Huda F Are You?

Huda #1

by Huda Fahmy

From the creator of Yes, I'm Hot In This, this cheeky, hilarious, and honest graphic novel asks the question everyone has to figure out for themselves: Who are you?

Huda and her family just moved to Dearborn, Michigan, a small town with a big Muslim population. In her old town, Huda knew exactly who she was: She was the hijabi girl. But in Dearborn, everyone is the hijabi girl.

Huda is lost in a sea of hijabis, and she can't rely on her hijab to define her anymore. She has to define herself. So she tries on a bunch of cliques, but she isn't a hijabi fashionista or a hijabi athlete or a hijabi gamer. She's not the one who knows everything about her religion or the one all the guys like. She's miscellaneous, which makes her feel like no one at all. Until she realizes that it'll take finding out who she isn't to figure out who she is.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Humor, Comics, Contemporary, Fiction, Middle Grade

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 23, 2021

About the author

Huda Fahmy was born in Detroit, Michigan and attended the University of Michigan where she majored in English. She taught English to middle and high school students for eight years before she started writing about her experiences as a visibly Muslim woman in America and was encouraged by her older sister to turn these stories into comics. Huda, her husband Gehad, and their two boys reside in Houston, Texas.

Visit her store at
www.hudafahmy.threadless.com

Reviews

[Ayman · Rating 5 out of 5]

thank you penguin teen for the ARC; all opinions are my own

bruhhhh i fucking loved this book. this shit had me hollering because it was so funny. this book was so relatable in many ways. number one being the Muslim representation; i could vicariously live through Huda as i read this book. number two; literally Huda's whole high school experience. Muslim hijabi or not I'm sure everyone can see themselves in Huda in someway shape or form. the sister bond and connection made me feel so warm and cozy. i encourage everyone to pick this book up immediately. it is fun, relatable, and overall incredible. i was smiling ear to ear the from cover to cover!!!!!!!

[Azanta (azantareads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

To feel seen is a vulnerable thing and when it comes to representation, I tend to shy away from media with Muslims in it because inevitably I end up feeling hurt — whether it’s because the rep is offensive/comes at the sake of other Muslims or because it requires me to confront and acknowledge my own trauma. But Huda does this flawlessly in Huda F Are You?; a little bit of therapy mixed in with a good number of jokes gives way to something that I loved every second of. I’m a huge fan of Huda’s work and will always continue to be grateful for what she does to continue to uplift Muslim women. 💗

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A OwnVoices graphic novel about the experiences of a hijabi American (of Arab-Muslim background) as a high-schooler in America. Excellent combination of humour and meaningful themes and social discrimination. Much recommended!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I first discovered Huda Fahmy’s work when I stumbled upon the delightful “That Can Be Arranged: A Muslim Love Story”, a graphic novel about how she met her husband. Her wit and her intelligence both are on ample display in her books and her Instagram page. So when I got the ARC of her upcoming work – the third book of the Huda series, I finally decided to catch up on the first two.

I adore the name of this series! Using her own name in this twisty pun is such a creative idea, especially when it represents the way her name is mangled by many USians.

This first book of the Huda series deals with Huda’s experiences as a Hijabi student in Dearborn, Michigan. Huda’s dad had immigrated to the USA from Egypt when he was a teen and after marriage, brought his wife to the country, intending for a short-term stay until he completed his education. However, the family ended up staying in the USA with their five daughters.

Despite being a Born-American, Huda was still looked upon as an outsider, mainly due to her hijab. This graphic novel details some semi-fictionalised experiences of her high-school years, when she was trying to understand her true identity, not just as a Muslim girl but also as a teenager.

The story ends each stage of Huda’s identity crisis with a full-page graphic of her as a sort of statuette on a pedestal, with a caption indicating her latest self-loathing label such as “Huda F is a Coward” or “Huda F is a Fake”. I loved how well this idea worked not just to incorporate the titular pun into the plot but also to show us where Huda stood with respect to herself at that stage of the narrative.

The book depicts the genuine confusion of the troublesome teen years, when one is torn between staying true to oneself and accepting whatever others say just to fit in. The tremendous racism faced by Muslims in America even at the school level also comes out clearly through the narrative. (I can't begin to imagine how much worse it might be now under the present administration’s anti-DEI policy.)

I loved seeing Huda’s mom again, just as spunky as she was in “That Can Be Arranged”. Huda’s other family members also get a little page space. I’d love to know them better in subsequent books.
The story ends at a good point, so this book can be considered a standalone read with no cliffhanger ending.

The illustrations are in standard Huda Fahmy style. If you follow her page on Instagram, you will know the kind of graphics you can expect. Though simplistic in colouring and character expressions, the art style really works for the story. It’s always an advantage when the author is also the illustrator.

All in all, I absolutely loved this novel with its amalgamation of fun + serious. Though it has a lighthearted approach on the whole, it details several important themes and topics affecting minority Muslim teens in the USA.

Much recommended to all graphic novels readers looking for a meaningful semi-fictional OwnVoices work that’s rooted in reality.

4.5 stars. *Huda F* can stop me from rounding this up?


This was a library read. Looking forward to Book Two: ‘Huda F Cares?’


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Threads || X/Twitter || Facebook ||

[a foray in fantasy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, funny, and sometimes heartbreaking slice of the author’s life.

[Basma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Huda's work for years, and it's always excellent. She's undeniably talented, and her humor is always spot on. This book is a fantastic story of figuring out who you are and how you fit into the world. From a representation standpoint, it's exactly what I was looking for. To be seen, not only as a Muslim woman, but as a someone who's struggled with their identity and where they fit.

I really enjoyed the story told here, and how relatable it is, while also being hilarious! I truly loved the sister dynamics, as well as some of the more emotional scenes, specifically the ones with her mom. As usual, I highly recommend Huda's books, so don't miss this one when it releases!

TW: Islamophobia

I received an arc of this title from PenguinTeen in exchange for an honest review.

[Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this semi autobiographic graphic novel. I feel like the author told her story in a way that was really relatable. Huda and her family have moved to a small town with a big Muslim community so she has gone from being the only one in a hijab to one of many and isn’t sure how she will fit in. I liked the art work a lot, but really enjoyed the story. Huda is a very relatable teenager going through high school trying to figure out who she is and who she wants to be while dealing with racism. I haven’t heard of this author or her webcomics before but I will be checking them out now.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is like a sitcom for books - consumable quickly, written for young people, wrapped up with a bow at the end. For what it is, it’s well done. Life is infinitely more complicated, of course, but I imagine millions of young people, immigrants, and Muslims, especially young women at all these intersections could benefit from knowing they are not alone.

[Scottsdale Public Library]

In this graphic novel, author Huda Fahmy tells her story of trying to fit in during high school. She is Muslim and wears a hijab, but that is NOT what causes her trouble as her high school in Dearborn, Michigan is part of a large Muslim community. As one of five daughters, and in a high school where she cannot just be the "hijabi girl," Huda struggles to be herself. She has a tendency to adapt to those around her and proclaim to like what they enjoy, molding herself to fit in with others rather than really, truly being herself. I am not Muslim - I don't wear a hijab - I am no longer a teenager (some would say far from it!), and I enjoyed this book so much. Recommended especially for TEEN readers - and anyone who remembers being a teen!
--Diana F.

[niyya نية · Rating 5 out of 5]

˚ᝰ "We all make mistakes. In our faith and in our lives. The best of us are those who ask for forgiveness and strive to make things right." ˚ᝰ

WHY DID I NOT READ THIS SOONER, HELLO??? THIS WAS SO FUNNY, RELATABLE, AND CUTE🥹

Nah, some of these questions that were asked to Huda were absolutely crazy and the fact that I've received some of them too?? I guess it's just how AMERICAWWWWNS 🦅 🇺🇸 works

And Huda's journey was absolutely amazing and I love how she showed that we all have our ups and downs, and our flaws in our deen but what makes it beautiful is striving to become better.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Huda Fahmy serves up a fictionalized take on her high school years as a Muslim American living in Dearborn, Michigan. It's mostly light, breezy, and amusing teen and identity stuff, but does delve into Islamophobia, microaggressions, and bigotry. There is even a short spin on the Ahmed Mohamed clock incident, with a Muslim boy getting arrested for bringing electronics to school.

A little fluffy, but still good and a valuable perspective.

[Rameela (Star) · Rating 5 out of 5]

[I received this eARC from edelweiss but my thoughts are honest and unbiased]

Huda always blesses me with the perfect blend of relatability and humor and feelings like this was so great I can't wait to have it in my hands to gush over it all over again. Also, I'm glaad i'm not the only one that had a billion life crises trying to figure out how to blend in and also be completely true to myself during my weird teenage years.

This felt like a story that was purely meant for me because of how spot on some of these feelings and stories were! Would highly recommend (as usual)!

[Zainab Bint Younus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone's favourite comic book hijabi (aka @yesimhotinthis ) is back in her third book!!!!!

"Huda F Are You?" is Huda Fahmy's latest publication - this time, reliving her adolescent identity crisis in hilarious, honest, and unexpectedly wise ways.

(I know the cheeky title has some Muslamics clutching their pearl necklaces in disapproval, but I think it's brilliant, so there!)

Huda's story of discovering who she really is - forced to go beyond being "that hijabi girl" at school - will resonate with probably every Muslim teenage girl in the West. Even though I didn't even go to a public high school (homeschooling alumnus here), I still found myself deeply relating to the themes Huda delves into.

Honestly, I feel like shoving this book into the hands of every single Muslim teenage girl ever. And make their mothers read it too! (And their dads!)

SO SO SO GOOD!!!

Definitely YA - I'd say age 12+ (there's a hilarious but slightly graphic period joke in there, which my 11yo understands and finds hysterical, but apparently other folks have more sensitivies than I do lulz)

Also, my kid and her friend - both of whom are the laziest readers on the planet - have been harassing me for MONTHS about when this book will finally come out... and now I can get some peace while they throw themselves into it!

5/5 🌟

[Zoulfa Katouh · Rating 5 out of 5]

ya i teared up lol. there were tears between the hahahaha-ing i was doing. huda never misses.

[T.S · Rating 4 out of 5]

~4.00☆

[Türkan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love loved it 😍😍😍😍

[Sara ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Penguin for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"I have no clue who I am or who I wanna be."

I absolutely loved this book. It made me feel seen and the representation was exactly what I was looking for. Will it be reflective of every Muslim girl/woman's experience? No, of course not. But I am so happy to know that there are others out there who, like me, will find the story relatable.

And then, of course, there were bits of it that I found relatable outside of my religious/cultural identity, like the struggles of having 4 siblings LOL or the pressures of having to keep up good grades to meet your parents' expectations.

If you haven't read any of Huda Fahmy's stories, please do. Her writing is so incredibly honest and hilarious, both of which make her a phenomenal storyteller. This is such a great book about finding yourself and figuring out how you fit into the world.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and quick read, almost too quick, as it seems to rush through important moments without giving us enough time to really dig in. But bright illustrations and easy to follow narration. Art style seems to have improved / changes from the author's other graphic novel. As it's a memoir, it's a bit hard to judge the plot, but again, I wish we had taken it slower.

[lulureadss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huda you are so talented! I absolutely adored this book

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

HA! Totally took me by surprise, this one. At first there was the reconciliation of the title with all I know about the culture, which is very little. Then the second glance and hit that her last name might just show she didn't get that I'd be having this moment working things out in my own head. And last, it's the hands up in the air . . .who the f* cares anyway. . .let's just dive in.

So, that done, it was a quick, funny, dear read, full of all the cultural intersections that go terribly wrong all the time (see above). How to resolve? Be easy, calm, gentle, patient, kind and know there are many, many ways to be different and successfully collaborative in this world. We do not have to give up bits and pieces of ourselves when we engage with each other - we just need to be accepting and kind.

Who am I? Your friend, Huda, your fan. Keep your pen on that page, writing and drawing!

[Reads With Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This made me actually laugh out loud and when Huda’s moms heart broke so did mine. This is my second reading experience of this authors work and I look forward to reading the one I haven’t picked up yet.

[aforestofbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I pretty much almost cried reading this book. I wasn’t expecting to relate to this book as much as I did, but the whole “not knowing who you really are and trying to get good grades and do things for people to get the validation you need to feel like you matter” was a huge stab in the heart. Also, having friends but not being totally open with them because you don’t know how much to share and whether they’ll accept you…also a huge mood.

I wanted to end off the year on a good book, and this book stabbed me, drained me of all my blood, gave me a blood transfusion, and cpr-ed me back to life. Am I a mess cause it’s the last day of 2022. Yes. But what better way to end off the year than by learning more about yourself and the decisions you’ve made growing up. I’m gonna go cry now before I head off to work 🥹✌🏼

[Lackof_shelf_control · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fast paced graphic novel involving themes we all can relate to! Although the main character struggles with her personal identity as a Muslim American - all walks of life can empathize. We’ve all at some point been confused about our identity or done things simply to impress others even if it wasn’t what we wanted to do in our hearts. This book is light hearted and made me giggle a few times, but still tackles serious issues. I think this is one of those books everyone should read and would be great for teenagers who are in the throes of discovering who they are.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Yes I'm Hot in This and loved it, and I knew I was going to love this one, too!

Huda is trying to figure out who she is now that she's no longer The Hibaji but a hijabi in a school with a high Muslim population. It's all about figuring out who you are when you don't really know, and making friends in a new environment when you're 99% convinced that you are a pod person imitating a human person. I can totally relate.

[Rachel Aranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I really identified with Huda not knowing who she was in high school and needing to try out different personalities and do things that lead to regret to learn who she really is as a person. I too did the same when I moved and went to a new school. I definitely did them in high school. Very relatable book that hits on many points on multiculturalism.

[Sophie_The_Jedi_Knight]

This is a read that hits hard for anyone - the story of finding yourself and figuring out who you are is always relevant. And Fahmy's experience of life as a Muslim girl is such an important story to tell. Impactful, funny, and powerful all at once, this is a fantastic and necessary read.

[yanah⋆˚࿔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THISSS

[~:The N:~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It's funny and honest about the struggles of growing up and being different. The illustrations were a bit too simple for me, but surprisingly, it didn't bother me one bit.

[Kelly]

Huda moved from a community where she was the only Muslim-American hijabi in her class to Dearborn, Michigan, and when she does, she has an identity crisis. No longer was the thing that once made her stand out a thing that made her unique in her school -- Dearborn has a huge Muslim-American population, and now, Huda is unsure who she is or where she fits in.

This is a funny and relatable comic, and I loved how Huda wrote it as a lengthy flashback through her identity crisis, bringing readers from the watershed moment in the first couple of pages back to it in the last few. But that timeframe is only a few months, and yet, so much transpires and it's hard not to absolutely root for Huda (even when she does some cringeworthy things).

The art is bright, expressive, and really fun. I thought the way Huda described her family and depicted them was both hilarious and charming; that one sister is "invisible" throughout because of her place in the family of five sisters had me laughing out loud. Especially because it paralleled how Huda felt about herself.

No romance pops up in this one, though Huda does tell a boy how she feels and when he rejects her, we see she never really had feelings for him like that but instead, was trying to figure herself out . As a non-Muslim, I appreciated how she explained the difference between having feelings and acting upon them as part of the belief system she followed.

Fahmy's graphic novel would be perfectly appropriate for middle schoolers and high schoolers, as they will relate so much to her drive to figure herself out.

[Shazia · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this semiautobiographical comic, Fahmy's protagonist transfers to a new high school, where she went from being the only student who wore a headscarf to just another hijabi. Realizing that now she blends right in, Huda feels as though she has no personality, so she decides to find herself. Although some of Huda’s experiences are specific to a Muslim teen, her attempts to adjust her personality and interests to fit in are universal experiences that all readers can relate to.

I really hope she figures out Huda F she is!

Check out my full review on SLJ's website here: https://www.slj.com/review/huda-f-are...

[My_Strange_Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. It was clever, honest, infuriating and beautiful.