Here to Stay

Pretty disappointed by this one. I've liked her other books but the writing was so stilted here. The dialogue was not authentic, many characters felt like caricatures rather than real people, even the main characters were written with only surface traits rather than nuance. The basketball writing (which was about half the book) also felt like an observer rather than a player wrote those sections. The whole thing felt didactic and “problem-novel forced” rather than what should have been a meaningful look at racism and Islamaphobia in a private school.

A book hasn't made me laugh like this in a long time. Maybe it's because I just finished a book about death. But Here to Stay was so good. Here's some of my favorite choices Farizan made:

She showed a disconnect between individual interactions and ingrained prejudice. When Bijan performs well during games, his peers shower him with praise and are eager to “claim” him. Something similar happens to Shirin in A Very Large Expanse of Sea. They're venerated because they boost their school's reputation. This turns Bijan into a sort of token whereby his classmates think neither they nor Granger as an institution have issues with racism, because they're progressive enough to cheer for their Muslim player when he dunks.

I also liked Farizan's commentary on the role of white women in perpetuating racism, with varied examples. You have Stephanie, whose campaign against a violent mascot is coopted by a violent depiction of Bijan. Of course, she never meant for anyone to get hurt. She means well. But she fails to see how her actions have made things harder for Bijan, primarily because she doesn't ask him. Then there's the more obvious example in Jessica. Farizan makes a compelling point with Jessica: the Wills of the world attract more attention, but the Jessicas of the world quietly do as much if not more harm. You don't have to be a white man to be racist. Recent films like Get Out and Black Kkklansman have likewise shown how instrumental white women are in maintaining white supremacy.

I appreciated incorporating lgbtq+ characters in different life stages. You had Erin and Stephanie, who, by the way, gave me Iris/Paige (from Foolish Hearts) vibes. Erin and Stephanie want to be together, but they worry about how Granger will respond. They are unexpectedly outed to the entire student body, and struggle to find peace amid the resultant chaos and ridicule. Then you have Sean's moms, who stay at the periphery of the story, but by all indications live settled, established lives. So you have representation of lgbtq+ characters who suffer and are targeted for being lgbtq, but you also have lgbtq+ characters who just...are. Farizan represents both with wlw relationships. She doesn't gloss over stigma, but she also normalizes being queer.

Lastly, I really liked Bijan as a character. A lot of the young adult I read features teenage boys as love interests or brotherly figures, so it's always refreshing to read a male protagonist. Especially ones like Bijan, who Farizan made both sensitive and flawed. She let him feel and struggle with emotions. It was unexpectedly endearing to read a young male crushing so hard. He was awkward and sweet. He paid attention to how teenage boys treat teenage girls, and intervened when something bothered him. I like that guy.

There were some shortcomings. The foreshadowing was heavy-handed and the story as a whole was predictable. On multiple occasions, the plot lurched forward as a result of Bijan eavesdropping? I found it funny, but also rudimentary, especially because it happened more than once. But, if you want to read about young people navigating injustice while somehow still having a lot of fun, this is the book for you. Everyone needs a Sean.