The Lines We Cross

by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Michael is drawn to his new classmate Mina, but they're on opposite sides of an issue that's tearing their town apart. His parents are part of an anti-immigration group, while her family have fled their besieged home in Afghanistan. As tensions rise, lines are drawn and both must decide what they want their world to look like, no matter the cost.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Australia, Young Adult Contemporary

400 pages, Paperback

First published July 28, 2016

About the author

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 afforded her the opportunity to write for newspapers and engage with media institutions about their representation of Muslims and Islam.

During university and her role at the ICV, Randa was a passionate human rights advocate and stood in the 1996 federal election as a member of the Unity Party-Say No To Hanson. Randa has also been deeply interested in inter-faith dialogue and has been a member of various inter-faith networks. She also volunteered with different human rights and migrant resource organisations including the Australian Arabic council, the Victorian migrant resource centre, Islamic women’s welfare council, Palestine human rights campaign, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, to name a few.

Randa has used her writing as a medium for expressing her views about the occupation of Palestine. Her articles about Palestine, Australian Muslims and the misunderstood status of women in Islam have been published in the Australian, the Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Canberra Times, New Matilda, Le Monde (France).

Randa is frequently sought for comment by the media on issues pertaining to Palestine, Islam or Australian Muslims. She has appeared on SBS’s Insight, ABC’s First Tuesday Book Club, ABC’s Q & A, Channel 7’s Sunrise and Channel 10’s 9am.

Randa is also a regular guest at schools around Australia addressing students about her books and the social justice issues they raise. Randa has also been a guest at Sweden’s Gothenburg and Litterlund book festivals (2007 and 2008) and Kuala Lumpur’s Book festival (2008). She has also toured in Brunei and the UK.

Randa lives in Sydney with her husband and their two children. She works as a litigation lawyer.

Reviews

[jv poore · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 supporting his parents’ new political party, Aussie Values. And, it’s not as if his parents oppose Australia accepting refugees, after all. Provided the emigrants are truly fleeing persecution (as opposed to those pesky “economic refugees”’) and they arrive via the magical queue, of course.

Then, Michael meets Mina.

Yes, it is a boy-meets-girl story; but in a boy-meets-radioactive-spider kind of way.

Mina and her mother had come to Auburn, Australia from Afghanistan ten years ago. Forced to flee Taliban occupation among horrific loss, the two persist and painstakingly, rebuild their life. A scholarship allowing Mina to attend eleventh grade at one of Australia’s top schools, affects the entire small family. They choose to move their residence, along with the family restaurant to Melbourne.

Starting a new school is rarely easy. Going from “…a kaleidoscope of cultures and ethnicities,” to being a “…cultural diversity mascot,” could be unbearable. For someone who has been smuggled out of a war zone, lived in a refugee camp, traveled on a leaky boat and spent months locked in detention, it was merely infuriating.

Not wanting the role of ‘refugee myth-buster’, but being too smart and courageous to keep quiet, Mina may seem too mature, thoughtful, compassionate and well-spoken to be a typical teen, but because I have the privilege of actually spending time with high school seniors, I can say that this is a spot-on representation. Ms. Abdel-Fattah has brilliantly broken-down misconceptions without beating down people to present one of the most important books I have ever read.


This review was written for Buried Under Books by jv poore.

[April (Aprilius Maximus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

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...

[Neeks · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 poorly done :(

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

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'm always hesitant when I have something on my TBR for so long because I want it to live up to the hype, but many fall short for me. That was not the case & THE LINES WE CROSS is one of those few YA titles that actually NEEDS to be read, NEEDS to be talked about.

Michael & Mina come from two completely different worlds. Michael's parents are the founders of Aussie Values, an anti-immigration group who is keen on keeping the borders closed & denying asylum for refugees. Mina, having lived through the whole ordeal with her mom, has left Afghanistan & everything she's ever known behind to make a better life in Australia. Readers are able to see both sides of the coin with passionate debates from Michael & Mina's POVs.

Both teens have intense emotions to bring to the table & I really appreciate the author for penning such an insightful look at immigration, without sugar coating or watering down. With a topic so emotionally heavy, it's easy to sway one way or the other, making it so the book doesn't have as strong of an impact. Michael has never given much thought to his parent's morals, just going along with it for the sake of agreement. Mina changes this for him & Michael must decide what is important to HIM, what his own thoughts & desires are. Meanwhile, Mina comes to the realization that Michael is not automatically like his father, that she must give him a chance to show his true colors.

Like THE HATE U GIVE, THE LINES WE CROSS is relevant to today & gives teens (everyone) a wake up call to what surrounds us. With a stunning prose, I didn't want to put this one down. I am rating this 4* only because the slow burn romance between Michael & Mina wasn't my favorite (does everything have to have a romance?), but it remains a backstory to the central issues taking place. I absolutely recommend this & would even love to see a sequel as it's rare for me to enjoy all MCs equally. THE LINES WE CROSS packs a punch & carries heat; it is one of the few YA novels I believe will actually make a difference in terms of perspective & cannot say anything greater. If you enjoyed THUG or just want to read something that MATTERS, this is a top choice.

[Fadwa (Word Wonders) · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

The writing is straight to the point, no flowery prose of any sort but at the same time it is very emotionally loaded, it made me feel every struggle the main characters felt, every battle they were fighting, it helped a lot with getting me invested in the story very fast (not like I needed much convincing to begin with). Randa Abdel-Fattah does an amazing job in integrating political discourse into these people’s lives, deconstructing and giving counter-arguments for every islamophobic, racist, anti-refugee argument. And this is very proeminent through the whole book.
To be completely honest, I wasn’t expecting When Michael met Mina to be as confronting as it was, I knew it would be to some extent, because you can’t bring up the refugee crisis without it being that way but this was a lot. It never sugar coated any of the issues, any of the conversations, all of it was blunt and layed for the reader to experience, and to make them think. Which was hard for me to read, and I had to take multiple breaks while reading because I’d be either angry, shaking or crying.

I loved how brilliantly the author tackled Islamophobia as well as racism, not only through lived experiences (re: showing rather than telling) but also through discourse and thoughtful commentary. And she does so with so much care and empathy, I’ve never felt like it was harsher than necessary (because some things are bound to be harsh) or like it was some kind of political agenda, it was just refugees’ lives, things they have to deal with on a daily. It’s nauseating, it’s heartbreaking but I loved how in the middle of it all there’s was hope for better as well as a sense of community and family that is heartwarming.

Some of things that happened in the story (and happen in real life as well as even worse) were gutting, it wasn’t just the loud racist acts, it was also the micro-agressions, the jokes, the pokes and jabs. They really hurt. Some quotes from the book:
Was part of our contract here in this country that we should be walking around depressed and broken? Wearing our trauma on this outside? And what about everybody we’d left dead or living in fear back home? Didn’t we owe them? How could I just lead this ordinary life?
Here’s one from an anti-refugee that made me sick to my stomach, because it’s something I’ve heard many MANY times before, everytime before someone starts nitpicking from my culture and appropriating it:
I celebrate our diversity – so long as people assimilate to our values. I don’t have a problem with different foods and festivals. That enriches our country. But people need to fit in with the majority instead of trying to mark themselves as different.
And this last one is one of the many that made me cheer and clap as well as fall in love with the book even more:
“You want me to make it easier for you to confront privilege because God knows even anti-racism has to be done in a way that makes the majority comfortable?”
I love how through two POVs on opposite side, the author took appart every argument and misconception people have. Some of which are:
”They can’t be racist, they are nice people” because if you’re not on their islamophobic, racist visor, Michael’s parents and entourage could be the sweetest. I loved how that was showcased through their nice interactions with family/friends vs. their borderline vicious (and sometimes straight up vicious) behavior when it came to refugees.

Racism comes in different forms. There are the big loud, disgusting acts as well as the casual racism that can seem harmless unless you’re on the receiving end of them.
You can’t expect marginalized people to craddle you while you face your privilege. And this is something I see so often that I yelled yes when I read it in the book, because it’s true, refugees (in this case) are going through enough for you to add the weight of your own discomfort to it.
There are so many other issues discussed in this book that this is just a small sampler of what awaits you if you decide to pick it up.

 Mina is such a strong, determined and caring character, she’s the kind of muslim rep (among others) I want more of. An independant, opinionated, brave girl who stands up for what she believes in, for her people and what’s right. I honestly loved seeing her become that girl because at the start of the book, living with *her* people, she was relatively shielded from the racism but onces that shield was off, seeing her bloom into the activist the becomes at the end was beautiful.
But Michael‘s transformation was better to watch because it was different from where I stand (where I stand being next to Mina probably hugging or high-fiving her). A lot of us believe what our parents tell us at that age, and even later in life, not questioning anything unless someone shakes those beliefs to the core (been there, done that) so witnessing his internal debates as well as him uncovering layers upon layers of privilege and using them for good was fantastic albeit not always pleasant to read. He was an example of what lack of education and one sided “opinions” (re: bigotry) can do to a person and how they can be overcome when the person is willing to listen and learn.

I loved how complex the characters were, staying as far away from stereotypes as possible not only with the refugees but with people on the other side of the debate as well. The cast only made the book more powerful. I particularly loved Mina’s family dynamic, with how close and supportive of one another they were. Speaking of characters, I am pretty sure Michael’s brother is written as autistic (even though the word is never used) and I cannot speak for that rep, so if any reviewers with autism have read this book I’d love to hear their thoughts on it.

All in all this was such a brilliant, thought provoking read that I would recommend to anyone, especially if you’re interested in knowing about Islamophobia, racism and microagressions as well as unpacking privilege. Highly highly recommend this one.

[Kelly (Diva Booknerd) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 in new citizens. There's a misconception within the media and our nation's political parties that those seeking asylum aren't genuine refugees, because they choose to seek refuge in Australia, often arriving via Indonesian people smugglers. It's these media reports in which the Aussie Values campaign is based and almost identical to the Reclaim Australia movement. Parents tend to instill their own morals and beliefs on their children, so Michael's character has always been surrounded by those with strong, misguided opinions. But that is about to change when rather than having opinions based on familial morals and the media, he discovers what is means to seek asylum from Mina, a girl who has lived through the ordeal.

Mina is intelligent, articulate, passionate and not afraid to speak out against injustice. She's been through a harrowing journey, leaving the only life she had ever known to travel to Australia with her mother to seek refuge, only to be detained. It's a storyline pulled from the Australian headlines, asylum seekers being detained, often taking years before they are allowed to call Australia home or returned to their homeland, trading security for living a meager existence in limbo.

I grew up in a time where Aussie Values were the basis in so many homes. We watched series like Kingswood Country, where Aussie larrikin Ted Bullpit told his son in law to leave your money on the fridge wog and casual racism was part of our dialect. Australia has since grown as a nation and Michael's character reflects our need for compassion both socially and politically. Michael was a product of his environment as was Mina, but both on either end of the spectrum.

Michael blindly believes what his parents have instilled in him and hasn't yet formed his own opinions. He soon realises how discriminatory his opinion is after seeing Mina hurt by his misguided accusations, although Mina's passion could easily be mistaken for anger. I loved how fierce her opinions were but her character often felt abrasive. But through a shared compassion, both Mina and Michael were able to grow as characters. The slow burning romance was absolutely lovely. Mina was able to see that Michael was more than his father's organisation and in turn, Michael begun to form his own opinions through Mina's experiences.

When Michael Met Mina is the book that young adult has been desperately deprived of. Confident, relevant, beautifully written and intensely passionate with a strong moral compass.
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2016/07/w...

[Masooma · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 connected with if there's strong sentiment laced through their words. But with Mina, I felt that the character was only unfolding the story like in a storybook that gives little thought to emotions. I couldn't connect with her at all but I expected to; like in the case of Khalid Hosseini's novels that depict tragedy at its best.

The book captures the contemporary issues of racism, refugee crisis, and multiculturalism. Both sides of the view are captured which satisfied me but like I said, I couldn't connect with the characters. Plus, there was something weak about the dialogue too. The way Mina magically adjusted in her school by just the second day and the way Paula strikes a friendship with her was all too convenient. In fact, it sipped on the realist element of the book.

Overall, it's a good book, worth a read when you just want a calm plot with a cup of coffee. Just be warned that it's not the kind of read that would sweep you off your feet.

[Lara (Bookish_turtle) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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
- Friendships were good, with a mix of the complicated ones and the solid best friend (for Mina at least)
~ A very character focussed novel

Dislikes:
- Some sections were drawn out
~ Dialogue was very weak and usually felt forced
- Plot was predictable
~ Aussie values: They seemed to exist just to show the other side of the coin, but they had no solid points or motivations for what they were doing.
- Michael's friends are losers and I don't know why he didn't ditch them before

It was a good book and I definitely recommend.

[Saajid Hosein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hold on while I look for my wig.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 civilised manner without fear of retribution.

I'd forgotten about how truly uneven the world is. Some people get marble and luxury and urban chic; others get slums and open sewerage and payday-to-payday.

Michael and Mina come from two completely different homes. Michael's parents are the leaders of Aussie Values. They want to stop the boats. They believe that if you've got enough money to pay people smugglers then you're not really in need of asylum. They want to be able to pick and choose who we allow into Australia. No one should be allowed to jump the queue and they certainly shouldn't be allowed to take jobs away from Australians. Mina, on the other hand fled war torn Afghanistan with her mum via a boat packed to the brim with people trying to escape the atrocities they've endured and desperately wanting a better life for themselves and what's left of their families.

Maybe you only get one chance at meeting somebody who really gets inside you, wakes corners of your mind and heart that you didn't know were asleep.

When Michael and Mina first meet, there's that initial attraction that comes with any new relationship. But any relationship needs to be built on solid foundations that go beyond initial attraction. And that's where Michael and Mina face some problems. They sit on such opposing sides of the fence. Michael has known nothing beyond the views of his parents. It's what he's been raised with. But Mina is fierce and vocal in her beliefs, and it's her voice that sets Michael down a path of self discovery. While I loved Mina's strength and convictions, I have to admit to finding her a little hard on Michael at times. Occasionally she came across as being the only one who was allowed to have an opinion, and the belief that her opinion was always right. I would have liked to have seen her be a little more accepting of someone having an opposing view to hers. For me, Michael's growth was the highlight. He listened, he questioned, he learned, he formed his own opinions, and then he had the strength to voice them and follow through and take huge steps to become the person he wanted to be.

I love nothing more than reading a book that makes me think and makes me ask questions. And while I thought I was pretty well read when it came to the issues covered, there were different points raised in the book that I found actually swayed my way of thinking. And for that I will be eternally thankful to Randa Abdel-Fattah for writing such a beautifully written, thought provoking novel.

[CW ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 that refugees face, When Michael Met Mina is full of compassion and humanity. The story remembers, acknowledges, and humanizes the lives and real experiences of refugees. In this way, When Michael Met Mina has its heart and roots in the right place.

I'm grateful that I made it to a country that offers peace, but what upsets me is that it offers peace to some and not others. That's the way the world works, isn't it? A lottery of winners and losers.

The topics and themes within When Michael Met Mina are predominantly driven by its fantastic cast of complex characters. Michael's character development was particularly enjoyable, especially his internal conflict with political ideas and perspectives as he begins to consider another side to the coin. I've met people like Michael: people who have unquestioningly accepted their parents' beliefs and ideologies and parrot them to others, thinking that the opinions are their own. Michael is an example of an individual whose privilege has made him ignorant, but, with awareness and education, changes. Abdel-Fattah's portrayal of him, as an individual who is genuinely trying to grapple between two colliding worlds, was realistic and compassionate and I couldn't help but to empathize with him. It was refreshing to see a multifaceted portrayal of someone who was ignorant not because of malice, but due to lack of awareness.

Mina, on the other hand, was fantastic; brave, kind, and strong in so many ways. We see the ins and outs of her life and how she deals with adversary. Through Mina, we are immersed in her past and present; we get insight into what it's like to be a refugee, the pain of escaping war and losing family, and the struggle of living in Australia, their new home but also a place where she and her family feel unwelcomed. However, what makes When Michael Met Mina such a fantastic book is that Abdel-Fattah doesn't portray Mina and her family as tragic people. Indeed, they have experienced trauma, war, heartbreak, and pain. However, When Michael Met Mina powerfully challenges the one-dimensional, stereotypical portrayals of refugees often found in the media, and shows them for who they are: people who feel hope, feel happiness, feel sadness, and feel alienated; people who are complex human beings.

"I'm not going to do the refugee myth-busting thing with you. If you're still running those slogans, you're the one with work to do, not me."

The perspectives in this book were confronting - but in ways that I did not anticipate. It should go without saying that the book is heavily political and includes ideological debates between characters. Some parts were difficult to read - namely, the parts where some characters experienced Islamophobia and racism - but these stances are challenged and addressed. But there wasn't any sugarcoating or excessive antagonism. With this book, Abdel-Fattah presents two sides vulnerably and honestly, allowing berth for meaningful discussion that considers the perspectives of both sides without justifying ignorance. This, perhaps, was my favourite part of the book.

However, the book further challenges you by presenting two individuals, founders of Aussie Values, who are 'morally grey' characters. They are characters who are causing hurt, speaking out of ignorance and fear, and spinning the refugee debate into not one of compassion but economics, but they weren't portrayed as inherently 'evil', antagonistic, or malevolent individuals. Indeed, a point the book raises is that sometimes people who do bad things can also be kind too; people are complicated and are held together by contradictory beliefs, and it's these people - who we cannot diminish into one singular trait - that are the most difficult to approach and understand. It's a fine line, but Abdel-Fattah explores and unravels this excellently.

To address the 'insta-love': I disagree that there was insta-love in this book. Instead, there was certainly an attraction between Michael and Mina when they first met, but what transpires between them grows over an extended period of time. The romance in this book, a modern twist on the 'forbidden love' trope, is done well and also developed.

Given its subject matter, Abdel-Fattah did a splendid job at addressing the questions prevalent in such discussions whilst also offering answers through the story's narrative and discourse. When Michael Met Mina is a rare book; one that everyone - teenagers and adults - should read. And despite all the talks of politics, When Michael Met Mina is ultimately a story that celebrates passion, love, and hope. The message at the end is so raw and beautiful. Needless to say, I enjoyed everything about this book immensely and is probably one of my favourite reads in 2017 so far.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

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Is this book for you?
Premise in a sentence: A white Australian and Afghanistan refugee are on opposite ends of the refugee debate and how their worlds collide.

For readers: Those who love politically engaging and balanced narratives, girl power, and nuanced discourse.

Genre: Young adult, contemporary, romance

Recommended? Yes yes yes!

Possible trigger warnings: Islamophobia

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This review and other book reviews can be found on my book blog, Read, Think, Ponder!

[Jananee (headinherbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 definitely a must read for all.

[Emily Mead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aussie Values can bite me. Mina for life.

[Jeann (Happy Indulgence) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 “encouraging healthy debates”.

What some families have given up just to provide a brighter future for the next generation.

It’s easy to say these issues don’t affect you, but what the book does is present real life for so many people living in Australia today.

All of this is written in such an engaging, relatable way, through two teenagers who have no choice but to be swept up in their family’s values. Michael, from a conversative Aussie Values political party and Mina, an Afghani teenager who stands up for her family’s rights.

Michael goes through lots of character development in the story. Working in a telemarketing job, being friends with a jerk, and spouting off his dad’s values without really knowing what they meant – it’s obvious he doesn’t know who he is at the start. Meeting Mina gave him the push to not only work out who he was, but also who he wanted to be. While his character arc was a bit too forced, I loved how he came to terms with his decisions in the end and how he stood strongly by them.

Mina on the other hand, is fiesty, independent and hard working. After coming to Australia by boat from Afghanistan, she’s not afraid to show her peers how much she deserves to be there. I liked how she was outspoken about her beliefs and how she called people out for their racist/sexist comments. I know what it’s like to have the weight of high expectations placed upon you, and Mina definitely had a lot on her shoulders. I did feel like she acted a bit too mature for her age, especially with the slight PTSD she had in her past. There’s a lot more that could’ve been explored here, including the sense of not belonging, the emotion that could come with what she went through and more about Afghani culture.

I love forbidden romances, especially with the fresh modern take on it here. There was a bit of insta-love though – within the first few pages, Michael has already fallen for Mina even before they met. Personally I don’t think I could ever fall for someone who was so directly opposed towards my own strong beliefs and livelihood. I’m not quite sure what made Mina fall for Michael, aside from his good looks and his ambivalent character.

Despite the issues I had with Mina’s character and the insta-love at the start, the social commentary and the book’s message is thought-provoking and reflects our world today. I love the confidence it took for the author to write about these issues, and how it addressed that gray area of racism and misunderstanding. Through Michael’s indecision and Mina’s passion, I really felt a lot for their ordeals and my heart ached at what they both had to go through at times.

When Michael Met Mina is such an important book that I think everyone should read, presenting both sides to the refugee debate in Australia without being preachy. There are so many important themes that the book addresses, and it’s written in an extremely engaging and modern way.

I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Shenwei · Rating 4 out of 5]

-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 use of ableist language.

[Lilian · Rating 5 out of 5]

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)

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

"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 the bubbles explode." p.337

When Michael Met Mina is a gorgeously written novel that explores two opposing perspectives in regards to refugees and asylum seekers. The story follows that of two very similar teenagers, who come from two very different backgrounds.

Michael has lived in Australia his whole life, and lives on Sydney's North Shore with his parents and younger brother. His parents are the founding members of a political party called Aussie Values. Their aim is to spread awareness of refugees who are "jumping the queue", and beginning to overpopulate Australia, taking jobs away from Aussies, and not adhering to our way of life. They claim to celebrate diversity, as long as everyone assimilates into our society, and respect our Judeo-Christian values.

"Michael, it's like this soup I'm cooking. The dominant flavour is asparagus. I've got other spices and flavours in here too because that's what makes the soup so rich and flavoursome. But they complement the asparagus rather than take over." - p.172

Mina came to Australia by boat, seeking asylum from her war-ridden homeland of Afghanistan. She was young when it all happened, but that doesn't mean that she's forgotten the horrors that she's seen, nor does she completely forget the people that she's lost along the way, even though they've now become a faded memory. Mina has a strong personality and a bright mind. And when she wins a scholarship to the same Private School that Michael attends, whole worlds are set to collide.

I've gotta say, this novel was intense. Don't get me wrong, it was quite an easy (and very cutesy) read, but the themes are quite heavy. Fluffy romance aside, we're offered a pretty deep look in Islamophobia via two different perspectives from the two opposing sides of the debate about allowing refugees into Australia, and boy do both sides have a story to tell.

This topic is very relevant to the issues that we face today as a first world country, and with the Federal Election tomorrow, I feel that When Michael Met Mina could be seen as a very important novel for the younger generation.

Whilst the novel is very obviously supporting the protection of asylum seekers, it also opens us up to understanding the point of view from those opposing allowing them into the country. Now, I personally am 100% for allowing asylum seekers into our country, but I was also intrigued at the reasons why we should be limiting the numbers. They were mostly reasons that I had never even considered before.

I will admit that I got lost a couple of times throughout the novel when there was heavy talk about the politics in regards to Aussie Values, but that may just be because I generally steer clear of any novels that contain heavy political themes. I tend to find politics dull, and hard to wrap my head around, and as a result, I feel that part of the story may have been lost to me.

In saying that, though, I didn't struggle as much throughout this novel as I thought I would, because it was - for the most part - set out and told in such a way that was easy to understand.

The character development in this novel was phenomenal! At the start, Michael simply accepted and agreed with his parents' political views, simply because he never thought nor had reason to oppose them. However, after he meets Mina, he begins to see their views in a new light, and begins to question them, whilst forming his own opinions, rather than blindly following in their footsteps. Upon these revelations, he starts to make things right, starting with Mina, and I really admire him for that.

"When we eventually say goodbye it feels like we're actually at the start of something, not the end. There's so much promise in her goodbye that it makes my insides feel all funny." p.242

Mina on the other hand didn't offer up so much on the character development front. To be completely honest, it was because of this that I didn't really enjoy reading about her as much as I did Michael. It felt as though her sole purpose in the novel was to aid in Michael's own development, which I guess that perhaps this is true. I really just felt as though there was something missing form her, and as a result I found it difficult to form much of an attachment to her as a character.

At the beginning of the novel, I did feel that their whole relationship was a little bit insta-loveish. It felt as though it was being forced just so the author could get a point across. Though, as the story developed and it became more clear as to where everything was going, it became easier to push those thoughts of a forced relationship aside.

"Maybe you only get one chance at meeting somebody who really gets inside you, wakes corners of your mind and heart that you didn't know were asleep." p.241

In the end, this is a beautiful and very sweet novel that doesn't shy away from the fact that sometimes the opinions of those that we love may be very hurtful to others. Just because we care about the people holding those opinions, doesn't mean we should allow that to cloud out own judgement. We need to stand up for what's right, and offer protection and understanding to those that are very desperately in need of it.

Just because some people may come from a completely different background, and don't necessarily share the same ideals or way of life that we do, doesn't mean that they are any less important, or any less welcome.

Here in Australia, we are one.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 Islamophobes who think that all immigrants should conform to "the dominant culture" or fuck off home. And Michael's always just blindly gone along with what his parents said, because, like, THAT'S WHAT KIDS DO. So it's not until Michael meets Mina that his eyes are opened to, you know, just how awful his parents are.

There are a lot of reviews complaining that this book is a carbon copy of Looking for Alibrandi. Um. What. Have y'all READ Looking for Alibrandi?! The only way the two books are similar is that they both deal with the underlying fear of "the other" in Australian society. In the early 90s, when Looking for Alibrandi was published, it was - still - the Italian population who were othered. In the late 90s, the nightmare that is Pauline Hanson shone the spotlight on Australia's fear of an "Asian invasion". Now? It's Muslims. (See also: Pauline Hanson, 2016 edition.)

Other reviews criticise how political the novel is (um. Kids have to vote some day. Better that they learn about the importance of making up your own mind and not blindly doing what your parents do as teenagers than never learning at all!) or the fact that Michael shows far more character development than Mina does.

Initially, I was inclined to agree with the last point, but I think it's just that Mina's character development is far more subtle. At the beginning of the book, Mina is still, really, dealing with her anger over the way she fled Afghanistan and what she and her mother went through to get to Australia and upon their arrival. She's angry with herself for not being able to remember her brother's face. She's angry about having been locked in a detention centre. She's angry with people like Michael, who seem to think that everyone who isn't white and straight and able-bodied and 100% like them is a blight on a culture that ORIGINALLY CAME HERE BY BOAT AND FORCED THEIR CULTURE ONTO THE EXISTING POPULATION.

So yes, Mina's character development is more subtle. But that doesn't mean it's not there.

So on the whole, it's not always an easy book to read because you just want to shake Michael and yell "QUIT BEING A RACIST TWAT!" right in his face. But ultimately, it's an important and an enjoyable story.

[kim hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ┊ 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 a permanent one. Mind you, he is a full-time worker and pays his taxes - he isn't getting any benefits or help from the government anymore.

This is so relevant as we see both sides. We see Mina's and people like Michael's parents. I also understand both sides. Yes, Australia has an obligation to asylum seekers - Australian's treat animals better than these people, they've risked their lives for somewhere safer not to be put into a prison cell where they've just literally escaped from. But yes - Australian's also have to prioritize it's own people - it's not fair when asylum seekers are working in cash and isn't paying taxes or if they aren't trying to learn English to kick start their new lives?

Now before you all bash me - I am a migrant too. I didn't come here in luxury. Australia was a place of unknown as a 10 year old. My English wasn't great. Coming in at year 5 where all friendships has been established, it was hard and lonely - but I adapted - I adapted but never lost the sense of who I was and where I came from. This just made me work harder. That I do belong here. I am Australian and a Filipino. That this is my home.

This book will show you that this matter isn't just - not right and wrong - it's all grey.

"Do you ever stop being a refugee? Even if at some point in your life the place of refuge becomes home?"

PS. this book has LotR references!

[Nemo (The ☾Moonlight☾ Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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, and Michael’s character arc. For some unknown reason they keep their relationship a secret.

CHARACTERS

There’s not much to say about Mina. She doesn’t really have a character arc. She’s mostly there to be the sympathetic boat person who teaches Michael that he can have independent thought. She’s smart and competitive enough for a scholarship to a prestigious college and her life is filtered through her experiences as a refugee, arriving in Australia by boat and spending time in detention before granted a refugee visa. She’s a very sympathetic character.

Michael is the other protagonist, and he starts out uncertain if he supports his parents beliefs in ‘Aussie Values’. Unfortunately his parents have quite a skewed world view and believe, for example, that if Mina attends Victoria College, her parents must be rich, when in reality they aren’t and Mina attends on a scholarship. Michael learns not to jump to these same conclusions, such as if a refugee can afford passage on an illegal boat, they can’t be that poor and shouldn’t be trying to leave their own country. I really would have liked the argument raised against Michael’s parents view that most illegal immigrants are Westerners (from the UK/US etc) overstaying their visas, not asylum seekers looking to ‘jump the queue’, but this didn’t happen. Instead it mostly tried to dispel the belief that refugees jump some kind of imaginary queue.

WRITING

I did have a bit of trouble differentiating between both the characters’ voices. They sounded almost identical. I kept having to flip back to the start of the chapter to check the name.

One of my favourite things was watching how the media loved to hype everything up and then not declare a side. Journalistic integrity is something of the past. The media fuelled the hate more than the political organisation did.

One issue I had with the book was right at the end, Mina says about Michael, "He's taught me to never give up on anybody.” I found it hugely hypocritical that Terrence didn’t get the same treatment, especially since he and Michael started out at the same place, although Terrence was vilified throughout the whole novel and Michael wasn’t. Everyone ended up giving up on Terrence, even his long-time crush.

PACING

The pacing was pretty good – at least, I enjoyed the book a lot, thought about it when I wasn’t reading it, and was dead keen to get back to reading it. Despite its lack of real plot, the conflicts moved the narrative forward and I felt like the pace was kept high – I never knew what was around the corner and I was eager to find out.

OVERALL

Although light on plot, this book explores a very serious and timely conflict for Australians and other people living in privileged parts of the world. I never felt like I was being preached to by either side of the debate, although it was obvious whose side we were meant to be on, and I found Michael’s parents and their organisation to be more of an excuse for the more radical characters to act out. Although Mina didn’t change all that much, Michael had a fantastic character arc coming to terms with his own beliefs. I really enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it to other contemporary YA lovers.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Bec (becklebooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 read by everybody. The culture and identity in this book are so thought-provoking and essential: What do you stand for? You always think you know, but then you realise that maybe you're like Michael; you're just absorbed in the values you've grown up with and have never openly questioned them. The characters in When Michael Met Mina are distinct (and the side characters are developed just as well), the relationships aren't instant, but rather convey trust and certainty, and the dialogue made me giggle aloud at multiple times throughout my reading experience. Plus this entire book is extremely quotable and I loved it. Do yourself a favour and read it when it's out on June 28. Trust me, it's worth it.

[Rukky · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's more of a 2.5, not a 3.

This was okay. I'm disappointed, because I anticipated Muslim rep, but save for one instance in which Mina mentions her faith, it's brushed off, and not mentioned again. At a point, I actually went back to double check that she was actually Muslim.

I didn't really like Michael. The romance, eh. Nathan was adorable and I love his smartness. Paula is hilarious and a great friend. The issues were dealt with pretty well I guess, and it was nice to see it from both sides of the argument. I also really like Mina's mum and Baba, and I would have loved to see more about their lives!

But still, meh overall.

Full review to come.

[↠Ameerah↞ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book #4 for the O.W.L.s readathon. ✔

"But then some people showed me:
That anger is good
But with action is better.
That remembering is good
But with hope it is better.
That change is good
But with discovery it is better.
That questioning is good
But with trust it is better.
That resisting is good
But sometimes those you resist do not matter.
And that standing up is good
But standing up alongside others is better."


"𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆: 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆, 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚, 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕, 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒑 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒑 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓."

I feel quite conflicted about this. The central themes of Australian politics, immigration and refugees are all things I really enjoyed and feel that Abdel-Fattah handled them well. This book almost felt like a debate. We get the perspectives of the bigots and then the contrasting reality which shows and tells of the adversities of refugees/asylum-seekers through Mina, her family and family friends. Every prejudiced opinion put forward is subsequently countered with truth. This is done whilst weaving it into the story and so it doesn't come across as preachy, which I have sometimes found with other books that discuss similar themes. Apart from this, I thought everything else was pretty average.

There were a few things that kind of bothered me. The fact that Micheal only changed his problematic views because he had developed feelings for Mina. I'm quite tired of this trope. 🤦‍♀️ Can we have a story where the guy/girl is aware of their own ignorance and remedies it through conscious effort because it's the right thing to do, without attaching it to a romantic interest? The idea that you need someone to come into your privileged life to open your eyes to the realities and struggles of minorities is boring and overdone.

Another thing was the lack of Muslim rep. I mean there wasn't any? Apart from the whole halal meat dialogue, there was none. I loved Mina's family and would have really liked for Abdel-Fattah to *show* us more of them being Muslim instead of just telling us.

The romance was also meh. I would have much preferred the book to be solely about politics and friendships with no romance at all but hey-ho.

Overall, it was an okay read with important themes and an even more important message.

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

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, as someone who was raised relatively conservative and then shifted my paradigm in college. My partner asked me why I was cranky one day, and this book seemed to be the cause. These things can be fraught. They hit me deep.

As far as ages go, I was reading this as a contender for my annual outreach visits to all the local schools. And although the publisher recommends this down to 7th grade (which occasionally means really 6th because they mean all of middle school and middle school in my school district includes 6th), this is definitely one I'll be taking to high school instead. It doesn't get hot and heavy, but there's a smattering of cursing, some pot and alcohol use, and obviously nuanced issues to consider.

Edit to add:
Booktalked this at local high schools in 2018, basically just reading the page where they talk about the difference in expectations between fancy and not-so-fancy schools (see the quote I liked from the book). Seemed to really connect with the teens.

[Nazeefa · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 the story.

I'm an immigrant who's pro-refugee and I obviously relate and feel connected to Mina's story but doesn't mean I didn't see myself in Michael either. He's a teenage boy trying to break free from his parent's ideologies and we've all experienced that in whatever small degree.
I wear my politics like hand-me down clothes: some bits feel like they don't fit me properly, but I expect I'll grow into them, trusting that because they're from my parents they've come from a good source.

This may be a hard book at times but it's full of hope and laughter. It's full of first-love encounters, friendship ups-and-downs. People of colour deserve happy narratives so it's a book I'll definitely want my younger cousins and their generation to read.

[Zohal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. Enough said.

[Maryam · Rating 3 out of 5]

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? (never thought I'd say this yet here I aammm) Like the author just made them say stupid things (though one could argue they just are stupid) and stuff. I don't know how to describe it but they just said really stupid cliche easy to mock racist things that one would make memes about and then passed off as a joke and I wanted moRE I wanted better racists so the book cOUld have become really deep and touching and mic-drop level. This whole paragraph is a literal work of art tnx everyone:)).

It was aso very much tell not show. I don't really like when authors spell everything out for me I want to be left to notice things on my own but this book just basically yells everything at you. Like Michael saying things like I'm confused maybe I don't agree with my parents. But really I was just going along with what my parents were saying because I didn't know any better. Like ya sweaty tnx:) but do more showing of you not agreeing with them and then let me come to that realisation please:).

It was also a bit too insta-lovey for me tbh and followed a lot of cliches (oH heR gloRIous eyEs that were emerald brown hazel amber with flecks of gold and silver type of cliche:)). It's also very plain like everything discussed I already knew (that says a lot because I know nothing:)) that's why I was hoping for more depth to the novel. The characters were also a bit two-dimensional for me.

All I do is hate I am aware:) but it really wasn't a bad book I liked it I think it's a good read.

[Kelly]

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 beliefs. A really powerful book for teens and adults to read about speaking up and out, even and especially with those with whom you're closest.

I thought the middle, especially when we get into some of the romantic details with Paula and other side characters, gets a little meandering, and the ending was a little too tidy for my own preferences. Love the power Paula had on helping Mina acclimate to a new neighborhood, though, and how Mina became the friend Paula really needed, too.

Pair it up with Alice Pung's LUCY AND LINH.

[Millie May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this - it shows how dumb some people can actually be and how opposites attract!! It was great to see and understand australia from a different point of view and how hard some peoples lives are.

It took a little while to get into but once I was it - it really took off!!

[Glaiza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Searing, true and full of heart.