Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

This election cycle, with its exacerbated Islamophobia, makes author Mills' (Positively Beautiful, 2015) fictive meditation on 9/11 and the 15 years after especially timely.The book opens with Travis McLaurin, a 19-year-old white man trying to protect Alia Susanto, a 16-year-old hijab-wearing Indonesian-American Muslim, from the debris caused by the South Tower's destruction. The next chapter takes place 15 years later, with Travis' younger sister, Jesse, defacing a building with an Islamophobic slogan before the police catch her. The building, readers learn later, is the Islam Peace Center, where Jesse must do her community service for her crime. Between these plot points, the author elegantly transitions between the gripping descriptions of Alia and Travis trying to survive and Jesse almost falling into the abyss of generational hatred of Islam. In doing so, she artfully educates readers on both the aspects of Islam used as hateful stereotypes and the ruinous effects of Islamophobia. With almost poetic language, the author compassionately renders both the realistic lives, loves, passions, and struggles of Alia ("There's a galaxy between us, hung thick with stars of hurt and disappointment) and Jesse ("I'm caught in a tornado filled with the jagged pieces of my life") as both deal with the fallout of that tragic day.Both a poignant contemplation on 9/11 and a necessary intervention in this current political climate. (timeline, author's note) (Fiction. 13-18)

ALA Booklist

Two separate narratives run parallel to each other in this thoughtful, poignant novel about the 9/11 attacks. In 2001, Alia, a Muslim teenager, goes to her father's office in the World Trade Center to make peace after an argument. In 2016, angry teenager Jesse writes a racial slur on the Islam Peace Center in her hometown. The two are connected across time by the events of September 11: Jesse's brother, Travis, died in them, and her father has been in a booze-fueled hate spiral ever since. Alia, who is in the towers when the planes hit, meets Travis, and the two attempt to escape together. Alia's fight for her life, and Jesse's struggle to overcome a lifetime of prejudice and fear are equally compelling. When discussing anti-Muslim views in America, this strays toward heavy-handedness, though forgivably so: it's an important topic that deserves more dialogue than it receives. A moving portrait and important look at the lasting effects of one of our country's greatest tragedies.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

This election cycle, with its exacerbated Islamophobia, makes author Mills' (Positively Beautiful, 2015) fictive meditation on 9/11 and the 15 years after especially timely.The book opens with Travis McLaurin, a 19-year-old white man trying to protect Alia Susanto, a 16-year-old hijab-wearing Indonesian-American Muslim, from the debris caused by the South Tower's destruction. The next chapter takes place 15 years later, with Travis' younger sister, Jesse, defacing a building with an Islamophobic slogan before the police catch her. The building, readers learn later, is the Islam Peace Center, where Jesse must do her community service for her crime. Between these plot points, the author elegantly transitions between the gripping descriptions of Alia and Travis trying to survive and Jesse almost falling into the abyss of generational hatred of Islam. In doing so, she artfully educates readers on both the aspects of Islam used as hateful stereotypes and the ruinous effects of Islamophobia. With almost poetic language, the author compassionately renders both the realistic lives, loves, passions, and struggles of Alia ("There's a galaxy between us, hung thick with stars of hurt and disappointment) and Jesse ("I'm caught in a tornado filled with the jagged pieces of my life") as both deal with the fallout of that tragic day.Both a poignant contemplation on 9/11 and a necessary intervention in this current political climate. (timeline, author's note) (Fiction. 13-18)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

The devastating events of 9/11 intertwine with the stories of Alia Susanto, a 16-year-old Muslim girl in Brooklyn, and Jesse McLaurin, a white 17-year-old who readers meet as she is spray-painting -terrorists go home- on the Islam Peace Center that is opening in her New York State town. In 2001, Alia explores her faith while dreaming of becoming a comic book author, culminating with a visit to the World Trade Center. In 2016, Jesse-s older brother, Travis, has been dead for 15 years; her family never learned why he was in one of the Twin Towers when they fell, and she feels helpless in the face of her parents- enduring grief and anger. After the fallout from her act of vandalism, Jesse digs into what really happened to Travis, reaching some surprising and heartbreaking conclusions. Scenes of Alia and Travis attempting to escape the collapsing buildings are harrowing and realistic, highlighting bravery and courage against impossible odds. Mills (Positively Beautiful) movingly examines how easily pain can metastasize into hate, while demonstrating the power of compassion, hope, and forgiveness with equal force. Ages 13-up. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary. (Aug.)

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6 In this realistic novel with a whimsical twist, 12-year-old Charlie catches a magical wishing fish and tries to use it to solve all her problems. Her wishes range from getting rid of her fear of the ice to getting her sister to come home from college for a visit. Not surprisingly, poor phrasing causes her wishes to go wrong, and she ends up making things worse instead of better. The plot covers a lot of ground, ranging from Charlie struggling to save enough money to buy a dress for her Irish dancing performance to helping one of her classmates learn English. The most serious subplot involves the discovery of her older sister's heroin addiction and her subsequent treatment. Charlie eventually decides she does not need to rely on making wishes to solve her problems. Though somewhat sanitized, the gentle portrayal of heroin addiction may serve as a good way to introduce this serious issue and engender discussion. VERDICT A charming fantasy story with threads of several deep themes that could serve as the basis for thoughtful discussion. Eliza Langhans, Hatfield Public Library, MA

Voice of Youth Advocates

When Alia tries to visit her father at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, she wants to make amends for a misunderstanding and explain her complicated perspective, including her desire to be a devout Muslim and her dreams of becoming a comic book artist. Fifteen years later, Jesse feels similarly misunderstood, angry that all she really knows about her brother, Travis, is that he died that same day. Yet when Jesse tags hateful words on the Muslim Peace Center, she begins a journey to unravel the mystery of Travis's final moments, realizing Alia may lie at the very heart of that mystery.Told in alternating viewpoints, All We Have Left weaves two fictional stories: Alia and Travis's poignantly heartbreaking attempts to escape the World Trade Center and the repercussions of the tragedy. The book acknowledges a unique perspectivethat contemporary teens are too young to remember 9/11, yet live in a world profoundly changed by it, and this perspective allows the text to broach contemporary issues, especially related to hated toward Muslims. Yet, as fiction, these elements blend with mystery and romance, for Jesse falls for Adam, a Muslim teen who teaches her about Islam and helps her discover the truth about her brother. While likely to evoke more than a few tears, the story is also hopeful, suggesting that even in the wake of unimaginable tragedy, love can outweigh hate, friendship can counter fear, and compassion and understanding can begin the healing process.Meghann Meeusen.