Bright Red Fruit
Bright Red Fruit
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Random House
Annotation: An unflinching, honest novel in verse about a teenager's journey into the slam poetry scene and the dangerous new relati... more
Genre: [Novels in verse]
 
Reviews: 6
Catalog Number: #380006
Format: Publisher's Hardcover
Publisher: Random House
Copyright Date: 2024
Edition Date: 2024 Release Date: 02/06/24
Pages: 368 pages
ISBN: 0-593-38120-3
ISBN 13: 978-0-593-38120-5
Dewey: Fic
Dimensions: 22 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A teen poet in Washington, D.C., becomes entangled with an older man as she tries to break free from her mother's expectations.Sixteen-year-old Sudanese American Samira Abdullahi has long had a tarnished reputation within her ever watchful community. She continually challenges her strict mother's rules, yearning for the freedom to express herself: "i want the world, / all of it, & it is on the other side / of our front door, outside my mother's / house &, it seems, outside my mother's love." Samira's defiance leads to her being grounded for the summer, save for the poetry workshop her aunt already paid for. Bored, she connects with Horus on an online poetry forum; he initially appears kind and attentive, providing the affection she craves-but over time, his controlling tendencies surface, and Samira neglects her other relationships. Through the poetry workshop, however, Samira forms new connections, discovers her own identity as a poet, and finally sees Horus clearly. Elhillo masterfully portrays the universal theme of naïve first romance, including the potential for exploitation in moments of vulnerability, through the perspective of a girl who's grounded in the Sudanese diaspora. Notably, the intricate relationship between Samira and her mother is authentic, highlighting the complex connections between immigrant mothers and their daughters. The poems eloquently convey Samira's experiences, making the novel relatable to readers whether or not they've faced similar challenges.A stunning work that deeply explores poetry, the complexities of identity, and the longing for love. (Verse fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews (Wed Oct 30 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A teen poet in Washington, D.C., becomes entangled with an older man as she tries to break free from her mother's expectations.Sixteen-year-old Sudanese American Samira Abdullahi has long had a tarnished reputation within her ever watchful community. She continually challenges her strict mother's rules, yearning for the freedom to express herself: "i want the world, / all of it, & it is on the other side / of our front door, outside my mother's / house &, it seems, outside my mother's love." Samira's defiance leads to her being grounded for the summer, save for the poetry workshop her aunt already paid for. Bored, she connects with Horus on an online poetry forum; he initially appears kind and attentive, providing the affection she craves-but over time, his controlling tendencies surface, and Samira neglects her other relationships. Through the poetry workshop, however, Samira forms new connections, discovers her own identity as a poet, and finally sees Horus clearly. Elhillo masterfully portrays the universal theme of naïve first romance, including the potential for exploitation in moments of vulnerability, through the perspective of a girl who's grounded in the Sudanese diaspora. Notably, the intricate relationship between Samira and her mother is authentic, highlighting the complex connections between immigrant mothers and their daughters. The poems eloquently convey Samira's experiences, making the novel relatable to readers whether or not they've faced similar challenges.A stunning work that deeply explores poetry, the complexities of identity, and the longing for love. (Verse fiction. 13-18)

Publishers Weekly (Wed Oct 30 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Sixteen-year-old Samira has never kissed a boy, let alone done any of the things her former crush claims they did. Still, rumors spread like wildfire throughout her tight-knit Sudanese community. Now labeled a “bad girl,” her strict mother upends Samira’s vision of a perfect summer by placing her on indefinite house arrest, the monotony of which is only broken by Samira’s attending a teen poetry workshop that her aunt drives her to and from. When social media posts of her classmates enjoying the summer and the distance between her and her mother become too much, Samira looks to an online poetry message board for connection. There, she meets an older, magnetic poet named Horus. For the first time, someone is complimenting her poetry—and her. But as their relationship develops, Samira is forced to keep secrets that jeopardize her reputation, her relationships, and herself. In perceptive verse, Elhillo (Home Is Not a Country) navigates hard-hitting topics such as grooming, predation, and sex shaming. Samira’s journey of self-discovery—and the external forces trying to dim her light—are sensitively and richly wrought, culminating in both a mesmerizing verse novel and a gripping exploration of the hyper-policing of Black girls’ bodies and sexuality. Ages 12–up. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. (Feb.)

School Library Journal (Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Gr 8 Up —Set in Washington, D.C., Elhillo's novel depicts the story of a Sudanese American teen who is coming of age in what appears to be an unforgiving world. Samira's life unfolds as she reveals her reputational ruin from one young man's lies and how it impacts her development as a young Sudanese woman. Growing up in a multigenerational family shaped by Sudanese cultural standards of duty and community, Samira seeks to survive by carving out her own sense of identity through the use of poetry. A supportive aunt stands in the wings; a doting mother and a small kaleidoscope of allies flutter about to protect as Samira tastes the bright, red fruit of life. This is a cautionary tale, if ever, juxtaposed with snippets of the life of Persephone, the Greek goddess through which a revelation of the changing seasons came to pass. Samira's story unfurls her passage into womanhood through her own voice, wavering, childlike, insecure yet told through vivid, moving lines in verse. VERDICT Told through emails, letters, and poetry in its many forms, Samira's story becomes one to remember. For YA collections. —Mitzi Mack

Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
Starred Review ALA Booklist (Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
Starred Review for Publishers Weekly (Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
Kirkus Reviews (Wed Oct 30 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
Publishers Weekly (Wed Oct 30 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
School Library Journal (Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
Reading Level: 6.0
Interest Level: 7-12
Lexile: NP
1

In the tale of Persephone

which should be read

as an argument between the mother and the lover--­

the daughter is just meat.

--­Louise Glück, "Persephone the Wanderer"

why did i do it?

why did i lie?

everyone wants me to blame religion, my mother, the country in flames behind us, but i was not an unhappy child. we danced and colored and folded little paper boats to float in the bathtub. we tried our best and locked the doors and installed sensors in the windows. if i am to blame, it is only because i was forever curious, forever climbing onto the sill to peer out the locked window at the lives continuing outside. i was not unhappy, only restless. only hungry to know what we were trying to keep out. it was i who opened the doors, the windows. it was i who let him into the house.

BAD GIRL

all the aunties in the neighborhood love

to remember that i was a sweet kid

laughing & dimpled & affectionate

& these reveries always end with a sigh

as they look at me now, sixteen

& what they call, sorrowfully, boy ­crazy

but ever since i was small i've wanted

to be loved

when it was the aunties i'd reach for

to be embraced, to be kissed, it was fine

but ever since i was small i would lock eyes

with boys on passing buses, in passing cars

& wonder if i could make them love me

though all my life, mama has taken great care

to make sure i never find out

MY NAME

it all started when a boy whose name i wish i did not remember

he & his family long since returned to sudan

told a lie that begat another that begat several more

& in the eye of that storm hissed my name

samira

the littlest exaggeration, intended, i'm sure, to be harmless

to get his friends to stop laughing at his inexperience

his chest puffed out, an untruth forming between his teeth

the insistence that he had, that he does. with who? they mocked.

samira

we liked each other, passed notes back & forth

at sunday arabic school, glanced shyly over at each other

at eid gatherings, our hands brushing once at an iftar buffet

but nothing more. we barely spoke. never touched. but still

samira

& now he's long gone, years since the story took root

& poisoned my name, so long ago that people barely remember

the lie itself, the story, only the feeling they get when they look

at me, the disgust, the reproach, embarrassment on behalf

of my mother, & also something darker, something gleeful

& carnivorous, sinking into my name, my reputation

& drawing blood, teeth wet & red & shining

samira

Excerpted from Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

An unflinching, honest novel in verse about a teenager's journey into the slam poetry scene and the dangerous new relationship that could threaten all her dreams. From the award-winning poet and author of HOME IS NOT A COUNTRY.

A CALIBA GOLDEN POPPY AWARD FINALIST • A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, BOOKLIST AND KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR


Bad girl. No matter how hard Samira tries, she can’t shake her reputation. She’s never gotten the benefit of the doubt—not from her mother or the aunties who watch her like a hawk.

Samira is determined to have a perfect summer filled with fun parties, exploring DC, and growing as a poet—until a scandalous rumor has her grounded and unable to leave her house. When Samira turns to a poetry forum for solace, she catches the eye of an older, charismatic poet named Horus. For the first time, Samira feels wanted. But soon she’s keeping a bigger secret than ever before—one that that could prove her reputation and jeopardize her place in her community.

In this gripping coming-of-age novel from the critically acclaimed author Safia Elhillo, a young woman searches to find the balance between honoring her family, her artistry, and her authentic self.


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