Publishers Weekly
06/24/2024
Two Muslim teens in Texas are forced to navigate bodily autonomy following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in this near-future novel by Yasmin (What the Fact?). Seventeen-year-old Indian American Laylah Khan, an aspiring OB-GYN, and her Palestinian American best friend Noor Awad, who dreams of being a journalist, are secretly working together to create the Texas Teen’s Guide to Safe Abortion, an “extreeeeemely illegal” document they know is “going to SAVE LIVES.” Despite their hard work, when Laylah learns that she’s pregnant, she finds it almost impossible to get an abortion: “No one in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nebraska. Not even in California and Oregon” has the pills she needs. Journalist and medical doctor Yasmin doesn’t shy away from the grim details of the girls’ reality. Via alternating POV chapters, the creator uses Laylah’s pregnancy and the teens’ differing relationships with their cultural identities to explore the intersecting effects of abortion policies, Islamic beliefs, and American imperialism on both. Excerpts from the Texas Teen’s Guide (a complete version will be available online following the book’s publication) and interstitials depicting Laylah’s humorous, Bollywood-esque fantasies add comedy to this relevant look at the ingenuity, tenacity, and hope of two teens fighting for their right to choose. Ages 14–up. (July)
4/15/24 - STARRED REVIEW Booklist
"Yasmin leavens the story with sparkling humor and warmth. Laylah and Noor are the stars of the novel, but the well-rounded secondary characters are not far behind. This is a smart and beautifully written book, with a plot pulled from the front page of any newspaper."
Kirkus Reviews
2024-05-04
Two Muslim high schoolers seek to help other teens access safe abortions in this fiction debut by medical doctor and journalist Yasmin.
In a Texas where abortion is illegal and anyone attempting to get one (or help someone else get one) risks imprisonment, best friends Laylah Khan and Noor Awad are determined to write an “inclusive, straightforward, and helpful guide” for teens who need to find an abortion clinic. Indian American Laylah, who’s a practicing Muslim, wants to go to medical school and specialize in obstetrics and gynecology. Palestinian American Noor wants to become a journalist; she identifies as pansexual and culturally Muslim. Alternating chapters from the girls’ points of view capture their thoughts and emotions as they each hide something from each other. The pace escalates toward the end as the friends open up to one another. Laylah reads about her grandmother’s personal experience with a compulsory sterilization program in Indira Gandhi’s India that was pushed by the U.S.—information that offers valuable context for her family’s supportive attitudes. However, because a major plot point comes fairly late in the story, the ending feels rushed, not allowing enough space for the leads and their relationship to change and grow. Laylah and Noor are strong characters with clear goals and aspirations; Yasmin weaves in their opinions on Islam and relationships, emphasizing the importance of being able to make the choices that affect one’s life.
Timely, important subject matter; uneven execution. (author’s note) (Fiction. 14-18)
