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Does My Head Look Big in This? Kindle Edition
by Randa Abdel-Fattah (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (470)
The slide opened and I heard a gentle, kind voice:
'What is your confession, my child?'
I was stuffed. The priest would declare me a heretic;
my parents would call me a traitor . . .
The priest asked me again: 'What is your confession, my child?'
'I'm Muslim,' I whispered.
Welcome to my world. I'm Amal Abdel-Hakim, a sixteen-year-old Australian-Palestinian-Muslim still getting to grips with my various identity hyphens.
It's hard enough to be cool as a teenager, but try wearing a veil on your head and getting in the 'bums up' position at lunchtime and you know you're in for a tough time.
Luckily my friends support me, although they've got a few troubles of their own. Simone, blonde and gorgeous, has got serious image issues, and Leila's really intelligent but her parents are more interested in her getting a marriage certificate than her high school certificate.
And I thought I had problems . . .
A story of being true to yourself, standing up for your beliefs and finding your own way.
Praise for Does My Head Look Big In This?
'The freshest voice and perspective in young adult fiction.' Weekend Australian
'Reading Randa Abdel-Fattah's first novel is like discovering a jewel.' Sydney Morning Herald
'A no-holds-barred look at life when cultures clash and modernity wars with tradition.' Good Weekend
'This debut should speak to anyone who has felt like an outsider for any reason.' Publishers Weekly
Winner of the ABIA Awards' Book of the Year for Older Children 2006
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Review
The bestselling, award-winning YA novel about identity and growing up - now with a fresh new illustrated cover.
From the Publisher
Randa is an award-winning author, former lawyer, regular media commentator and post-doctoral research fellow researching the generational impact of the war on terror. Randa is currently working on the film adaptation of her first novel, Does My Head Look Big in This? and is keen to use her intervention into popular culture to reshape dominant narratives around racism and multiculturalism. Randa has written eight other books, including Ten Things I Hate About Me, Where the Streets Had a Name, Noah's Law and No Sex in the City, and co-edited the anthology Arab, Australian, Other. She lives in Sydney with her husband and children. She can be found at www.randaabdelfattah.com and @RandaAFattah
Product details
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From Australia
- Reviewed in Australia on 20 October 2024Found it incredibly boring, not well written and the flow was not there.
From other countries
- Marisa RusselloReviewed in the United States on 15 August 2008
An important book but not perfect
I am not a young adult in the sense of what age group this book was written for, but I am still a young person (in college). I read this book because I thought it would shed light on what it's like to be Muslim growing up in the U.S. The author did illuminate my view, though not as much as I'd hoped.
I didn't like how each character fits the profile of a distinct personality type and that everything has a happy ending. I also found the characters of Amal and her friends to be too idealistic and dramatic for teenagers, and the way they expressed themselves often felt forced or childish. They said things like, "Sheesh," "Hunk of a guy," and "Boy, you have got guts!" Real kids or real people for that matter do not talk like that unless they're acting in an educational video, in my opinion. Amal could be very immature and rude at times, and I didn't find myself connecting with her as a character. She would have been more believable as a middle school student than one almost ready to go to college.
The book taught the key lesson that it's important to do what you want no matter what others think of you. On the other hand, this book failed to discuss WHY Muslim women wear the hijab (or why Orthodox Jewish women wear the sheital, also mentioned) and instead left me with the explanation that it's just a "piece of material" to symbolize someone's faith.
Amal seemed overly concerned with what people thought of her, going so far as to make a list of "OK people" and "Not so OK people" to wear the hijab in front of. She and her friends were obsessed with making themselves look beautiful through their clothes, makeup and type of hijab they wore. In addition, Amal had a huge crush on Adam and was constantly checking him out, swooning over his every move, flirting and even thinking about what it would be like to kiss him. These actions didn't make sense to me given that she was wearing the hijab (though I could be wrong since I'm not Muslim). She definitely leads Adam on, though, and when he makes a move on her, she immediately jumps back and explains that she can't do anything even though her actions say the complete opposite. Based on the way Amal thought in the book, I felt she was the type of person who would have kissed Adam in that situation. Amal was proudly wearing her faith with the hijab, but her actions didn't show that she believed in it.
I was desperate to know why Amal had so much trust in Allah and her faith. She went through the motions of her religion, doing certain things Allah said, but she didn't explain why it was important to her that she did. I also wish she'd discussed some of the Koran passages she was so immersed in reading every day. I don't believe being a religious teenager is super common, but the author depicted Amal as just a typical teenager when she was, in fact, different because of her decision to be religious.
What I did like was how the book shows how vividly scared Amal is to wear the hijab because of how it changes the way people look at her. Instead of seeing a person, people at first seem to see just a sign that reads, "I am Muslim," and I think this is very true in society. She faced harassment and discrimination and was even rejected by some family and friends. It's important that we recognize the struggle that Amal goes through as well as all the Muslims out in the real world. I also thought it was eye-opening how differently each set of Muslim parents approached their daughter's demonstration of her faith. Even if people practice the same religion, that doesn't mean they interpret it in the same way.
The book discusses important lessons, but I'm not sure it goes about them all in the right way. I would recommend this as a good read for kids (maybe around the sixth grade?) because of the many adolescent issues discussed like peer pressure, racism, eating disorders, acceptance, etc. For students at an older age, I think they might easily recognize how many different issues were forced into the book and feel as if they're being preached to. (Please take my review with a grain of salt since I'm a college student and not from the age group this book is meant for.) - 13 Maryam ShaikhReviewed in India on 7 February 2022
Love the book
Really love this book . A story of teen age girl. Must read - EvangelosReviewed in Italy on 8 September 2019
Buon prodotto
Buon prodotto come descritto. Consiglio questo prodotto - Dr. Stephane McLachlanReviewed in Canada on 9 January 2020
Amazing
Very well written, the book never gets boring . It’s great! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! - dagmarReviewed in Germany on 18 January 2018
Great Read!
This book is really amazing, I enjoyed reading it. It is funny and touching and one gets a very good insight into Amal's life and point of view. - christinehReviewed in France on 10 November 2014
hilarious
hilarious read, highly recommended. I had a great time reading this story of a witty teenage girl choosing to wear the veil in Australia. - IntrepidReviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 December 2014
... this book is an essential read ...
...this book is an essential read for young adults. It draws you into the life of a teenager who is making every endeavour to implement her beliefs with the demands of societal norms. - SarahReviewed in the United States on 16 December 2023
One of my favorite YA novels
This is a great YA novel that is at once culturally specific (about the protagonist’s decision to wear the hijab) and universal (about finding your identity and being true to who you are).
The writing is accessible, the narrator is funny and intelligent and the supporting characters are well drawn. A must read.
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From other countries
- Jane CReviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 February 2013
Insightful and funny
This is one of those teenage-adult crossover books that everyone should read. It is insightful and thoughful, laugh-out-loud funny and thought-provoking by turn. I read it in a day and would definitely look out for more of Randa's work. - Adiba samanReviewed in India on 4 June 2021
Nice book to read for any generation
It is a very decent book - Stacey - Sexual Violence EducatorReviewed in Canada on 26 June 2014
I learned a great deal from this book and found it entertaining
I learned a great deal from this book and found it entertaining. I would recommend that all teens read it. - Kara NealReviewed in the United States on 3 May 2016
Both hilarious and serious
I read this book for a reading challenge and found it absolutely delightful. The teenage voice was just sassy and sarcastic enough to be hilarious. The main character dealt with many issues, not just her faith and decision to wear hijab full time. Through it all, she learned a lot about herself. I admire her being woman enough to not only stand up for her faith, but also for her friends and convictions, but most of all to admit to herself and others when she's wrong. This is why reading challenges are good. Ordinarily I would not likely choose a young adult novel about a Muslim teen. I am so glad I did. Although my faith is different and my age is three times Amal's and then some, there is a lot I can learn from her character. Well done! - LouisaBalataReviewed in France on 2 August 2013
Intéressant
Je n'ai lu le livre qu'en version arabe, traduit de l'anglais. Si l'écriture est parfois assez "plate", le sujet fait du bien : la vie normale d'une ado musulmanne, qui est finalement pas différentes des autres sauf en ce qui concerne les actes racistes occasionels à son encontre (dû à sa décision de porter le voile surtout). Comment sa famille elle meme a peut etre, plus que le reste de la société, plus de mal à accepter sa décision.
Bref, une histoire normale, enfin, qui ressemble à ce qu'on voit tout les jours, sur un sujet que l'on voudrait bêtement sensationnel. - Ben SchroederReviewed in Canada on 8 March 2018
entertaining read
"Does my Head Look Big in This" gives an inside look into the modern challenges and pressures faced by Muslim's in the Western world. It paints a clear picture of the varied opinion between families ad generations about what it means to be a good Muslim, and shows the differing options on what is culturally appropriate. Amal, a teenage girl, recounts the struggles of conforming to the Australian culture, daily peer-pressure, what it means to be a Muslim, and what identity truly is. - susanReviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 January 2018
Good read
My daughter's English teacher recommended this and my daughter really enjoyed it - Shirin S.Reviewed in India on 11 September 2017
Five Stars
Just loved the book and also amazon has given this free bookmark.A very Amazing book - Cha'kwainaReviewed in Germany on 29 March 2015
old and yellow pages
This book was quite worn, more worn than I thought. I really wouldn't want to keep this book for a while because I am afraid it will fall a apart. - Nav TabReviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 June 2020
loved it
its a very feel gd type of book; proving to be relatable for muslim women and very insightful for non-muslims while having multiple storylines to keep interest high
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