Bassem Youssef

I knew very little about the details of the Arab Spring - and even less about Bassem Youssef - before picking up this book, but I came away with decent knowledge about both the political turmoil in Egypt, and the author himself, after turning the last page.

The topic he tackles is fascinating, but the book was pretty dry in places. I expected more humour and satire, and while there were a couple of chuckle-worthy turns of phrase, I found it difficult to really sink into the content Youssef presented. Some of his explanations of the political situation are repetitive, though I appreciated (and agreed with) the comparison to American politics in a number of places.

Still, Youssef's bravery is commendable! He stood up to authority in a way few people would have been able to do, putting himself and his family in danger every time he dared to speak out against the established rulers of the day. I would have loved to know more about how his actions impacted his wife and child -- there's very little about them in the book, and some more perspective on how his family dealt with his actions would have helped understand the personal impact of the challenges he dealt with.… (mehr)

This book does a great job working through the usual tangled friendship dynamics, and also modeling how to disarm and call out both microaggressions and outright racism. Nadia is a fun, engaging character and her celebration of her Egyptian heritage is beautiful.

The only thing I'm confused by is that it reads as though it were written for a much younger audience. I can see 3rd and 4th graders loving this book, especially with the cute illustrations*, but I'm not sure it would appeal to kids who are in 6th grade.

*I kind of wish she looked less like Disney's Jasmine early on in the book. She's got more depth and character by far.

Advanced Reader's Copy Provided by Edelweiss.… (mehr)