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Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
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Amal Unbound (edition 2018)

by Aisha Saeed (Author)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
8474425,619 (4.1)7
Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. HTML:"Saeed's timely and stirring middle-grade debut is a celebration of resistance and justice."â??Kirkus Reviews, starred review

The compelling story of a girl's fight to regain her life and dreams after being forced into indentured servitude.
Life is quiet and ordinary in Amal's Pakistani village, but she had no complaints, and besides, she's busy pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher one day. Her dreams are temporarily dashed whenâ??as the eldest daughterâ??she must stay home from school to take care of her siblings. Amal is upset, but she doesn't lose hope and finds ways to continue learning. Then the unimaginable happensâ??after an accidental run-in with the son of her village's corrupt landlord, Amal must work as his family's servant to pay off her own family's debt.
Life at the opulent Khan estate is full of heartbreak and struggle for Amalâ??especially when she inadvertently makes an enemy of a girl named Nabila. Most troubling, though, is Amal's growing awareness of the Khans' nefarious dealings. When it becomes clear just how far they will go to protect their interests, Amal realizes she will have to find a way to work with others if they are ever to exact change in a cruel status quo, and if Amal is ever to achi… (more)
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Member:Lindsay_W
Title:Amal Unbound
Authors:Aisha Saeed (Author)
Info:Nancy Paulsen Books (2018), 240 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:****1/2
Tags:None

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Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed

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Showing 1-5 of 44 (next | show all)
Representation: Asian characters
Trigger warnings: Slavery, physical injury, blood depiction, sexism, depression, death, arson and murder mentioned
Score: Seven points out of ten.
Find this review on The StoryGraph.

I wanted to read this for a while but never got around till now. Soon enough, it was time to read Amal Unbound. I glanced at the blurb, making it seem like an intriguing, yet heavy read, despite being targeted for a younger audience. That aspect doesn't automatically cheapen a novel like this, as some can be hits. The ratings were high, so I headed in with high expectations. When I closed the final page, I enjoyed it, but I've read better.

It starts with the titular character, Amal, living in an impoverished neighbourhood in Pakistan, longing to be a teacher. The only problem is the society Amal lives in, as her family forced her to stay at home to care for the people there instead of going to school. I could understand that some communities are sexist since they are biased against women, which is sad to see on the pages. After the opening pages, Amal unexpectedly encounters the son of a landlord and has to work at the landlord's mansion as punishment. The middle of Amal Unbound is the saddest section to read as I must see Amal at the lowest point of her life: being a slave. However, the situation becomes less bleak from there, as Amal meets a minor character and plans to escape the mansion. For a narrative above 200 pages, it can get slow-paced at times, but that does not ruin my enjoyment. I liked all the protagonists, especially Amal, and I appreciate how the author wrote her so that I could connect and relate to her. The conclusion is satisfying as Amal exposes the antagonist's actions, causing his arrest and finishing Amal Unbound on a high note. ( )
  Law_Books600 | Mar 18, 2024 |
I loved this book. Can't wait to share it with my students. Perfect companion to I am Malala. ( )
  mjphillips | Feb 23, 2024 |
This was solidly good. I think the first part of the story (the birth of Amal's new sister and Amal being forced to quit school) moved too slowly. I almost didn't finish the book, but once the main part of the story got going (Amal being forced to become a servant for a rich family) it was much more compelling. Still, for a story with a lot of dramatic elements, I felt it lacked a spark that could've taken it from good to great.

I would recommend this especially to kids interested in girls' rights around the world. It works as a read alike for [b:I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World|19161872|I Am Malala How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition)|Malala Yousafzai|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1418768876s/19161872.jpg|52473571]. ( )
  LibrarianDest | Jan 3, 2024 |
This was such a well told story--it had elements that made it feel almost like a classical fantasy while being rooted in something all too real world and all too important. I think the hardest part about shedding light on things that aren't particularly happy is generally that we read to be entertained more than to feel overwhelmed by the world, and Saeed really strikes that balance in creating an excellent, highly readable book that really does make readers more aware. Major kudos. ( )
  whakaora | Mar 5, 2023 |
Amal struggles with her desire to stay in school and fulfill her dream to become a teacher against her need to stay at home to help with her ill mother and the new baby. When it seems that her father is against her ever going back to school at all, Amal escapes the house for an afternoon to browse the market on her own and rue her seemingly unhopeful future. So when a fancy black car bumps her to the ground on her way home, she doesn't hold back her feelings when arguing with the driver, who turns out to be the arrogant son of the village landlord. The price she pays for her courage in standing up to this bully will change her live - and the lives of others - forever.

Malala meets Beauty and the Beast = an excellent middle grade novel. It's a great story that nicely brings awareness of how women and girls are treated in Pakistan to the foreground, and it would be a great way to get kiddos talking about these issues. ( )
  electrascaife | Aug 20, 2022 |
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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Aisha Saeed—primary authorall editionscalculated
Ayyar, PriyaNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. HTML:"Saeed's timely and stirring middle-grade debut is a celebration of resistance and justice."â??Kirkus Reviews, starred review

The compelling story of a girl's fight to regain her life and dreams after being forced into indentured servitude.
Life is quiet and ordinary in Amal's Pakistani village, but she had no complaints, and besides, she's busy pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher one day. Her dreams are temporarily dashed whenâ??as the eldest daughterâ??she must stay home from school to take care of her siblings. Amal is upset, but she doesn't lose hope and finds ways to continue learning. Then the unimaginable happensâ??after an accidental run-in with the son of her village's corrupt landlord, Amal must work as his family's servant to pay off her own family's debt.
Life at the opulent Khan estate is full of heartbreak and struggle for Amalâ??especially when she inadvertently makes an enemy of a girl named Nabila. Most troubling, though, is Amal's growing awareness of the Khans' nefarious dealings. When it becomes clear just how far they will go to protect their interests, Amal realizes she will have to find a way to work with others if they are ever to exact change in a cruel status quo, and if Amal is ever to achi
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Melvil Decimal System (DDC)

813.6Literature › English (North America) › American fiction › 21st Century

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PZ7.S24Language and Literature › Fiction and juvenile belles lettres › Fiction and juvenile belles lettres › Juvenile belles lettres

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