Spunky eleven-year-old Wadjda lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with her parents. She desperately wants a bicycle so that she can race her friend Abdullah, even though it is considered improper for girls to ride bikes. Wadjda earns money for her dream bike by selling homemade bracelets and mixtapes of banned music to her classmates. But after she's caught, she s forced to turn over a new leaf (sort of), or risk expulsion from school. Still, Wadjda keeps scheming, and with the bicycle so closely in her sights, she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
Set against the shifting social attitudes of the Middle East, "The Green Bicycle"explores gender roles, conformity, and the importance of family, all with wit and irresistible heart."
Hey! Heres' my review.
Set in modern day Saudi Arabia, this middle grade fiction book tells the story of Wadjda, a spunky eleven year old girl who is challenging what is expected of her. As I was reading, the scenes sprung to life, as if in a movie. I thought it would be fabulous as a movie and was excited to read in the "About the Author" section at the end, that this is the author's debut novel and was based on her award winning feature film "Wadjda".
This would be a fantastic book for readers of any age to gain insight into everyday life in Saudi Arabia. The writing is simple enough for middle grade readers yet still engaging for older readers.
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
★★★★
- Where: NetGalley
- Format: ebook
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