Hollow Fires was an engaging, enraging, and innovative young adult thriller about racist ideology – and the power and hope of honest storytelling and journalism.

 

Safiya is a future journalist and the editor of her high school paper, and works hard to present facts to her readers. She tries not to let her emotions and biases get in the way, but when she learns about Jawad’s story, she can’t help but get personally involved.

14-year-old Jawad was arrested for possible terrorism after one of his teacher’s thought his homemade jetpack costume was a bomb. The media sunk their claws into him, racist bullies at school leaned into hate, and soon he winds up missing. And then dead. And Safiya finds his body.

With Jawad’s voice haunting her, Safiya pushes through dismissive cops and those assuming “Bomb Boy” got what he deserved and is determined to tell his whole story … and find out who killed him.

It’s a tough read at times, covering topics like silence & inaction, how media shapes us & how it can be used as a tool of systemic racism, and how easily young white men can become radicalized, with algorithms morphing to dig them into deeper holes and inflame prejudices they already held. There are threads of alt-right recruitment that are really compelling.

Safiya’s chapters mostly begin with a truth, a fact, a lie, and an alternative fact - or some combination of the above. I thought this was a super interesting throughline and delivery of how journalism can be biased and manipulative, even if you have honest intentions.

The story is loosely based on a real life murder (though the white supremacy elements - as well as some other modern additions - were fictional). There are also legitimate sources and quotes sprinkled throughout the text.

 

As an adult reader, the antagonist was very clear from the beginning. I’m not sure how many younger readers would pick up on it immediately as well (whether they’re an amateur detective :) or just someone who has experienced this kind of deceit), but that aspect of predictability didn’t take anything away from my reading experience. It might have even enhanced it, because I’m often frustrated when books have a twist just for the sake of a twist. This reveal - as nauseating as it was - made perfect sense.

Jawad’s ghostly chapters were heart-wrenching, but I did at times feel like the paranormal elements took away from the reality of the story. I think it would have been really interesting to do something like interspersed journal entries from when he was still alive, since we’re already hopping back and forth through time. But either way, I appreciated that his voice was highlighted. 

There were really lovely friendships and family relationships depicted here. And a hugely diverse range of Muslim experiences, which I really appreciated. 

At its heart, it’s a story about two Muslim teenagers trying to figure out how to navigate a dangerous world and be their full selves. It’s realistically depressing and heart-wrenching, but there’s fierce hope here and optimism for a future of media where more voices can be amplified. I was all in.

CW: murder (child), racism & slurs, islamophobia, hate crime, xenophobia, violence, gaslighting, kidnapping, grief, antisemitism, religious bigotry, classism, misogyny, toxic relationship, car accident

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