HOLLOW FIRES
A powerful, gripping YA novel about the insidious nature of racism, the terrible costs of unearthing hidden truths, and the undeniable power of hope, by New York Times bestselling author Samira Ahmed. Perfect for fans of Sadie and Dear Martin.
Safiya Mirza dreams of becoming a journalist. And one thing she’s learned as editor of her school newspaper is that a journalist’s job is to find the facts and not let personal biases affect the story. But all that changes the day she finds the body of a murdered boy.
Jawad Ali was fourteen years old when he built a cosplay jetpack that a teacher mistook for a bomb.
A powerful, gripping YA novel about the insidious nature of racism, the terrible costs of unearthing hidden truths, and the undeniable power of hope, by New York Times bestselling author Samira Ahmed. Perfect for fans of Sadie and Dear Martin.
Safiya Mirza dreams of becoming a journalist. And one thing she’s learned as editor of her school newspaper is that a journalist’s job is to find the facts and not let personal biases affect the story. But all that changes the day she finds the body of a murdered boy.
Jawad Ali was fourteen years old when he built a cosplay jetpack that a teacher mistook for a bomb. A jetpack that got him arrested, labeled a terrorist—and eventually killed. But he’s more than a dead body, and more than “Bomb Boy.” He was a person with a life worth remembering.
Driven by Jawad’s haunting voice guiding her throughout her investigation, Safiya seeks to tell the whole truth about the murdered boy and those who killed him because of their hate-based beliefs.
This gripping and powerful book uses an innovative format and lyrical prose to expose the evil that exists in front of us, and the silent complicity of the privileged who create alternative facts to bend the truth to their liking.
- Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Hardcover
- May 2022
- 416 Pages
- 9780316282642
Buy the Book
$18.99
About Samira Ahmed
Samira Ahmed is the New York Times bestselling author of the young adult novels Love, Hate, & Other Filters; Mad, Bad, & Dangerous to Know; Internment, and Hollow Fires. She is also the author of the middle grade Amira & Hamza series. Samira was born in Bombay, India, and has lived in New York, Chicago, and Kauai.
Praise
“An impossible-to-put-down thriller. Spectacularly haunting and deeply thoughtful.”—Sabaa Tahir
“Powerful, timely, and relentlessly compelling.”—Karen M. McManus
“A deeply chilling, inventive, and timely page-turner.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Ahmed weaves evocative prose with images, articles, and text messages to explore with skill and depth the twining of social media in an age of misinformation, alt-right political movements, and racism and Islamophobia.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“An all-too-real story that educates as much as it enthralls.”―Booklist
“A timely whodunnit that will satisfy any reader looking for a mystery, rich in secrets and social commentary.”―BCCB
Discussion Questions
1. Hollow Fires is told through various forms of media: interviews, articles, transcripts, etc. How does the way you receive information affect how you process it? What do these different forms of storytelling reveal?
2. Each chapter opens with a set of facts, alternative facts, truths, or lies. How do characters lie and manipulate the truth in both small and large ways? How can you determine truth from among different sources? What is the responsibility of the press? Are journalists and reporters neutral observers?
3. Ellis tells Jawad that “being creative takes courage” (p. 11). Who is allowed the space for play and creativity? Who is given the benefit of the doubt? Why are these ideas important?
4. How do different characters conceive free speech? What role does anonymity play in the freedom of expression? Do you think people behave differently online and in person?
5. How does stereotyping people based on one trait dehumanize them and erase the true range of diversity within communities? How are different forms of bigotry (e.g. misogyny, racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism) linked?
6. Safiya’s newspaper column encourages people to Be the Change. How do Safiya and other characters work for change? What various forms can activism take?
7. Safiya and Asma discuss the popularity of true crime. How does media coverage, including true crime narratives, impact victims and their families?
8. How do characters experience systems of power differently? Can you work for change within these systems of power? How?
9. Jawad remarks that “demons are everyday people” (p. 253). How do characters hide their true selves? What coded language do they use to mask their beliefs and communicate among themselves?
10. Jawad wonders “if you can’t see, how can you make sure everyone is treated equally?” (p. 277), while Safiya laments that “we might get accountability, but it won’t be justice” (p. 355). How do you ensure equality? What does justice mean to you?