SchoolZone

Internment

Samira Ahmed

ATOM

ISBN 9780349003344

'Samira has created a chilling, powerful, all-too-real near future that's a must-read for everyone's TBR' Karen M. McManus, author of One Of Us Is Lying 'A must-read . . . A heart-rending and all-too credible tale of sacrifice, the ugly face of authority and the courage of youth' Sunday Times' Children's Book of the Month 'A tremendous novel' the Guardian Rebellions are built on hope. Set in a horrifying 'fifteen minutes in the future' United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin is forced into an internment camp for Muslim-Americans along with her parents. With the help of newly-made friends also trapped within the camp, her boyfriend on the outside, and an unexpected alliance, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the internment camp's Director and his guards. Heart-racing and emotional, Internment questions the imaginary boundaries that separate us and challenges readers to fight the complicit silence that exists in our society today. 'Chillingly plausible' Financial Times 'If you enjoyed The Hate U Give, this should be at the top of your TBR pile' -- Culturefly

Reviews

Internment

Samira Ahmed

Review

In a futuristic USA, Muslim-Americans are forced to register. Are dismissed from positions of educating or authority. Are placed under curfew restrictions. And, finally, are forced into internment camps.

17-year-old Layla Amin watches the situation around her become bleaker and bleaker, with no resistance in sight; told to keep her head down and keep out of trouble - until one devastating night, she and her parents are brutally 'collected' and driven to Mobius, the 'premier' internment camp.

With help from newly made friends also trapped within the camp, her boyfriend on the outside, and Jake, an unexpected ally, Layla begins a journey to fight for her freedom, leading a revolution against the internment camp's Director and his guards.

Powerful, humane and authentic I absolutely could not put this down. This novel, set '15 minutes into the future', is so frighteningly real. Layla is courageous and brave and I was with her every step of the way. I felt her frustrations, her uncertainty and the pain of all the awful things that happen to her. Ayesha, the friend that Layla makes at Mobius is also a strong character and between them they manage to make people stand up for their rights and what they believe in. The Director was a hideous character who would stop at nothing to have his camp be the beacon to which all the other internment camps follow.

Disturbing, terrifying and thought-provoking, Internment is a timely work of fiction which will provoke many discussions on a myriad of issues.

400 pages / Ages 14+ / Reviewed by Lucy Georgeson, school librarian

Reviewed by: Lucy Georgeson

Internment

Samira Ahmed

Review

Reduced privileges. Book burnings. A knock on the door. Forced to leave your home, condensing your life into just one bag of belongings. A train journey. Branded with an identity barcode. Internment.

Sound familiar? But this is not about the Second World War; this is America, in a near-future where Islamophobia has run unchecked. An America where bigotry and prejudice fuel discrimination. An insidious reduction in freedom and privileges until finally, Layla and her family find themselves locked out from their old life; interned. Their crime? They're Muslim and, according to the President of the United States, a threat to America.

It could never happen, right? Surely someone would say something, stop the madness before it became a reality? Surely. Never again, right? It happened in America in 1942 with the forced internment of nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans; it happens now with asylum seekers, refugee camps and detention centres. Across the UK, USA, Europe and Australia, it's a global issue. But collectively we'll stop it, we'll speak out - but we're deafened by the hush, our complicit silence. The very silence that sees Layla and her family 'relocated'.

In Internment, Samira Ahmed has taken Islamophobia and allowed the actions of authority figures to play out resulting in the internment of American Muslims. We witness the struggle of the internees, of Layla's family unit, an attempt to normalise their situation as the reality shatters the disbelief. However, the quiet compliance unsettles Layla and she mounts a daring resistance in the face of further threat. Buoyed by news from the outside resistance grows; small simple protests, a start, a stand.

In the Director of Camp Mobius, Ahmed has given us a cruel commandant, there is nothing redeeming about him, he is pure vitriol dressed in a suit, a fleshy bigot singing the Star Spangled Banner. Striving, succeeding, Mobius is the shining solution for his glorious America. He is perfect - or rather, a perfectly realised character!

I'd happily recommend this to students and would hope they would discuss the many issues raised within the text.

400 pages / Ages 14+ / Reviewed by Catherine Purcell, school librarian

Reviewed by: Catherine Purcell