Unsettled

Unsettled by Reem Faruqi, loosely based on the author’s own story, chronicles the experience of Nurah, a thirteen-year-old girl who moves from Pakistan to Georgia. She experiences racism and prejudice in a variety of forms, she makes new friends, discovers new passions, undergoes loss, and learns to adjust to a vastly different place. Many verse novels tell stories of immigration, but this one stands for its consistent lyricism and its honest, moving portrayal of a coming-of-age experience that is at once specific and universal. 

If you love competitive swimming, this book is most definitely for you. If you don’t like competitive swimming, this book is still most definitely for you. The word count might be small with this novel in verse, but don’t let that fool you. Reem Faruqi’s melodic writing is positively packed with some of the most gorgeous and thought-provoking descriptions of Nurah’s family, culture, and dreams as an immigrant in the United States. We follow her heartwarming story as she earns a spot on a competitive swim team where she meets new friends, faces new challenges, and discovers that sometimes going… show more.

Unsettled by Reem Faruqi is a beautiful MG novel in verse about an immigrant girl who misses her home, Pakistan, but learns to navigate the new world around her but stays true to herself. I love that it’s written so unapologetically and authentically captures the many struggles that Muslims face in America.