From NPR: "More than anything, the book exquisitely captures how the questions about where we come from can take over our life. It's a portrait of perspective, which holds up a mirror to show that ultimately, we are telling our own stories, and we can choose to see them differently. With my eyes heavy from reading late into the night, I finished Home is Not a Country with the feeling of walking out of a movie theater into the sunshine, where the world feels brighter and inexplicably more hopeful than when you last left it."

This novel in verse kept me up all night. What a treat of language, powerful exploration of a cultural experience with which I am totally unfamiliar. Nima, our main character, feels disconnected from the culture (Sudanese Arab Muslim) from which her mother came and the American culture surrounding her now. She is isolated and alone, and the book beautifully captures the pain and loneliness that is so intrinsic to the teen experience. Being written in verse lends itself well to the supernatural/out-of-body experience that creates the opportunity to explore the past, leaving this book in a realistic setting despite a dive into the spirit world.

Readers of all ages and cultural backgrounds will relate to the tribulations of growing up and developing an identity. The poetic voice of the authors verse provides power and depth, vividly taking the reader through the bullying and racism experienced daily by many students of color and cultures. Despite much hurt and hardship, Nima's story ends with hope and love, depicted as honestly and realistically as the tragedy and struggle. A wonderful book. Highly recommended

Elhillo's novel-in-verse is a heart-rending story of grief, displacement, and nostalgia through the lens of one young woman's experience. Nima's voice is stunning, and Elhillo's deftly handles the complex ways that, in our own grief and hurt, we sometimes hurt the people we love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Make Me a World for providing me with a free digital galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

What happens when both the place you come from and the place you are feel distant and unaccepting?

These are the questions Nima sets out to answer. A 14-year-old, working-class, Muslim, immigrant kid raised by a single mother in suburban America—that’s Nima. They left their unnamed homeland (contextual clues point to Sudan) in pursuit of a better life, one that didn’t seem to find them. But Nima’s mind often wanders back to her roots, to the Arabic songs she listens to on cassette and old photographs of her parents—things she longs to be a part of. At school, Nima is bullied for her accented English, her obvious poverty, and her mother’s hijab. Haitham, the neighbor boy who’s more like a sibling, goes to the same school and is Nima’s only friend. But one day Haitham is beaten up in a hate crime, winding up in the hospital hooked up to machines. The abyss between Nima and her mother begins to grow as Nima learns more about her father’s absence. Elhillo’s novel, which contains light fantastical elements, tells the story of a Muslim girl traversing post–9/11 America with the baggage of a past she does not yet fully understand. The vivid imagery creates a profound sensory experience, evoking intense emotions in a story that will resonate with readers from many backgrounds.

Movingly unravels themes of belonging, Islamophobia, and the interlocking oppressions thrust upon immigrant women. (Verse novel. 12-18)

-Kirkus Review

Elhillo is a very strong writer. Home Is Not a Country highlights her capabilities to the extreme. I just wish I liked the characterization and plot development better than I did. ( )

I listened to this on audiobook, because it is read by the author and that completely changes how you "read" the book.
This is a poetic novel, written in verse. It is realistic fiction with magical realism.
The main character feels like the self she is today is a lesser version of what she could have been if her mother had stayed in their home country instead of moving to the United States. She is meek, nostalgic for a country she has never known, and she is an outsider. She begins to see a girl, who flickers and slowly becomes more clear. This girl is the self she should have been. They converse, explore, and learn together. But everything is not as simple as she thinks it is and suddenly she has to fight to stay in the present, to exist at all.
A story about loving who we are born to be, and acknowledging that our home is not a place.

RGG: A novel written in verse about a young woman immigrant from the Middle East struggling with identity. The magical realism aspect is confusing rather than illuminating. Reading Interest: 12-YA

I started listening to the audiobook. After seeing a few pages of the book, I wanted to read it in print to experience the format of the poetry. Nima's mom came to the US on her own after the Sudan wasn't a safe place for her and she was a single woman pregnant with Nima. Throughout the book Nima thinks about her other possible identity, Yasmine. Nima is struggling with other people, with herself, and with her place as a Muslim, African immigrant in the world. This magical realism experience with Yasmin helps fill in her blanks and serves as a transformative experience. Her relationship with her neighbor-best friend is special and helps give a foil of living life to the fullest. The poetry is unique free verse and beautiful. ( )

A wonderful novel in verse story. Great audiobook. Enticing Read. Recommend to anyone that enjoys novels in verse, short audiobooks and a bit of fantasy realism. ( )

I requested a copy from NetGalley and I am so glad I did. This was a new author for me, and I’m glad that I found her. I read this book from cover to cover in a little under two hours. This is the story of a young girl named Nima who is trying to find her place, and who she is. Because she is of Arab decent, she is often bullied. She doesn’t feel like she fits in with her mother and the country she came from. She doesn’t feel like she fits in to her new country. She can deal with all of this as long as she has her best friend Haitham. But words have power and cost her the best friend she has.
This is a wonderful book. It shows the depth of pain not only the main character goes through, but the pain of her mother and friends. When you don’t fit into your parent’s culture and you don’t fit into the culture of your own country things can be rough. The author didn’t sugar coat this subject. It is a raw and honest look of what people of Arab decent went through right after 9/11. The prejudice, hate and how when it comes down to bullying adults will often be just as bad. I loved watching how she struggled to find her identity only to realize deep down she already knew who she was. This book comes out in March but it is one I will recommend to teachers and students alike. ( )