You Think You Know Me

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The boys continue carelessly walking along the high street ahead of us, forcing other people to swerve around them at the last second. We follow behind, keeping a distance. Hanan has always been the good, quiet, well-behaved girl that she not wants to be, but has to be. She’s already a target for bullying by a group at school her friends call The Braids (mean girls amped up) and being loud, speaking up, would make her more of a target for their hate. Even her teachers use her for her image as their flawless, poster child for a Muslim student at the school. But Hanan has dreams, wishes, and desires to speak her mind and stand up for herself and every other person that gets the same racist undertones (which is just blatant racism most of the time.) I loved the fact that she was a practicing Muslim which I think isn’t seen enough in books. She and her family are Somalis. I loved reading about their culture and seeing their family dynamics. A beautiful part of the book.

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Usborne has won a three-way auction for debut author Ayaan Mohamud’s YA novel You Think You Know Me, inspired by her experiences of Islamophobia and a desire to write about Somali culture. I snake through the lunchtime crowd to find my friends, keeping an eye out for Jessica and her co-Braids. They’re the other two girls in that toxic trio; three cut-throat girls with the hair of angels. All living, breathing, walking contradictions.

Mohamud said: “I’m beyond excited to be publishing this book with Usborne. You Think You Know Me holds a special place in my heart and I knew after meeting Sarah and Rebecca that the story felt special for them too. It’s been an absolute dream to write a book that features the kind of characters I never saw in books growing up and a privilege to write something that I hope challenges people’s perceptions about Muslims. I want to thank the whole team at Usborne for championing this book and also my fabulous agent Clare who believed in me and Hanan’s story right from the start.” The date in my planner glares at me. I’m four weeks away from my med school admissions test and I can feel its nearness starting to bite at my heels. But I know if I don’t turn up like I promised, my friends will have words for me, so I shove the planner in my bag and head out.

You Think You Know Me | Usborne | Be Curious You Think You Know Me | Usborne | Be Curious

The fact that she used to be a Braid, and not whether she was as bad as them, should be argument enough, but whatever, Hanan. Andrea had thrown up her hands in defeat. You win. Lily can join."I try to squint past the crowd, to see if I can make out anything, but all I see is endless police tape. For once, the book is exactly what the blurb says. It is stunning, the key points are there, and the events unfold.

You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud | Goodreads

Yeah. I was a big reader growing up and everyone says this, but in the last couple of years, I realised how important representation is. It’s become a big topic in so many different spheres, including publishing, but it wasn’t something that occurred to me when I was younger. So, I wanted to write a book about a Muslim girl and personally, it was really important for her to be visibly Muslim. There are so many different Muslim experiences, but that’s something I don’t see enough of and have never seen in children or young adult books. It’s really important for teens as growing up, life is crazy and you’re being told so many different things about who you’re supposed to be, your identity and your faith, from the world and society. It becomes very difficult to be proud of who you are. So, I wanted someone reading the book to see themselves and feel proud about being visible as a Muslim. Hanan has always been the good, quiet, well-behaved girl that she not wants to be, but has to be. She’s already a target for bullying by a group at school her friends call The Braids (mean girls amped up) and being loud, speaking up, would make her more of a target for their hate. Even her teachers use her for her image as their flawless, poster child for a Muslim student at the school. But Hanan has dreams, wishes, and desires to speak her mind and stand up for herself and every other person that gets the same racist undertones (which is just blatant racism most of the time.)

As part of World Book Night, The Reading Agency will be gifting over 68,000 books to organisations across the country to give to people who don't regularly read for pleasure or with limited access to books. This year's 400 recipients include 89 arts organisations or charities, 47 hospitals or health centres, 39 prisons and young offender institutions. Hanan has always been good and quiet. She accepts her role as her school's perfect Muslim poster girl. She ignores the racist bullies. Senior commissioning editor Sarah Stewart acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, for the debut in a two-book deal with Clare Wallace at Darley Anderson.