing really happened, and there was no character development whatsoever except for Michael, and even that felt super forced
Ehhhhhh idk. I’ll probably write a proper review for this soon, but overall I really wanted to love this and I love the messages, but I think the execution and story was poorl ...more
When Michael Met Mina was an emotionally and politically charged read that ignites passionate debate between Australians. Told from dual points of view, Michael is a quiet young man who has been raised in a household with strong social beliefs. His father is head of the Aussie Values political group who support policies of stopping the refugee boats and denying those seeking asylum and scaremongering amongst supporters to believe Australia will be overrun, making our lives poorer for the intake
...more
When When Michael Met Mina is a good read but I feel that it was lacking in the emotional department. Micheal's narrative mirrors a strained teen-parent relation and I almost appreciate the ups and downs recounted in his POV. As such his narrative was good.
However, Mina's character isn't anything mainstream, which is why I picked up this book. Regardless of how strong her character is and how precious her story is, I felt that it wasn't depicted with enough emotion. Such characters can be best ...more
However, Mina's character isn't anything mainstream, which is why I picked up this book. Regardless of how strong her character is and how precious her story is, I felt that it wasn't depicted with enough emotion. Such characters can be best ...more
It's so much easier to live in a world where everything is black and white.
Really enjoyed this one! Cute and relevant; what more could you want?
Likes:
- Characterisation was great and diverse
~ Mina was such a brilliant protagonist
- Michael was complicated and his development was very well done
~ Dealt with the topic of refugees, showing both sides of the argument
- Racism was dealt with; A very important theme which there is never enough rep. for
~ Romance was cute and not rushed which was nice
- ...more
Full review originally posted on my blog: Word Wonders
This was hands down the most difficult book I’ve had to read in my life. It’s just too personal and real to be an easy read, it hit too close to home, add that to the fact that I read it during a very difficult week for the muslim community… let’s just say that I was in a rough state. But I loved it, every page of it was amazing and brilliant and so spot on that I couldn’t help nod my head with every relevant phrase, sentence or comment.
T ...more
This was hands down the most difficult book I’ve had to read in my life. It’s just too personal and real to be an easy read, it hit too close to home, add that to the fact that I read it during a very difficult week for the muslim community… let’s just say that I was in a rough state. But I loved it, every page of it was amazing and brilliant and so spot on that I couldn’t help nod my head with every relevant phrase, sentence or comment.
T ...more
It's so much easier to live in a world where everything is black and white.
When Michael Met Mina is such a relevant book for today's society. Turn on the TV or the radio and listen or watch for long enough and you're bound to hear something in regards to immigrants, boat people, asylum seekers, Muslims... I'm not going to talk about my beliefs and political views here, although I do think that no matter what those views and beliefs are, we should all have the freedom to discuss them in a civil ...more
When Michael Met Mina is such a relevant book for today's society. Turn on the TV or the radio and listen or watch for long enough and you're bound to hear something in regards to immigrants, boat people, asylum seekers, Muslims... I'm not going to talk about my beliefs and political views here, although I do think that no matter what those views and beliefs are, we should all have the freedom to discuss them in a civil ...more
Growing up in Western Sydney, the "ethnic hub" of NSW, I feel like I have been pretty sheltered to the wider racist views that exist in the Australia community - it only really became apparent to me once I started university.
For that reason, When Michael Met Mina was such a powerful read for me and this book, which discusses casual racism, unconscious bias and hate speech, was really eye-opening. It was also really good at discussing the justifications that people use for racism and it's defini ...more
For that reason, When Michael Met Mina was such a powerful read for me and this book, which discusses casual racism, unconscious bias and hate speech, was really eye-opening. It was also really good at discussing the justifications that people use for racism and it's defini ...more
It's been such a long time since I have read a book that possessed such electrifying energy. I don't find it difficult to put a book down, but with When Michael Met Mina, I genuinely struggled. Needless to say, I was addicted.
When Michael Met Mina is a powerful combination of political discourse and lived experiences, contributing to the conversations and debates surrounding the ongoing global refugee crisis. Whilst such conversations can be cold, disconnected, and forgetful of the suffering tha ...more
When Michael Met Mina is a powerful combination of political discourse and lived experiences, contributing to the conversations and debates surrounding the ongoing global refugee crisis. Whilst such conversations can be cold, disconnected, and forgetful of the suffering tha ...more
This review appears on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!
If there is one Aussie YA book that you will pick up, let it be When Michael Met Mina.
The way it addresses social commentary and current political issues about border control, refugees and racism has never been more important.
The hardships that refugees face when they try and start a new life away from their home country.
The racist values that people can hold, while hiding behind a front of “protecting our values” and “encou ...more
If there is one Aussie YA book that you will pick up, let it be When Michael Met Mina.
The way it addresses social commentary and current political issues about border control, refugees and racism has never been more important.
The hardships that refugees face when they try and start a new life away from their home country.
The racist values that people can hold, while hiding behind a front of “protecting our values” and “encou ...more
Aussie Values can bite me. Mina for life.
Hold on while I look for my wig.
This review can also be found on The Reader Dragon Blog.
Please Note: I received a free copy of When Michael Met Mina from it's publisher Pan Macmillan in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my review in any way, and all thoughts expressed are solely my own.
Please Note: I received a free copy of When Michael Met Mina from it's publisher Pan Macmillan in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my review in any way, and all thoughts expressed are solely my own.
"There's a lot of ugliness under this sky. But there's plenty of beauty here too. I want to find it, spread it around, all over the cruelty and injustice. I want to shake this world like a can of lemonade, pop the lid and watch...more
This........is not an easy book to read. And yet, it's an incredibly IMPORTANT book. It tells the story of Michael and Mina, two year 11 students with completely different world views. Mina came to Australia by boat as a refugee from Afghanistan, having lost her father, her baby brother, and basically everything she's ever known.
Michael's parents run the group Aussie Values (ugh), which is one of those godawful racist groups that doesn't see how racist it really is. Basically, his parents are I ...more
Michael's parents run the group Aussie Values (ugh), which is one of those godawful racist groups that doesn't see how racist it really is. Basically, his parents are I ...more
-a book that unpacks racism and has a white person unlearning racism that doesn't a) objectify the POC involved or b) coddle the white person's privilege, huzzah. maybe read this instead of The Black Witch if you think it's important to show someone unlearning prejudice because it also has the POV of the POC who has to put up with the shit and shows her calling Mr. White Boy out, and it's written by a POC with a far better understanding of race.
-marked down one star because of repeated casual us ...more
-marked down one star because of repeated casual us ...more
4.5 stars!
This book comes out on June 28 and believe me, you'll want to read it. It's relatable, funny, intelligent and modern. The romance was beautifully written as well; it's a relationship that brought out the honesty and courage in both Michael's and Mina's characters, which was so fulfilling to read about. If PanMacmillan hadn't sent this to me, I wouldn't have picked it up, would've dismissed it as "just another contemporary" which isn't a genre I usually read. But this, THIS, needs to be ...more
This book comes out on June 28 and believe me, you'll want to read it. It's relatable, funny, intelligent and modern. The romance was beautifully written as well; it's a relationship that brought out the honesty and courage in both Michael's and Mina's characters, which was so fulfilling to read about. If PanMacmillan hadn't sent this to me, I wouldn't have picked it up, would've dismissed it as "just another contemporary" which isn't a genre I usually read. But this, THIS, needs to be ...more
who wants to join my petition for a sequel? this book was utterly amazing and I refuse to believe that this is the end. Can't this story go on forever?
(full review to be posted closer to release date)
(full review to be posted closer to release date)
Jul 01, 2018
kim hannah
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
contemporary,
family,
friendship,
politics,
read-in-2018,
realistic,
romance,
young-adult,
refugee,
asylum-seeker
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ┊ 4 stars
Read this book. It's an eye-opener. It discusses the very topic - we Australians hate - the refugee crisis happening here on our shores. A lot of people turn a blind-eye on it and feel uncomfortable to talk about it or do something about it.
And I was one of those people. I knew about the situation, I pitied them but I never did anything about it. Until I met my partner, who is a refugee and is still on his temporary safe haven visa. After 5 years, we don't know if he'll be granted ...more
Read this book. It's an eye-opener. It discusses the very topic - we Australians hate - the refugee crisis happening here on our shores. A lot of people turn a blind-eye on it and feel uncomfortable to talk about it or do something about it.
And I was one of those people. I knew about the situation, I pitied them but I never did anything about it. Until I met my partner, who is a refugee and is still on his temporary safe haven visa. After 5 years, we don't know if he'll be granted ...more
SUMMARY
Follows the interactions between an Afghani refugee and the son of the leaders of a burgeoning political party against immigration ‘queue jumpers.’
PLOT
Michael meets Mina at a protest and later realises they share classes as school. As they clash, Michael learns that he doesn’t have to believe what his parents teach him, and that Mina faces certain persecutions just by being a non-Australian. To be honest, the book is quite light on plot, it’s mostly dedicated to the romance the two share, ...more
Follows the interactions between an Afghani refugee and the son of the leaders of a burgeoning political party against immigration ‘queue jumpers.’
PLOT
Michael meets Mina at a protest and later realises they share classes as school. As they clash, Michael learns that he doesn’t have to believe what his parents teach him, and that Mina faces certain persecutions just by being a non-Australian. To be honest, the book is quite light on plot, it’s mostly dedicated to the romance the two share, ...more
Romeo, Juliet and the Right/Left Schism.
In Australia.
So yeah, that's basically it. Guy comes from a conservative family, girl comes from an immigrant family. She gets a scholarship to his swanky private school and they culture clash from the getgo.
There's no mistaking which side the author comes from, which story she's telling. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. This is pretty much propaganda for stuff I believe in with a thin veil of high school romance.
Parts of it were hard for me to read ...more
In Australia.
So yeah, that's basically it. Guy comes from a conservative family, girl comes from an immigrant family. She gets a scholarship to his swanky private school and they culture clash from the getgo.
There's no mistaking which side the author comes from, which story she's telling. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. This is pretty much propaganda for stuff I believe in with a thin veil of high school romance.
Parts of it were hard for me to read ...more
Was part of our contract walking around depressed and broken? Wearing our trauma on the outside?
Mina is just an Afghan-Australian teenager trying to be live her life. She's more than the trauma that's expected of her narrative as a refugee who survived the odds; she's brilliant, nerdy & funny. This was incredibly cute, full of great friendships, family and thoughtful discussion that wasn't in-your-face morally preaching. You'd just have to be human to love both Mina & Michael's sides of ...more
Mina is just an Afghan-Australian teenager trying to be live her life. She's more than the trauma that's expected of her narrative as a refugee who survived the odds; she's brilliant, nerdy & funny. This was incredibly cute, full of great friendships, family and thoughtful discussion that wasn't in-your-face morally preaching. You'd just have to be human to love both Mina & Michael's sides of ...more
This book is amazing. Enough said.
It was an enjoyable read. It was much more juvenile than I had hoped for (it's young adult so I don't really know what I was expecting, I'm just pretentious all the time I s2g:)). But the line that drew me in was the whole Michael and Mina meet at a protest on opposite sides but that ends first 3 pages:)). I was ready for some heated mic-drop savage infuriating discussions and things in the book and that did not happen at all:)).
I also wish the opposing side would have been taken more seriously? ...more
I also wish the opposing side would have been taken more seriously? ...more
On a super shallow level, it's awesome when it's a girl who changes the boy in a relationship and not vice versa. But this is a book about much more than that.
Mina is a Muslim Afghani refugee in Australia, and Michael is a white boy from Australia whose father is the leader of an anti-immigrant organization making huge waves throughout the country. They meet and everything changes as Michael's not only forced to confront his own racism, but he's forced to stand up to his own parents and their be ...more
Mina is a Muslim Afghani refugee in Australia, and Michael is a white boy from Australia whose father is the leader of an anti-immigrant organization making huge waves throughout the country. They meet and everything changes as Michael's not only forced to confront his own racism, but he's forced to stand up to his own parents and their be ...more
I have much to say...
See more of my reviews on my blog the Book Deviant
I have very conflicting feelings on this one, but I also feel like I can't say much. I am neither Muslim, nor Afghan. I may be biracial, but I also can't say anything on the rep that is in this book, because it doesn't relate to me in the least. That being said, while I can't say anything on the representation and message portion, I did have a few problems with the narrative, as well as the characters in general, not relating to their race or pol ...more
I have very conflicting feelings on this one, but I also feel like I can't say much. I am neither Muslim, nor Afghan. I may be biracial, but I also can't say anything on the rep that is in this book, because it doesn't relate to me in the least. That being said, while I can't say anything on the representation and message portion, I did have a few problems with the narrative, as well as the characters in general, not relating to their race or pol ...more
This was really hard to listen to because of the subject matter, but the execution was fantastic and this story needed to be told. RTC eventually maybe.
Searing, true and full of heart.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Lines We Cross | 1 | 6 | Oct 12, 2017 11:52PM |
Randa Abdel-Fattah was born in Sydney in 1979. She is a Muslim of Palestinian and Egyptian heritage. She grew up in Melbourne and attended a Catholic primary school and Islamic secondary college where she obtained an International Baccaularetate. She studied Arts/Law at Melbourne University during which time she was the Media Liaison Officer at the Islamic council of Victoria, a role which afforde
...more
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“I'm starting to realize that being born into this social world is a little like being born into clean air. You take it in as soon as you breathe, and pretty soon you don't even realize that while you can walk around with clear lungs, other people are wearing oxygen masks just to survive.”
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“Grief, especially when it's still raw, is like having a thirst that no amount of water quenches. It can't be consoled; it can't be alleviated. It's unrelenting and constant. I wish I could tell her that it will get easier with time. But if I told her that I'd also have to tell her that easier doesn't mean it ever goes away.”
—
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