Written in the Stars
By:
Naila's immigrant Pakistani parents have made it clear: they will choose the man she marries. So when she's caught at prom with her secret boyfriend, Naila's whole future changes. Author's note. Resources. Glossary.
ISBN: 9780399171703
JLG Release: May 2015
Sensitive Areas:
Violence: Domestic/Physical Abuse, Violence: Sexual Assault/Rape
Topics:
Forced marriage
, Dating
, Love
, Pakistani Americans
, Pakistan
Awards & Honors
2018-2019 California Young Reader Medal Winner, Young Adult
2016 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 6–8
CCBC Choices 2016, Fiction for Young Adults
2015 Cybils Awards Nomination, Young Adult Fiction
NEA’s Read Across America Educator Recomended Books 2016–2017, Grades 9–12
Children’s Book Committee Bank Street College of Education, 2016 Best Children’s Books of the Year, Today
Praise & Reviews
Starred or favorable reviews have been received from these periodicals:
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Booklist, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
School Library Journal
Naila is a Pakistani American high school senior. As the story opens, her greatest trouble is the risk of going to the prom with her high school sweetheart against the wishes of her protective and conservative parents. She does anyway, her parents find out, and their reaction is swift and extreme: the family departs immediately for Pakistan and neg Naila is a Pakistani American high school senior. As the story opens, her greatest trouble is the risk of going to the prom with her high school sweetheart against the wishes of her protective and conservative parents. She does anyway, her parents find out, and their reaction is swift and extreme: the family departs immediately for Pakistan and negotiates an arranged marriage for Naila. Her impassioned struggle against the constraints of an arranged marriage is contrived in places, but it is a compelling story nonetheless. This is a cross-cultural eye opener; since Naila had never left the US until she was 18, her first-person account resonates in its explanations of the rituals, especially how they would look and feel from an American point of view. Yet the setting is pure Pakistani, with culturally rich descriptions of Naila’s extended family, their cuisine, and strongly held beliefs. The prose is simple and straightforward. Although the book’s hallmark is not text complexity, the spare prose is more evocative than stilted: Saeed shows rather than tells, allowing readers to imagine how Naila must feel. There is some violence and sex, both appropriate to the context and the age of the protagonist. A good choice for libraries looking to diversify their shelves.—Amy Thurow, New Glarus School District, WI
Book Details
ISBN
9780399171703
First Release
May 2015
Genre
Fic
Dewey Classification
F
Trim Size
5 1/2" x 8 1/4"
Page Count
304
Accelerated Reader
Level 4.1; Points: 8;
Scholastic Reading Counts
Level 4.2; Points: 14;
Lexile
N/AFormat
Print Book
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Nancy Paulsen
Potentially Sensitive Areas
Violence: Domestic/Physical Abuse, Violence: Sexual Assault/Rape
Topics
Forced marriage, Dating, Love, Pakistani Americans, Pakistan,
Standard MARC Record
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