Just Like Tomorrow

Doria lives with her mother in the Paris banlieue. She's an angry teenager: angry at her father for leaving them to go back to Morocco and find himself a peasant wife to bear him a son; angry at the lazy racism she and her mother encounter daily; angry at the social workers for pretending they understand and care. Fortunately for the reader, Doria's anger comes out as cynical wisecracks, which had me laughing out loud. But there are signs that some of this is just teenage bravado, and beneath that is a young woman who cares not just about her mother but also about her own future.

This was a sassy, energetic read which I really enjoyed. It's not perfect - sometimes the intention of the author shows through a bit too much (this bit's show more uplifting, this bit shows that Doria is smarter than she pretends to be), but hey, this is a first novel and Faïza Guène was only 19 when it was published, so I think those flaws are fairly minor. show less

Aquired via BookCrossing 04 Sep 2009 - Not So Secret Stationery parcel

This was brilliant! A fresh young voice; the author is from the Parisian inner city which she describes so well, and the writing is funny, heartfelt and moving. The translation is great and not at all clunky. Doria is an Algerian living with her Mum in a seedy tower block. Around them are other Algerians and a great collection of characters, aunties, spoddy cousin types, a well-meaning counsellor, the evil boss at her Mum's place. Both Doria and Yasmina grow and change during the book, both learning new skills and ways to deal with life. Although the banlieus have been written about depressingly and have been the scenes of terrible clashes and riots, this is basically show more a life-affirming and positive book, while not skirting the more serious issues. I'd love to read more by this author. show less

The author wrote this when she was 19 years old and it definitely has a YA simplicity and feel to it. I saw some comparisons to The Catcher in the Rye but I think it may more closely align with S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders, both from the standpoint of a young author and for characters who are existing on the margins of society.

My daughter read this early on in college, having a professor for a core class (where the book was read in English) who also happened to be a French professor for my daughter. The professor told my daughter that the French version is definitely better, there is quite a bit of slang and plays on words that just didn't come through very well in the English translation.

While the story is pretty simple and moves show more quickly (I easily read it in one sitting), it definitely touches on a lot of themes that could be more deeply explored: the plight of immigrants, especially of the youth that often serve as the divide/bridge for their parents and the new country, racism, low-income housing especially for immigrant groups, clashes between social/cultural/religious mores, classism, etc. So, it felt like a surface-level scratching of some deeper issues, which fits well with the 15-year-old protagonist, her teenage cynicism, and general comments about her life.

France prides itself on "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité", but this book punches some holes in that old facade.

I can't say it's a favorite, but I appreciated the fresh voice and a look at lives not normally examined (especially in French literature). show less

This (translated) debut novel was written by 19-year old French writer, Faiza Guene, of Algerian parentage. The protagonist is the delightful 15-year-old Doria who paints a vivid picture of life in the run-down high-rise area, north of Paris, populated by struggling immigrants from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Doria's commentary reveals the many personal challenges she and her mum, as well as the other grappling individuals, face as immigrants in a foreign country. Her telling is matter-of-fact, but very engaging. It's touching and also quite funny. I enjoyed this read!

Written almost, but not quite, in diary form, "Kiffe Kiffe tomorrow" follows fifteen year old Daria for a year in the slummy Paris suburb "Paradise". She's born of Moroccan parents, but her dad has left the family and remarried in the home land. Daria's mum can't read or write and works as a hotel cleaner.

This book is very similar to many other european tales from the suburbs, frontlines of the failure of intergration. There's a fair bit of poverty (including heartbreaking little episodes like getting laughed at at school because your second hand t-shirt turns out to be a pyjama top), a bit of well-meaning but stupid authorities, a bit of islam, a bit of drugs, some oppression of women, a bit of reluctant love (with the most obnoxious show more boy ever, of course), a fair bit of anger and frustration and a hefty dose of humour and self irony. It's cute, well-written, young and fast. But I think it could have done with a little more structure. And above all, a little more teeth so to speak. If you haven't read this story many times before though, it's a good YA novel. show less

Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow by Faiza Guene. I feel this book was a wonderful discovery. So many of the new YA books coming into our library are based in the US, Britain or Australia. Here's a book based in France, which also begs the question, why are we not seeing more books from other countries? The book would be readable for any teenager: an only child has hit her teens and is struggling through the normal teenage troubles, crushes, schoolwork, etc., yet also dealing with the psychological effects of being abandoned by the father of the family. This has a slight twist, as the family is Muslim and the father has left to marry a second wife so that he might have a male heir. Interesting glimpse into the life of a low-income single-parent show more immigrant Muslim family. More interesting: I borrowed my copy from the book sale shelf. There is only one cataloged copy of the book in Berks County Public Libraries. show less

A great book for learning French slang vocabulary, and also for seeing the world from the perspective of a teenage daughter of Moroccan parents living in a Parisian immigrant neighborhood. Her insights are pretty predictable and the story isn't that great, but I enjoyed the cultural experience.