Review Detail

HOLLOW FIRES is a potent, riveting, and emotional YA contemporary read. The story is told from the perspectives of Jawad, a 14-year-old boy who was murdered, and Safiya, a teen journalist who is seeking what happened to him. In between their perspectives are newspaper and social media listings relevant to the case, painting a chilling and accurate portrait of modern life.

Jawad is known for a mistake he did not even realize he was making. For a school club, he designed a jet pack for a costume and brought it to school to show off, when a teacher made assumptions and called the police. His arrest became infamous, and he was targeted by classmates and the public, ultimately leading to his kidnapping and death.

Safiya is the editor for the private school paper, and as part of the Muslim community, feeling the heat of the targeted letters and hate. She is invested in learning what happened to Jawad, even when the police and others seem to have forgotten him. Her persistence propels the case forward as she faces the cruelty of others and dark reality of the privileged world in which she attends school.

What I loved: This is an absolutely consuming and visceral read. The inclusion of Jawad's voice throughout the book really brings this tragedy to life and maintains a focus on the victim, something juxtaposed by the media coverage, particularly later coverage. It is a really powerful story that challenges the way society currently runs and urges us to do better, for the Jawads who are around us. Keep the tissues handy - Jawad becomes really tangible, even as he is fading away, and his connection with Safiya grows during the story. His story is timely and resonates through history and current events.

The novel also includes newspaper articles and social media posts, as well as podcasts and interviews throughout. These samples of media coverage lead the discussion around bias, problematic exposures, and the conclusions drawn by society. In places, it is really terrible, and this really brings home the need for thoughtful media consumption as well as the current state of affairs. This theme is particularly powerful and captured throughout, not only with this format, but also with the truths, lies, and "alternative facts" laid out at the beginning of each chapter.

Safiya herself is a really compelling character whose story includes sections of being a typical teenager, with worrying over crushes - but also the weight of carrying prejudices in the world around her, fighting for justice, and the challenges she and her family face as Muslims. Safiya faces challenges with her school administration, the police, her classmates, and the world around her, who see her as one thing and allow their hate to pervade. This focus and perspectives make her story even more potent.

Themes around societal injustice and prejudice, white radicalism, biased media coverage, prejudice in crimes, and power structures that allow these to go unchecked are really forceful and powerful. This is definitely a story that would lend itself to big and important discussions for book groups or in the classroom. There is a lot to consider and delve deeper into.

Final verdict: Visceral and riveting, HOLLOW FIRES is a YA contemporary that challenges the reader to critically examine the world around them and fight prejudice. Highly recommend picking up this emotional and powerful book!