Ask Me No Questions is the kind of book you can't stop reading.
Angelina Gonzales
When I first started reading the book, I felt like this was something I had heard before. My husband is from Africa and he had so many stories to tell me when we were dating nine years ago. I found the book to be intriguing. It kept me wanting to get to the next chapter to see what would happen. Marina Budhos is a great author.
Doris Oyinkolade
I loved Ask Me No Questions because of the way Marina Budhos wrote about the sisters. In the beginning of the book, Aisha was selfish and Nadira was laid-back and a little bit lazy. But at the end, it was Nadira who excelled and helped her sister.
Max Predestin, Haiti
Ask Me No Questions reminded me of all the long-time stories I heard from of other countries as well as Jamaica. My heart feels sympathy for those who want an opportunity to better their lives. I was happy for the reprieve the family in the book got.
Brenton Whittaker, Jamaica
This is a story that one seldom--if ever--hears: when we think of the events of 9/11 and the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, we most often think of the impact of these actions on American citizens; Budhos' novel tells of the impact of the attack on non-Americans--specifically, illegal Muslim aliens and their families. When, in an attempt to gain asylum in Canada, Nadira's father is detained by the U.S. office of Homeland Security, Nadira's mother decides to stay near his detention facility in Vermont while Nadira and her sister, Aisha, are sent back to New York to live with relatives. Though the family has been living in the U.S. illegally since Nadira was seven years old, only recently have they started to feel the real pressures of American hatred of illegals, specifically Muslim illegals. This short novel is rich with feeling; Budhos presents a side of American life most of us don't (or won't) see and manages to engender sympathy without overwhelming romance. Though the focus of the novel is on Nadira and her sister's attempts to continue life "as normal" while communicating with lawyers, INS and a loose network of other aliens about their father and his status, Budhos works in the ethical issue of detainment and the treatment of detainees. Just as she shuns romance in her depiction of Nadira's situation, Budhos also presents information about detainment even-handedly, substituting overt moralizing for grim but quiet depiction of truths. The recent news from Abu-Gihrab regarding the unethical treatment of prisoners is the obvious lead-in to this novel. That Budhos gets us to see beyond our national myopia regarding 9/11 is remarkable as well, but potentially incendiary.
--From Young Adult Literature without Apology: Amy's assessment of contemporary young adult literature, organized by author and title, censored by no one.
Angelina Gonzales
When I first started reading the book, I felt like this was something I had heard before. My husband is from Africa and he had so many stories to tell me when we were dating nine years ago. I found the book to be intriguing. It kept me wanting to get to the next chapter to see what would happen. Marina Budhos is a great author.
Doris Oyinkolade
I loved Ask Me No Questions because of the way Marina Budhos wrote about the sisters. In the beginning of the book, Aisha was selfish and Nadira was laid-back and a little bit lazy. But at the end, it was Nadira who excelled and helped her sister.
Max Predestin, Haiti
Ask Me No Questions reminded me of all the long-time stories I heard from of other countries as well as Jamaica. My heart feels sympathy for those who want an opportunity to better their lives. I was happy for the reprieve the family in the book got.
Brenton Whittaker, Jamaica
This is a story that one seldom--if ever--hears: when we think of the events of 9/11 and the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, we most often think of the impact of these actions on American citizens; Budhos' novel tells of the impact of the attack on non-Americans--specifically, illegal Muslim aliens and their families. When, in an attempt to gain asylum in Canada, Nadira's father is detained by the U.S. office of Homeland Security, Nadira's mother decides to stay near his detention facility in Vermont while Nadira and her sister, Aisha, are sent back to New York to live with relatives. Though the family has been living in the U.S. illegally since Nadira was seven years old, only recently have they started to feel the real pressures of American hatred of illegals, specifically Muslim illegals. This short novel is rich with feeling; Budhos presents a side of American life most of us don't (or won't) see and manages to engender sympathy without overwhelming romance. Though the focus of the novel is on Nadira and her sister's attempts to continue life "as normal" while communicating with lawyers, INS and a loose network of other aliens about their father and his status, Budhos works in the ethical issue of detainment and the treatment of detainees. Just as she shuns romance in her depiction of Nadira's situation, Budhos also presents information about detainment even-handedly, substituting overt moralizing for grim but quiet depiction of truths. The recent news from Abu-Gihrab regarding the unethical treatment of prisoners is the obvious lead-in to this novel. That Budhos gets us to see beyond our national myopia regarding 9/11 is remarkable as well, but potentially incendiary.
--From Young Adult Literature without Apology: Amy's assessment of contemporary young adult literature, organized by author and title, censored by no one.
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