Internment by Samira Ahmed
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Special thanks to Hachette Books and Manda Group for sending an ARC for review.
Summary:
Rebellions are built on hope.
Set in a horrifying near-future United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.
With the help of newly made friends also trapped within the internment camp, her boyfriend on the outside, and an unexpected alliance, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the internment camp’s Director and his guards.
Heart-racing and emotional, Internment challenges readers to fight complicit silence that exists in our society today (Goodreads).
Thoughts: (This review contains spoilers)
First things first, let’s talk about the setting. In the prologue, the author explained that she obtained inspiration from Donald Trump’s recent call for US Muslim ban and Mexico border secrecy. His stereotypic views aroused national outrage. Samira Ahmed, amidst the protestors, channeled her fear and anger into a novel envisioning America in the near future, where Muslims are labeled as “enemies and threats” to the States, where people with different religions, skin colour, gender, and beliefs are excluded in the society. Through the eyes of our young protagonist Layla Amin, I witnessed a wholly different America. One that differs from the portrayal in the media, in the books, and in the patriotic speeches. This is an America with no justice, an America where constitutional rights cannot protect someone, and an America that is US vs THEM. I genuinely respect the author for her courage and the actions she had taken to promote her beliefs on what America should be like.
As someone who has no prior knowledge on the political, cultural, and societal conditions of the United States, I felt like a passenger beginning a journey with a half-damaged ticket, tumbling and navigating my way through the dark. I craved for a more well-rounded and diversified description of what her America is like. When I first laid my eyes on this particular book, I was expecting something realistic, something that is “powerful,” and something that is an accurate representation of a potential American future. I was a bit disappointed by what I found.
The exposition of the story unfolds rapidly with limited background information. The foundation is not stable, and everything is all over the place. Instantly after plummeting into the book, I learned that Muslims are outcasted because of a “new” law, but I didn’t learn about the specifics of how that came to be. Most surprisingly, the author didn’t hint the slightest that there are any defiances and protests against this “new America.” It almost seemed like the protagonist and her boyfriend David were the only ones willing and courageous enough to stand up against this. It wasn’t until the protagonist had been captured and placed in the internment camp that I was introduced to the protestors, the rebellions, and the actions others had taken. That seemed entirely plausible to me.
This novel is written in a first-person narrative format. Due to this, I have full access to the protagonist’s worldview, the progress of thoughts, and inner transformation and I was able to map out Layla’s personality better. Her fearlessness and bravery are truly remarkable. What I adored the most was how she metamorphosed from a naive girl who wasn’t aware of the consequences of her actions into someone who has witnessed the corruption and wickedness of the world but nonetheless remained gold in her heart. Her original hotheaded rage transformed into rational bravery and brilliance, and that is something I sincerely admired her for.
The opposing force that appeared in this book is represented by a figure known as the Director who is a leader of Internment camps. He is one of the main reasons why I disliked this book. Samira depicted the Director as a man corrupted by his hate for the Muslims—basically a stereotype. However, nothing else is explained. No reason is provided. Where did that rage come from? No one was born to hate, so I was expecting his backstory that never came. As a reader, it was quite bothersome to notice a great deal of hate and rage out of the blue. Moreover, the Director is a figure of authority with vast power at his commands, but his character is naive and almost-childlike, he is always furious, and at the edge of going off. I wondered how in the world did he manage to become someone with authority? On one occasion he even remarked, “I am the law!” I found that foolish and unbelievable. To give another instance, when he found out that Layla’s boyfriend David was recording his conversations, he simply walked away. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT. Clearly, the video could be used as evidence to expose his actions to the public. I’m speechless! It almost seemed like he wanted Layla to win. Further, there were simply too many “coincidences” dotted throughout the book that aided the protagonist to reach her goal. Invariably, someone was always there when she needed help, or some event will occur to propel her plan. Chance and luck played an overweight role.
Lastly, let’s talk about this novel starting from the romance perspective. Jake, a double-agent-like Corporal, shows romantic interest for Layla despite knowing she has a boyfriend. It was also clear that Layla reciprocates the feelings to some degrees.
In the final scene when Jake died to protect Layla, he was going to tell her he loves her but then dies before finishing his sentence. Personally, I could not stand this in books. Such a cliché! The most incredible thing was that after his death, Layla somehow magically ceased her feelings and only referred to Jake as a friend.
To sum it all up, this book is a thought-provoking fast read, but I don’t recommend it if you are seeking something more realistic and mature. The author’s initiative is superb, but I personally wished it could have been a bit more sophisticated to suit the seriousness of this topic
Reviewed by Lisa J.