Author: Randa Abdel-Fattah
Publisher: Pan MacMillan
Pages: 350 pages
R.R.P:m$18.99
A boy.
A girl.
Two families.
One great divide.
When Michael meets Mina, they are at a rally for refugees, standing on opposite sides.
Mina fled Afghanistan with her mother via a refugee camp, a leaky boat and a detention centre.
Michael's parents have founded a new political party called Aussie Values.
They want to stop the boats.
Mina wants to stop the hate.
My review
Thoughts on the book: I was so excited when I recieved an email from Pan MacMillian asking me if I would like to partake in the blog tour for one of their new books being released this year. This book was When Michael Met Mina and the only thing I really new about it was the synopsis that was given, as I had never read anything by this author previously and hadn't heard too much about the book. But I knew once I read what it was about that I was going to accept and that I would love the book and I certainly wasn't wrong.
When Michael met Mina tells the story of two very different teenagers. First there is Michael who lives at home with his mum, dad and younger brother, Nathan, goes to a nice private school, is very set in his ways and basically has never had a care in the world. Then there is Mina, who lived in war torn Afghanistan, lost her father and baby brother, travelled by boat to Australia to escape the war and has had to work very hard to be where she is today. Both have lived very different lives and when they meet sparks fly.
Right from the opening lines I knew I was going to love When Michael met Mina, which is told in alternating POV of both Mina and Michael. I mean how can you not when this is the opening
I know two things for a fact.
My parents are good people.
And ever since I can remember, they've been angry about almost everything.
Right from that opening we get an insight into how Michael is. He follows the opinions of his parents, who founded the group Aussie Values. Aussie Values basically is a group that wants to stop boat people coming into Australia and taking over everything and not accepting the Australian way of life or our traditions. Michael has attended meetings and gone to rally's with the members of the group but it isn't until he meets Mina that she challenges everything he knows and actually makes him think about what his views are on certain topics. It also makes him think about how hard some people work for things while others are given everything and even who he chooses to have in his life. Both Michael and Mina posses qualities that almost everyone can identify with in some way and I for one found them both to be fantastic characters and some of my favourite ones for this year.
When Michael met Mina is a fantastically written YA novel about friendship, young love and will have you questioning how you think and feel about certain topics that are being discussed in Australia. You will fall in love with the not only the characters but the writing too. A fantastic novel, well done to the author Randa Abdel-Fattah. I can't wait to read more from you.
Thank you Pan Macmillan for letting me be apart of this blog tour and be sure to check out everyone else's blog tour stops on the way.
Rating: 5/5
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