A heart-wrenching novel, now in paperback, about a Muslim teen struggling in the wake of 9/11 and a family tragedy, from the author of the bestselling Shatter Me series and National Book Award–longlisted A Very Large Expanse of Sea.

This explosive contemporary realistic novel poses important questions about faith, identity, conviction, and love.

Shadi is named for joy but she’s haunted by sorrow. It’s 2003, several months since the US officially declared war on Iraq, and the American political world has evolved. Shadi, who wears hijab—a visible allegiance to Islam—keeps her head down as the local Muslim community, being harassed and targeted more than ever, begins to fracture.

She’s too busy drowning in her own troubles to find the time to deal with bigots.

Shadi tries to navigate the remains of her quickly shattering world by soldiering through, retreating further and further inside herself until finally, one day, everything changes.

She explodes.