Review: Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Jamilah is Lebanese, Muslim, and Australian. At school she's known only as Jamie and hides her Lebanese heritage by dying her hair and wearing blue contacts. She stands by while her classmates tease her Lebanese classmates and while she feels awful, she doesn't say anything. She's too afraid of being teased herself. Outside of school, she's the Jamilah who embraces her heritage and really enjoys playing drums in an arabic band.

When her band is invited to play at the grade ten formal, suddenly Jamilah's worlds collide and she has to decide if she's Jamie or Jamilah.

I really loved Ten Things I Hate About Me. Jamilah had a great narrative voice which made her struggle to fit in at school while also being true to herself easily relatable. The book was really funny in parts, but it was also really touching without being too pedantic/lecturing. This was a great glimpse into Muslim-Lebanese culture and an all around satisfying read.