Mariam Sharma Hits the Road audiobook

Mariam Sharma Hits The Road is Sheba Karim’s third YA novel, as witty, charming, and fun loving as her first two but with a sharp political bent that distinguishes it from her earlier fiction. Three South Asian American teenagers go on a road trip from New Jersey to New Orleans, each of them struggling with their own personal demons along the way. Their encounters throughout the South, ranging from poignant to hilarious to ominous, transform their perspectives as well as their relationships with each other. Mariam is the title character, a serious and thoughtful college age teenager who was raised by a progressive no-nonsense single mother. She knows practically nothing about her father who abandoned their family, and a recent romantic breakup spurs her to find him. Ghaz is the beauty of the group, and a vibrant sassy flirt. An underwear modeling stint has earned her the wrath of her conservative emotionally abusive parents, and she escapes house arrest to join the trip. Umar is perhaps the most (the only?) devout believer among them, a stylish snarky gay boy who is afraid to come out, fearing the backlash from his well-regarded family and their community. His car is their ticket out, and a huge Muslim convention in New Orleans provides his reason for taking off. Karim takes on Islamophobia, racism, and homophobia directly and indirectly throughout the story, in many of the little and large ways that these historical, institutional, and personal prejudices affect our lives. One hard-hitting scene takes place in a Tennessee diner off a highway. No spoilers, but it’s marvelous because of how subtle, real, and surprising the events are. Another amazing (heart in mouth) scene plays out in a raucous honkytonk karaoke club in Nashville. I was charmed by but also sometimes disbelieving of how loving and supportive the 3 teenagers were to each other. They’re besties, but I know few adults or kids who affirm each other and their relationships so articulately, openly, and frequently. I may need nicer friends and/or need to be better myself :) The most compelling part of the book for me was the depiction of Muslims (and South Asians) as a vital part of American life and literature. I especially appreciated the gay Muslim plot line. Umar is in the throes of an existential crisis, torn by the seeming conflict between his Muslim faith and his sexuality. Karim explores this thread with sensitivity, nuance, and great feeling, and I hope it provides some solace to any young queer Muslims out there looking for community and acceptance. I also loved the range of Muslim religiosity that the book displayed, from the atheist Muslim to the fully observant. I’ve often been jealous of cultural Jews, or Christians who only show up for the holidays but still get to belong. It doesn’t often feel like Islam, as is practiced by many, makes space for those who don’t follow every last rite and ritual. Maybe Mariam’s road trip will be part of creating that space. I’m already looking forward to Karim’s next.

Full review: https://bookpeopleteens.wordpress.com...Packed with snappy dialogue, this classic road trip tale will make you very, very happy. One of my favorite reads of 2018, the plot is awesome, the characters are awesomer, the diversity is out of this world, and the dialogue will, simply, blow your mind. You have to read this book. Rating: five/fiveFor fans of: Sandhya Menon, Paper Towns by John Green, And We're Off by Dana SchwartzFavorite quotes:- “If any of this ended in an explosion, I hoped it would be one that made us burn brighter, stronger than ever before.”- “I have to take a big Frosty dump.” “I love it when you talk sexy.”- “If anyone heard us, I bet they understood, because one of life’s sad truths is that not all of us receive love but every single one of us knows pain.”

I think this was a well-written book and I enjoyed it a lot. My only issue is that it is about prejudice, in this case against brown people, and yet I feel the characters in this book were very prejudiced against the American South in general. Sheba Karim does say that EVERYONE is prejudiced to a degree. Yet I felt this in particular was not in keeping with the theme of the book.

That Thing We Call a Heart was one of my favorite books of 2017 so obviously, when I heard about Mariam Sharma Hits the Road, I was ecstatic and ready to dive in. This review is particularly hard because even though, overall, I definitely enjoyed Mariam Sharma Hits the Road, there were times when I felt let down by some of the things the characters said.I am grappling for words as I attempt to describe my feelings because I want to be respectful and clear that these experiences aren’t invalid but one of the biggest dichotomies in the book is how Mariam is raised vs how her friends are raised. Mariam grew up in a household that wasn’t religious or super connected to their cultural roots and her mom was super supportive whereas her friends grew up in religious households and have shitty parents. My issue wasn’t necessarily that Mariam’s friends had a complex relationship with their parents because of the way they were treated. It was more that the dichotomy that was created made it seem like, to me at least, that growing up in a more religious and traditional household was ultimately a bad thing? To add to this, there were a handful of jokes that the three friends make at the expense of people who wear niqabs. The real issue being that none of this was clearly addressed in the text. It is worth noting that later on in the book, the characters have a very thorough and open conversation about their identities as Pakistani-Americans (or in the case of Mariam, Pakistani-Indian-American), what that means to them and the privileges they have in spite of the prejudice they deal with on a daily basis.When Ghaz signs up to model for an underwear company, she has no idea that her photo will end up on a billboard in Times Square. Gossip soon spreads and her parents lock her up in her room. Potentially indefinitely. Mariam and Umar, worried, decide to perform a daring rescue and go on a road trip to New Orleans. Over the course of the next couple weeks, the three have a number of adventures, attempt to dissect their traumas, and figure out how to move on. My favorite thing about the book is really its intense focus on their friendship. Mariam, Umar and Ghaz are supportive of one another, push each other to be their best selves and are also not perfect. Not when it comes to their friendships and not as human beings. Mariam Sharma Hits the Road is a coming of age novel that explores identities, familial relationships and the power of some really great friendships. It isn’t perfect and I think it is important to be aware of the character’s prejudices but overall, I think the book is definitely worth it. HELL YEAH TO ROAD TRIPS.

Mariam, Umar, and Ghaz are three teens who have been emotionally damaged and scarred by their parents in very different ways. Each of them, finding friendship and loyalty in each other, decide to go on a spontaneous road trip. Along the way- like any good road trip story- the characters find themselves and come to realize that what they've got and who they are is better than what they've been chasing their entire lives.Mariam's father abandoned her family when she was only two years old. She's always wanted to know more about him, but her mother erased him from their lives. She never even spoke much of him. Umar comes from a very religious Muslim family, but he's gay and doesn't know how to fulfill that part of his life openly when he knows he would likely be disowned if he ever came out to them. When Ghaz gets in trouble for a risque photoshoot, Mariam and Umar come together to rescue her, Rapunzel style. They hit the road with one destination in mind: New Orleans. With a car, your best friends, and a set of fake IDs, anything is possible.I loved the character dynamics and the topics that this books touched on. Mariam and her friends learn that you don't always need the traditional idea of a family; they're each other's family. Racism and Islamophobia is present in this book as well, which I haven't gotten the chance to experience in many YA books thus far. Going on a road trip through the south, you come across the narrow-mindedness of some, but can be pleasantly surprised by the understanding of others and I felt that this was an important lesson in this book.Overall, I loved every second of Mariam Sharma Hits the Road! There are great friendships, personal growth, and a ton of hilarious one-liners. I especially enjoyed the fact that I'd been to a few of the locations mentioned in the book on a road trip of my own a couple years back. It felt like I could relate to the characters even more! I would definitely recommend to anyone in all walks of life, because it's a very relatable and heartwarming story.

really enjoyed this audiobook. it was a lot of fun but I hoped for the ending to not be so "abrupt"

A really fun road trip book, and maybe a tad heavy handed on the current social and political nature of America, but isn’t that how teens are when they start to inform themselves? Very well written and fun to read.

this was such a feel good book , uncomplicated and one that introduces many issues from a diverse point of view. This was such a nice portrayal of friendships and the struggles teens face after high school graduation.

Another Blind Date winner!I loved the self-discovery and acceptance each character had during the road trip. It was also telling that all three of them were very aware of their "Brownness" when they went anywhere, particularly the South. I wish that would change....I'm assuming that Karim set this book in present times which made it even harder to swallow that the racism Mariam, Ghaz, and Umar faced are still all over the place. I didn't feel that when we traveled in the Deep South recently but, I'm White. That may seem like a DUH but you don't know what you don't know. Working on it. The pace of this book was very fast, hence the two day speed through :)I was appalled by Mariam's father - what a tool! Ghazala's mother as well. Maybe it's cultural, as Karim insinuated over and over again, but it seems like treating your kids like crap is not healthy for the culture. Of course, Mariam's mom and Umar's parents were not like that, but it's hard to think of the good when the bad is so awful. I really enjoyed learning about Muslim culture and religion. I did not care for all the casual sexual references, especially throwaway remarks about pornography (just my prude rising). Loved Mariam, Ghazala, and Umar and if there is a sequel, I'll read it. :)

Sheba Karim has written a wonderful, coming of age (sorta) novel that had me rooting for the happiness of all of the characters!Ghaz wants to be loved, and accepted, by her parents.Umar wants to live his authentic life without fear.Mariam wants to learn the truth about her father that abandoned her family years ago. Together these three will set off on a road trip to the south; with three Pakistani-American friends hitting the road what can go wrong and what will they learn about each other and themselves. I loved this book; I loved seeing all three of theses people grow, learn, cry, celebrate and push one another to do things out of their comfort zone.Thanks to HarperCollins for the ARC!

This is a fun summer romp. Seriously, this is everything you'd expect to find in a YA road trip book, and it has the added bonus of presenting three very different Muslim teens. We discuss this book on episode 17 of the YA Café Podcast.I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.