Sarah Ayoub

Representation: Asian characters
Trigger warnings: Racism, maternal abandonment, depression
This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.
Score: Seven points out of ten.

At the time I picked this up and read it it was a new arrival at one of the two libraries I go to and at first, I didn't know what I was going to read but I expected it to be an enjoyable romance book but when I read it it was not what I expected and went in a completely different direction. That doesn't necessarily mean that I didn't enjoy this however the novel was a struggle at times. It starts with the main character Natalie whose name I forgot and she doesn't believe in romance but is it me or am I getting major deja vu from this... That being said she lives a typical life in Australia since she and her family immigrated there sometime before the book is set, at first Natalie acts preachy since she lectures me explicitly about issues like racism, sexism, you get the idea but soon enough the novel starts to get intriguing mainly from the latter half and beyond. The theme about parental expectations being unrealistic and outdated is something people can relate to so that's a nice touch. During the last few hundred pages Natalie has enough privilege and money to go to Abu Dhabi where she spends some time alongside her friends, it turns out that the vacation takes up a much larger chunk than I initially thought since then afterwards Natalie goes to Greece, Lebanon where she falls for someone although she insisted that love isn't worth it! No way. Then a few pages pass where Natalie starts having this identity crisis only because she doesn't feel accepted in Australia because of who she is or in Lebanon due to her thoughts and behaviour and now? She has no idea who she is anymore so she finds out. That's it I guess.… (altro)

I was delighted to discover that it’s Australian (!) YA about a university student (!!). Natalie’s sceptical about the “cult of romance” and critical of the demands marriage places on women, so she’s horrified when her best friend returns from a trip to Lebanon and announces she’s getting married.

It’s not like I have anything against the motherland, but when you live in a suburb that houses Lebanese people, their food and their own interpretation of road rules, you don’t really need to go there [...] I’ve got no desire to interact with people who have Tayta’s opinions about boys, girls and what’s expected of them in life.
But it’s either go to Lebanon or lose my friend.

This is an engaging exploration of identity, belonging and the experience of being Lebanese-Australian. Natalie has grown up shaped by, and often chafing against, her grandmother’s ideas of what a good Lebanese girl should be -- but she discovers her grandmother’s standards are based on memories of Lebanon, not on what things are like there today.

It’s also an interesting portrayal of best-friendship. Things are not perfect between Naomi and Janet -- Janet’s caught up in the excitement of getting married, and Natalie’s struggling to adjust to the way her friend’s priorities have changed; there are times when they disagree, or disappoint each other. And yet, their friendship's able to weather this, and they still support each other.… (altro)

Sophie and Shehadie's story is not new, but it's a new take on things. It's your typical Young Adult book filled with angst, struggles against "the man", and feelings blooming up left and right...but it also isn't as it deals with prejudice, hate crimes, and racial divisions from the not so white painted lines. That's right. In this story, the Lebanese community has the leading voice, whereas the mixed bloodlines of "New Guy" leave him the un-trusted minority. The thing about it is, it also shows how one voice can help enact change. One voice can save a soul. One voice can help uncover the courage of a community currently lost under a blanket of fear and past insecurities. So yeah, it's pretty powerful stuff, and a definite must read for those looking for strong examples of walking against the crowd in the name of GOOD and what's RIGHT.


**copy received for review; opinions are my own… (altro)

4 Stars.

The main characters in Sarah Ayoub’s The Yearbook Committee are Matty, Charlie, Ryan, Tammi, and Gillian. The story revolves around the five teammates who are drawn together to create a Yearbook of their final year at school. All of them are reluctant, (expect Gillian,) to get involved in this activity. In fact the five would most probably never have been friends if it wasn’t for their involvement in the Committee. As the Yearbook develops so do their friendships. In fact these new relationships make the Yearbookers’ question some of their existing friendships, and an unlikely but strong bond is formed.

I must admit that I found The Yearbook Committee a little slow to get into at first, but maybe I’m showing my age! Ha ha!! The chapters are set out in alternating Pov’s of the five characters, so perhaps it takes a while for the reader, (particularly oldies like me!) to engage with each individual character. Nevertheless I enjoyed The Yearbook Committee. I’d say that its strongest characteristic by far is its exceptionally well written and believable dialogue. Though, I didn’t get much of a sense of place. Of course we know the novel is set in Australia but there’s very little descriptive language. So perhaps not a recommendation for readers who enjoy a lot of descriptive language…

The Yearbook Committee will definitely appeal to those who enjoy YA, teen books, character led stories with tons of engaging dialogue, an emphasis on the wide ranging difficulties and peer pressures of growing up. The novel highlights a wide range of diverse issues: cyber bullying, having a sibling with Downs, coping with a parent with severe depression, non-nuclear families, moving to a new school, distracted and disinterested parents, lost dreams, pressure to have sex, to do well, to be popular, to take drugs..

The characters are:

Charlie’s just moved from Melbourne with her mum and stepdad to Sydney. She didn’t want to move and is determined not to fit in. She’s the bright spark and feminist of the group.

Ryan is the clever, athletic, popular but nice guy whose dreams are smashed by an injury.

Matty is the scholarship kid who has a tough time of it working two jobs to try to help and support his depressed mother who can’t even get herself together to go to parent’s meetings.

Tammi is to some degree defined by others. She is best friends with the popular but meanest girl going. Tammi finds it hard to convince her parents that she’d like to be a police officer.

Gillian is the only one of the five who volunteered to be on the Yearbook Committee. She’s a politician’s daughter and the target of cyber bullies, and constantly in the media spotlight.

The key words: Revelations, Relationships, Frustrations, Explorations, Decisions, Unlikely Friendships, Unfortunate, Sad, Tragic, Thoughtful (Ryan’s final chapter,) Teen, YA, Social Media, Current, are the key words I would use to describe The Yearbook Committee.

If these appeal to you then I’d recommend that you pick up a copy!

The ending really smashed it for me, very moving and emotional, making up for the slow start.

My Star rating : 4 stars.

Recommendation: Read.… (altro)