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The Next New Syrian Girl
Furia meets I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter about the unlikely friendship between two very different Syrian girls, the pressures and expectations of the perfect Syrian daughter, and the repercussions of the Syrian Revolution both at home and abroad.
Khadija Shami is a Syrian American high school senior raised on boxing and football. Saddled with a monstrous ego and a fierce mother to test it, she dreams of escaping her sheltered life to travel the world with her best friend.
Leene Tahir is a Syrian refugee, doing her best to adjust to the wildly unfamiliar society of a suburban Detroit high school while battling panic attacks and family pressures.
When their worlds collide the result is catastrophic. To Khadija, Leene embodies the tame, dutiful Syrian ideal she's long rebelled against. And to Leene, Khadija is the strong-willed, closed-off American who makes her doubt her place in the world.
But as Khadija digs up Leene’s past, a startling and life-changing discovery forces the two of them closer together. As the girls secretly race to unravel the truth, a friendship slowly and hesitantly begins blooming. Doubts are cast aside as they realize they have more in common than they each expected. What they find takes them on a journey all the way to Jordan, challenging what each knows about the other and herself.
Fans of Samira Ahmed’s Love, Hate, and Other Filters and Tahereh Mafi’s A Very Large Expanse Of Sea will love Khadija and Leene’s sharp-witted voices in this dual POV narrative. The Next New Syrian Girl is a poignant and timely blend of guilt, nostalgia, devotion, and bad-ass hijabees.
Khadija Shami is a Syrian American high school senior raised on boxing and football. Saddled with a monstrous ego and a fierce mother to test it, she dreams of escaping her sheltered life to travel the world with her best friend.
Leene Tahir is a Syrian refugee, doing her best to adjust to the wildly unfamiliar society of a suburban Detroit high school while battling panic attacks and family pressures.
When their worlds collide the result is catastrophic. To Khadija, Leene embodies the tame, dutiful Syrian ideal she's long rebelled against. And to Leene, Khadija is the strong-willed, closed-off American who makes her doubt her place in the world.
But as Khadija digs up Leene’s past, a startling and life-changing discovery forces the two of them closer together. As the girls secretly race to unravel the truth, a friendship slowly and hesitantly begins blooming. Doubts are cast aside as they realize they have more in common than they each expected. What they find takes them on a journey all the way to Jordan, challenging what each knows about the other and herself.
Fans of Samira Ahmed’s Love, Hate, and Other Filters and Tahereh Mafi’s A Very Large Expanse Of Sea will love Khadija and Leene’s sharp-witted voices in this dual POV narrative. The Next New Syrian Girl is a poignant and timely blend of guilt, nostalgia, devotion, and bad-ass hijabees.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published March 14, 2023
35 people are currently reading
5598 people want to read
About the author
Ream Shukairy
2 books165 followersReam Shukairy is a Syrian American Muslim born and raised full-time in Orange County, California and part-time over summers in Syria. Whether in California or Syria, she feels at home where her family is and wherever there’s a beach. She has a talent for learning languages and is always on the search for the next place she can travel and flex her words. The daughter of immigrants, there isn’t a stereotype she won’t try her hardest to defy. She can be found reading at the beach, with her sisters watching anime, or playing volleyball really anywhere. She currently resides in Boston for graduate school.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
August 9, 2021
FIRST REVIEW FOR THIS BOOK EVER HELL YEAH!
this was everything i ever wanted. ever. i have longed to read muslim girls who are proud of their identity and who they are and their hijab while also being human. not fitting in any box the world tries to stuff them in.
this book has a halal love story, two beautiful, strong girls, ONE WHO IS A BOXER EXCUSE YOU!!!! complex familial ties, love, and a sisterhood forged from tears and loss.
i love it so much okay. this book is my baby.
this was everything i ever wanted. ever. i have longed to read muslim girls who are proud of their identity and who they are and their hijab while also being human. not fitting in any box the world tries to stuff them in.
this book has a halal love story, two beautiful, strong girls, ONE WHO IS A BOXER EXCUSE YOU!!!! complex familial ties, love, and a sisterhood forged from tears and loss.
i love it so much okay. this book is my baby.
February 13, 2023
a million stars for the characters and the plot, 4 stars for the writing that was at times a tiny bit hard to follow. but i wholly, completely, absolutely recommend this book. it was honestly a very, very good read.
August 6, 2022
the next new syrian girl is. everything. i loved it so much, i actually went and read up on how to write a ~proper~ book review, because i really wanted to give my best attempt at doing right by this book. that’s not to say i won’t sound completely inarticulate anyway, because i will, because my mind is permanently broken and my heart has been hurt and re-mended twelves times over. the book follows two girls, a syrian-american boxer and a syrian refugee, as they try to find their place anew, with pressure on being the "perfect" syrian daughter, living through the heartache and the anguish that follows the syrian revolution. it’s about two muslim girls, who are so very proud of their identities and their hijab, finding and accepting each other, through loss and hurt; navigating their way in a world so bent on tearing them down. it’s romance, but it’s also family and the bond that siblings share, the love of home and how nothing can replicate it; how semantics are important and context more so. it's therapeutic, it's the joy of living and the guilt that sometimes stems from existing, it's shyness in the face of new love, and the buoyancy from making your very first friend in a very long time.
there’s something i love, undisputed, about muslim contemporary books, if done right, and how they make me feel so at home. from the first page in, i knew i’d love the next new syrian girl based on that alone, and it skyrocketed my expectations, but i was not ready for how much i would love it even excluding that. i cried so much, on every other page, it felt surreal. the relationships between family and country truly make this book, and are done so unflinchingly and raw that even now, 12 hours after i’ve finished it, my heart still feels turbulent. it got to the core of me, how it felt like this book is in essence my existence wrung out on page.
it’s been so long since i’ve read an author who can control and channel words quite like this, make them sharp and piercing and make them get you, not only down to your heart, but your very soul. for a debut author, i’m stumped. i have no way to convey how excellent and how personal to me this book is, how it spins a story so complex even as it takes you along the narrative one word at a time. it compounded to feeling like a book that felt fated, that felt so staggering i feel as though i've witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. this is a love letter to syria, and to muslim girls and to islam, it is the struggles of love not translated, love muffled, and love persisting. i truly cannot do it justice, and i can’t recommend it enough. please, please read this book. ***
thank you to hachette books for the arc. and thank you to lemon trees’s zoulfa for the recommendation! (5,000,000,000/5 stars)
there’s something i love, undisputed, about muslim contemporary books, if done right, and how they make me feel so at home. from the first page in, i knew i’d love the next new syrian girl based on that alone, and it skyrocketed my expectations, but i was not ready for how much i would love it even excluding that. i cried so much, on every other page, it felt surreal. the relationships between family and country truly make this book, and are done so unflinchingly and raw that even now, 12 hours after i’ve finished it, my heart still feels turbulent. it got to the core of me, how it felt like this book is in essence my existence wrung out on page.
it’s been so long since i’ve read an author who can control and channel words quite like this, make them sharp and piercing and make them get you, not only down to your heart, but your very soul. for a debut author, i’m stumped. i have no way to convey how excellent and how personal to me this book is, how it spins a story so complex even as it takes you along the narrative one word at a time. it compounded to feeling like a book that felt fated, that felt so staggering i feel as though i've witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. this is a love letter to syria, and to muslim girls and to islam, it is the struggles of love not translated, love muffled, and love persisting. i truly cannot do it justice, and i can’t recommend it enough. please, please read this book. ***
thank you to hachette books for the arc. and thank you to lemon trees’s zoulfa for the recommendation! (5,000,000,000/5 stars)
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November 10, 2025
☆ ── three stars 💌
I have so many thoughts, but so few feelings about this, so this review might end up on the shorter side — can’t actually guarantee it will be — but I’ll try to keep it brief. Firstly, thank you to the amazing Zeynep and Maryam, who read this with me; it was literally so fun.
The Next New Syrian Girl, on the surface, is a book about guilt and grief, but it’s also about independence, understanding and growth; unfortunately, the latter wasn’t as satisfying for me. It follows both Khadija and Leene as they navigate the world. Seemingly different, Leene, a refugee who has lost everything aside from her mother, and Khadija, a rich Syrian-American who has had a golden spoon in her mouth held by her mother for so long, look like they would not have much in common, but what ends up uniting them is their shared guilt and want for independence.
While I was writing this review, I actually discovered that a part of Khadija’s character was based on the author — a Syrian-American who spent most of her summers in Syria before the revolution — and it made a lot of sense to me, especially Khadija’s struggles of never being enough of either side of her identity. It took me a while to warm up to Khadija, and by the end of the book, I’m not sure I liked her, but I could finally see where a lot of her problems were coming from. On the other hand, I immediately clicked with Leene. In the earlier chapters, Khadija’s problems seemed so trivial compared to what Leene was facing, and it might have made me form an unconscious bias, but Khadija eventually opens up, and she grieves and loves and feels almost as much as Leene. I even started looking forward to her chapters. The supporting characters were nice, but I wished they did more with Nassima.
Now on to what I didn’t like or care for. The elephant in the room: Younes. I found him to be encouraging to Khadija, but at times, he was really pushy. I didn’t care for the romance, halal or not (it was not), and honestly, the entire romantic subplot was a miss for me. The book could have done fine without it. I also didn’t like how, during some chapters, there would be dictionary definitions in between; it completely threw off the flow of the book for me. And sometimes, certain important scenes would happen, and it’d be from the point of view of the other protagonist, and to me, it made some of those scenes less impactful. Another thing that rubbed me the wrong way was the things Khadija would sometimes say, but nobody would refute. Like when she said ‘boys will the boys’ to Leene later in the book. Every time her mother said something similarly absurd, she’d be quick to rebut it, so that was very strange.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable read, and Leene is an amazing character. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, but if you do want to read it, I’d tell you it is worth giving it a try. Also, this review was absolutely not short by any means, lol.
I have so many thoughts, but so few feelings about this, so this review might end up on the shorter side — can’t actually guarantee it will be — but I’ll try to keep it brief. Firstly, thank you to the amazing Zeynep and Maryam, who read this with me; it was literally so fun.
The Next New Syrian Girl, on the surface, is a book about guilt and grief, but it’s also about independence, understanding and growth; unfortunately, the latter wasn’t as satisfying for me. It follows both Khadija and Leene as they navigate the world. Seemingly different, Leene, a refugee who has lost everything aside from her mother, and Khadija, a rich Syrian-American who has had a golden spoon in her mouth held by her mother for so long, look like they would not have much in common, but what ends up uniting them is their shared guilt and want for independence.
While I was writing this review, I actually discovered that a part of Khadija’s character was based on the author — a Syrian-American who spent most of her summers in Syria before the revolution — and it made a lot of sense to me, especially Khadija’s struggles of never being enough of either side of her identity. It took me a while to warm up to Khadija, and by the end of the book, I’m not sure I liked her, but I could finally see where a lot of her problems were coming from. On the other hand, I immediately clicked with Leene. In the earlier chapters, Khadija’s problems seemed so trivial compared to what Leene was facing, and it might have made me form an unconscious bias, but Khadija eventually opens up, and she grieves and loves and feels almost as much as Leene. I even started looking forward to her chapters. The supporting characters were nice, but I wished they did more with Nassima.
Now on to what I didn’t like or care for. The elephant in the room: Younes. I found him to be encouraging to Khadija, but at times, he was really pushy. I didn’t care for the romance, halal or not (it was not), and honestly, the entire romantic subplot was a miss for me. The book could have done fine without it. I also didn’t like how, during some chapters, there would be dictionary definitions in between; it completely threw off the flow of the book for me. And sometimes, certain important scenes would happen, and it’d be from the point of view of the other protagonist, and to me, it made some of those scenes less impactful. Another thing that rubbed me the wrong way was the things Khadija would sometimes say, but nobody would refute. Like when she said ‘boys will the boys’ to Leene later in the book. Every time her mother said something similarly absurd, she’d be quick to rebut it, so that was very strange.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable read, and Leene is an amazing character. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, but if you do want to read it, I’d tell you it is worth giving it a try. Also, this review was absolutely not short by any means, lol.
Want to read
November 15, 2021Did you say hijabi girls ? halal romance ??
this book is about the unlikely friendship between a Syrian American boxer and Syrian refugee, the pressures and expectations of being the perfect Syrian daughter, and the repercussions of the Syrian Revolution both at home and abroad.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME I CANNOT POSSIBLY WAIT UNTIL 2023
this book is about the unlikely friendship between a Syrian American boxer and Syrian refugee, the pressures and expectations of being the perfect Syrian daughter, and the repercussions of the Syrian Revolution both at home and abroad.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME I CANNOT POSSIBLY WAIT UNTIL 2023
Want to read
October 11, 2022I might be biased but 10 out of 10 would recommend :)
November 9, 2025
3.25⭐
I really loved this book. Especially the ending was so so beautiful, and I got tears in my eyes. The characters were so unique in their own ways, and the well-thought-out plot was heartbreaking in many ways.
But...
The romance wasn't what I hoped it would be. This is not a halal romance, and no one can convince me otherwise. I REALLY, REALLY wish that the author hadn't included the romance in this book. It didn't play a notable part in the character or plot development, and it would make the book a whole lot better, focusing solely on Khadija and Leene's journey + their family situations. I would rate this 4.5⭐ if it weren't for the romance.
one other thing that bothered me was the language. The dialogues felt difficult to understand sometimes. Like we could see their scared, nervous, or intense reaction, but what they talked about didn't show the reason for their reactions. Also, sometimes it felt like an info-dump and telling instead of showing. If that makes sense.
The Muslim representation was pretty nicely done. Though, as I said, it could be better shown in their actions, rather than their straightforward words.
All in all, it was a beautiful story, and an amazing buddy reading experience with the lovely girls Lami and Maryam. Thank you so much!❤️
I really loved this book. Especially the ending was so so beautiful, and I got tears in my eyes. The characters were so unique in their own ways, and the well-thought-out plot was heartbreaking in many ways.
But...
The romance wasn't what I hoped it would be. This is not a halal romance, and no one can convince me otherwise. I REALLY, REALLY wish that the author hadn't included the romance in this book. It didn't play a notable part in the character or plot development, and it would make the book a whole lot better, focusing solely on Khadija and Leene's journey + their family situations. I would rate this 4.5⭐ if it weren't for the romance.
one other thing that bothered me was the language. The dialogues felt difficult to understand sometimes. Like we could see their scared, nervous, or intense reaction, but what they talked about didn't show the reason for their reactions. Also, sometimes it felt like an info-dump and telling instead of showing. If that makes sense.
The Muslim representation was pretty nicely done. Though, as I said, it could be better shown in their actions, rather than their straightforward words.
All in all, it was a beautiful story, and an amazing buddy reading experience with the lovely girls Lami and Maryam. Thank you so much!❤️
October 9, 2025
This will forever be one of my favorite Muslim rep books EVER even though the romance subplot is not fully halal 😭
It’s just….one of my comfort reads. 💗💗
It’s just….one of my comfort reads. 💗💗
Want to read
May 28, 2022holy shit a book for me and my syrian girlies THE REPRESENTATION IVE BEEN WAITING FOR
July 11, 2023
2023 reads: 154/350
this follows two different syrian girls, khadija and leene. khadija’s mom is always pushing her to be the perfect syrian girl, but she wants something different. leene is a refugee doing her best to adjust to her new life and the guilt she feels about her past. though they are often compared to each other, they are able to find friendship and begin to investigate the truth of leene’s past.
something i love in books is when there are flashbacks to the past, but in a way where you’re trying to piece everything together until it finally clicks. i love that this book is an example of that and it felt like such a perfect way to tell this story. i also loved our protagonists and how we got chapters from both of their points of view.
this follows two different syrian girls, khadija and leene. khadija’s mom is always pushing her to be the perfect syrian girl, but she wants something different. leene is a refugee doing her best to adjust to her new life and the guilt she feels about her past. though they are often compared to each other, they are able to find friendship and begin to investigate the truth of leene’s past.
something i love in books is when there are flashbacks to the past, but in a way where you’re trying to piece everything together until it finally clicks. i love that this book is an example of that and it felt like such a perfect way to tell this story. i also loved our protagonists and how we got chapters from both of their points of view.
November 9, 2025
3.5 stars
I loved the main plot of the book and the way it conveys two ideas through Leene and Khadija. I loved Leene, and I understand Khadija. I know, Khadija was annoying and unlikable at first, but she grew on me as the story developed. The only thing that put me off was theharam not-so-halal romance. The story could have done so much better without the romance. I have mixed feelings about the writing style. It was not flowy, flawless writing, but my heart was getting crushed by the story half the time, so it didn't come in the way. I'm giving this 3.5 stars because my heart won't allow me to rate it any lower.
If you are reading this, this is your sign to read this book. And, oh, I'm so glad Syria is free. My heart breaks for everyone who lost so much.
It was lovely to read this with zeynep and lami 💗
I loved the main plot of the book and the way it conveys two ideas through Leene and Khadija. I loved Leene, and I understand Khadija. I know, Khadija was annoying and unlikable at first, but she grew on me as the story developed. The only thing that put me off was the
If you are reading this, this is your sign to read this book. And, oh, I'm so glad Syria is free. My heart breaks for everyone who lost so much.
It was lovely to read this with zeynep and lami 💗
February 6, 2025
A moment of silence and tears as I finished this. Brilliantly beautiful and filled to the brim with fierceness and hope. Ream Shukairy is a new favourite and auto-buy author. I was enamoured by this book. 💜
A more detailed review will come I’m sure.
——
Detailed review made it to Goodreads almost 2 years later because I forgot to update after my bookstagram post….
Sometimes you go into a book and it turns out to be everything you wanted. Other times you go into a book and beyond it being everything you wanted it also gives things you didn’t know you needed. That was this book for me. There were elements in this story that I felt so seen by that I’m not sure if I read the book or if it read me.
Some of the commentary, emotion and the dialogue, especially between Khadija and her mother, felt like they were straight out of my household. It was such an insane experience to read a book and see the echos of conversations and feelings I’ve had or thought. It was, in many ways a comfort to read even with some of the heavy topics and themes. When I wasn’t reading the book I was thinking about it and waiting to come back to the story and to these characters.
I loved reading about the relationship between Khadija and Leene while also being in both their heads. Each saw the other as the perfect example of resilience and fierceness while on the inside they were each dealing with their own demons. I enjoyed the moments of vulnerability and honesty and seeing their friendship flourish. As they learned more about each other they were forced to face their assumptions of one another head on.
I know some people found Khadija’s character to be selfish. And sometimes she did say or think things that were selfish. But her flaws made her all the more raw and real to me as a reader. You can see her go through the growing pains of learning her flaws and dealing with them. I personally loved her character. And sweet sweet Leene who is so strong and resilient. She somehow managed to hold on to hope even with everything she faced.
Anyways, this review doesn’t do justice to how this book made me feel. I loved it so much and I literally can’t wait to read Ream’s next book.
A more detailed review will come I’m sure.
——
Detailed review made it to Goodreads almost 2 years later because I forgot to update after my bookstagram post….
Sometimes you go into a book and it turns out to be everything you wanted. Other times you go into a book and beyond it being everything you wanted it also gives things you didn’t know you needed. That was this book for me. There were elements in this story that I felt so seen by that I’m not sure if I read the book or if it read me.
Some of the commentary, emotion and the dialogue, especially between Khadija and her mother, felt like they were straight out of my household. It was such an insane experience to read a book and see the echos of conversations and feelings I’ve had or thought. It was, in many ways a comfort to read even with some of the heavy topics and themes. When I wasn’t reading the book I was thinking about it and waiting to come back to the story and to these characters.
I loved reading about the relationship between Khadija and Leene while also being in both their heads. Each saw the other as the perfect example of resilience and fierceness while on the inside they were each dealing with their own demons. I enjoyed the moments of vulnerability and honesty and seeing their friendship flourish. As they learned more about each other they were forced to face their assumptions of one another head on.
I know some people found Khadija’s character to be selfish. And sometimes she did say or think things that were selfish. But her flaws made her all the more raw and real to me as a reader. You can see her go through the growing pains of learning her flaws and dealing with them. I personally loved her character. And sweet sweet Leene who is so strong and resilient. She somehow managed to hold on to hope even with everything she faced.
Anyways, this review doesn’t do justice to how this book made me feel. I loved it so much and I literally can’t wait to read Ream’s next book.
October 18, 2022
"The Next New Syrian Girl" by Ream Shukairy is another great upcoming YA release!
Khadija Shaami is Syrian American, a doctor's daughter whose mother is the queen bee of the Syrian community in Rochester Heights... & Khadija is a boxer, using punching bags to get through fights with her mother & unspoken fears about her family in Syria.
Leene Taher is a Syrian refugee, plucked from the horrors of the war & refugee camps, & transported to the glamorous life of Syrian Americans in Detroit.
Leene is the perfect Syrian girl - everything Khadija isn't - & Khadija has everything Leene has lost. The girls' stories end up intertwined in ways they never expected - & the journey is one that will keep readers hooked.
The only flag I'd mention is a sidestory featuring Khadija & Younes, a Muslim dude at the gym she trains at. While it's pitched as "halal romance," more conservative parents would disagree (no physical encounters but flirtatious bantering, mention of dating). I'd rate this as Upper YA, for 15+ (with a reminder to teen readers about what constitutes halal interactions & what doesn't lol).
Overall, really enjoyed this!
4/5 🌟
#Bookstagram #Muslimbookstagram #MuslimYA #Syria #MuslimFiction #MyMuslimShelfSpace #WeNeedDiverseBooks #OwnVoices #SyrianRep #MuslimRep #muslimrepresentation #MuslimWomenWriters
Khadija Shaami is Syrian American, a doctor's daughter whose mother is the queen bee of the Syrian community in Rochester Heights... & Khadija is a boxer, using punching bags to get through fights with her mother & unspoken fears about her family in Syria.
Leene Taher is a Syrian refugee, plucked from the horrors of the war & refugee camps, & transported to the glamorous life of Syrian Americans in Detroit.
Leene is the perfect Syrian girl - everything Khadija isn't - & Khadija has everything Leene has lost. The girls' stories end up intertwined in ways they never expected - & the journey is one that will keep readers hooked.
The only flag I'd mention is a sidestory featuring Khadija & Younes, a Muslim dude at the gym she trains at. While it's pitched as "halal romance," more conservative parents would disagree (no physical encounters but flirtatious bantering, mention of dating). I'd rate this as Upper YA, for 15+ (with a reminder to teen readers about what constitutes halal interactions & what doesn't lol).
Overall, really enjoyed this!
4/5 🌟
#Bookstagram #Muslimbookstagram #MuslimYA #Syria #MuslimFiction #MyMuslimShelfSpace #WeNeedDiverseBooks #OwnVoices #SyrianRep #MuslimRep #muslimrepresentation #MuslimWomenWriters
June 1, 2023
Overall, the New next Syrian Girl was a good story but it could have been much more. Maybe if it was equally focused on Khadija and Leene. I felt like it was more leaning on Khadija's story which could have been okay If Khadija wasn't just an insufferable spoiled self-entitled brat half the book.
The romance was uncalled for (and it's coming from someone who loves romance stories) and really poorly done. We knew nothing about Youness. He would say something like "I'm done running after everyone in my life" Or "everyone needs something from me" and we're expected to sympathize with him and understand. But we had 0 backstory ... why does everyone needs him ?! Regardless, he was quite a boring character.
Anyway, I loved Leene. Her story and her character. She was strong and resilient and really deserve the world ♡
The romance was uncalled for (and it's coming from someone who loves romance stories) and really poorly done. We knew nothing about Youness. He would say something like "I'm done running after everyone in my life" Or "everyone needs something from me" and we're expected to sympathize with him and understand. But we had 0 backstory ... why does everyone needs him ?! Regardless, he was quite a boring character.
Anyway, I loved Leene. Her story and her character. She was strong and resilient and really deserve the world ♡
2023
October 22, 2025Arab American Heritage Month TBR
Valentine's Day TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Valentine's Day TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
May 27, 2023
If you want a book about identity and belonging this is for you.
If you want a book about a beautiful and meaningful friendship this is for you.
If you want real character growth this is for you.
If you want a lovely halal romance this is for you.
If you want a book that can make you smile and cry in one chapter this is for you.
If you want a book with a complex mother-daughter relationship this is for you.
Not enough words can do justice to how precious and beautiful this story was🥹🥹
I’m so so excited for the author’s future work!!
If you want a book about a beautiful and meaningful friendship this is for you.
If you want real character growth this is for you.
If you want a lovely halal romance this is for you.
If you want a book that can make you smile and cry in one chapter this is for you.
If you want a book with a complex mother-daughter relationship this is for you.
Not enough words can do justice to how precious and beautiful this story was🥹🥹
I’m so so excited for the author’s future work!!
May 2, 2023
The Next New Syrian Girl is moving and powerful story of family close and afar, loved and lost; a story of forged sisterhood and complex comparisons. It’s both a halal love story and a story of self love and acceptance. The Next New Syrian Girl is a tale of two Muslim girls who are proud of their identity, their countries, their hijab, their families and their refusal to let the world tell them who they should be and it was fantastic.
TW: racism, islamophobia, suicide attempt
TW: racism, islamophobia, suicide attempt
February 7, 2025
In "The Next New Syrian Girl", Shukairy has managed to accomplish what many writers struggle to do -- marry social commentary with an engaging plot in the YA genre. The narrative arc is engaging, leaving the reader wondering what will happen with each of the main characters, Khadija and Leene, while still leaving space for the author to make important points about growing up as Syrian in America today. This story is has a little something to interest everyone, and has a little something to teach everyone too.
March 14, 2023
bawled my eyes out
March 31, 2023
3.5 rounded up to 4⭐️
RTC
RTC
March 18, 2025
i love these characters soooo much omg 😭❤️
March 21, 2023
4.5 so so so good
bookstagram tour post is up here :)
The Next New Syrian girl is about two girls, a Syrian-American and a Syrian refugee in America. Khadija is Syrian-American, hasn't been to Syria since she was little due to the ongoing conflict, and struggles under her mom's pressure to be a good Syrian girl when she doesn't really feel Syrian enough (and god knows Americans don't see her as American enough)
and Leene, who recently came to America, her next stop in a line of countries she and her mom have stayed in seeking refuge from Syria. There used to be Leene, her mom, her dad, and her two brothers, but time and the war have whittled her family down to just her and her mom. She has a lot of trauma but is really generally pretty positive considered.
Khadija is kinda spoiled about having Leene stay with their family at first, but they get to know each other and develop the sweetest friendship!!
This book is enlightening, gripping, sad, and sweet. It was such a good book to read to learn a little more about the scope of the war in Syria. I'll be the first to admit I knew very little about the specifics.
It was a great debut novel that I loved reading :')
bookstagram tour post is up here :)
The Next New Syrian girl is about two girls, a Syrian-American and a Syrian refugee in America. Khadija is Syrian-American, hasn't been to Syria since she was little due to the ongoing conflict, and struggles under her mom's pressure to be a good Syrian girl when she doesn't really feel Syrian enough (and god knows Americans don't see her as American enough)
and Leene, who recently came to America, her next stop in a line of countries she and her mom have stayed in seeking refuge from Syria. There used to be Leene, her mom, her dad, and her two brothers, but time and the war have whittled her family down to just her and her mom. She has a lot of trauma but is really generally pretty positive considered.
Khadija is kinda spoiled about having Leene stay with their family at first, but they get to know each other and develop the sweetest friendship!!
This book is enlightening, gripping, sad, and sweet. It was such a good book to read to learn a little more about the scope of the war in Syria. I'll be the first to admit I knew very little about the specifics.
It was a great debut novel that I loved reading :')
February 9, 2023
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am so glad I requested it.
This story follows two Syrian Muslims, Khadija and Leene, both so different from each other. The former raised in America and the latter a refugee from Syria who's recently lost everyone she loves. At first Khadija seemed very annoying and rude but I later on came to love her quite a lot as I came to know her part of the story. The only thing I didn't like about her was how she said she wouldn't do a certain haram thing just because her mom wouldn't allow it and that bothered me a lot. We, Muslims, should be religious for ourselves and not for others, I didn't like that part regarding Muslim representation. I also loved the complex characters in this book and were interesting to read about like Khadija's mom and Zain. All the people's lives like Leene, Khadija and countless other Syrians were heart-wrenching to read about and I almost cried. There was so much pain laced into this book and I highly recommend it to all.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am so glad I requested it.
This story follows two Syrian Muslims, Khadija and Leene, both so different from each other. The former raised in America and the latter a refugee from Syria who's recently lost everyone she loves. At first Khadija seemed very annoying and rude but I later on came to love her quite a lot as I came to know her part of the story. The only thing I didn't like about her was how she said she wouldn't do a certain haram thing just because her mom wouldn't allow it and that bothered me a lot. We, Muslims, should be religious for ourselves and not for others, I didn't like that part regarding Muslim representation. I also loved the complex characters in this book and were interesting to read about like Khadija's mom and Zain. All the people's lives like Leene, Khadija and countless other Syrians were heart-wrenching to read about and I almost cried. There was so much pain laced into this book and I highly recommend it to all.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
June 15, 2023
Wow- that's the only word I can muster for describing this book ...
First of all, Khadija is literally me. Her and I are so alike we might as well be the same person just different names. Me = Malak also Khadija Her = Khadija but also me
The ending of this book made me cry so much. It illustrates truly how much all refugees go through. The trauma. Then missing their families.
Younes oh my God can you be a real person in my life pls...😭😭😭😭
Ream Shukairy I love you 🩷 and your one of my fav authors 😭
All love <3
First of all, Khadija is literally me. Her and I are so alike we might as well be the same person just different names. Me = Malak also Khadija Her = Khadija but also me
The ending of this book made me cry so much. It illustrates truly how much all refugees go through. The trauma. Then missing their families.
Younes oh my God can you be a real person in my life pls...😭😭😭😭
Ream Shukairy I love you 🩷 and your one of my fav authors 😭
All love <3
March 29, 2024
I guess brothers really are useless. Well, most of them I think. I wouldn't know honestly.
Also The Hobbit Trilogy mentioned!!🗣🗣🗣💯💯
Also The Hobbit Trilogy mentioned!!🗣🗣🗣💯💯
Want to read
August 10, 2021CANTWAITCANTWAITCANTWAIT AAAHHHH
March 17, 2023
A fantastic coming of age story! More to come.
February 28, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and LBYR for the chance to read and review Shukairy's debut before the publication date!
To put it plainly, Ream Shukairy is a force of nature. I have been lucky enough to read both of her books, and I can say with utmost passion and confidence that she is one of the most refreshing voices in YA. The Next New Syrian Girl is well thought out, genuine, and unapologetic. It's main characters Khadijah and Leene are seemingly complete opposites- a feisty Syrian-American boxer always at odds with her mother, and a mild mannered Syrian refugee dealing with the ghosts of her pasts. But the friendship and alliance these girls form is so touching and truly goes to show that the bond between Arab Muslim women is such a special one. The Next New Syrian girl is a searing, essential story of sisterhood, individuality, and the reckoning that comes with being away from the country and people that we call home.
To put it plainly, Ream Shukairy is a force of nature. I have been lucky enough to read both of her books, and I can say with utmost passion and confidence that she is one of the most refreshing voices in YA. The Next New Syrian Girl is well thought out, genuine, and unapologetic. It's main characters Khadijah and Leene are seemingly complete opposites- a feisty Syrian-American boxer always at odds with her mother, and a mild mannered Syrian refugee dealing with the ghosts of her pasts. But the friendship and alliance these girls form is so touching and truly goes to show that the bond between Arab Muslim women is such a special one. The Next New Syrian girl is a searing, essential story of sisterhood, individuality, and the reckoning that comes with being away from the country and people that we call home.
June 8, 2023
Beautiful beautiful beautiful book. 'The Next New Syrian Girl' had me tearing up and all emotional. I love that as an adult I have the Arab representation I didn't as a teen, and I'm so happy for the younger generations to get to have such great books like this one. I loved the centering of family and friendship in this, and how each of the girls faced their own struggles throughout the book; being a refugee, being Arab American, the guilt of survivorship, loss, mental health issues, etc. I really like how the characters were flawed and imperfect. This book made me bawl and fall in love with it the whole way through.
November 13, 2021
First I'll say I'm not much of a reader so when I read a book & love it that says something. This book was not only written so so magnificently but it showed such a beautiful story of two friends growing a bond over so many things, a cute romantic built relationship that I will never have, and discusses such important issues in the world. You could never find a book that makes you flip the page so fast because you need to know what happens next.
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