Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali

 Last week I read Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali and loved it so much, so I ordered her first one- Saints and Misfits and I enjoyed it as much!  

Saints and Misfits is the story of Janna, a Muslim teenager who is struggling to fit in and struggling to figure out who she wants to be and who she can trust.  There are times when she feels like a misfit- mostly when she is trying to figure out how she wants to represent herself as a Muslim.  She knows that wearing a hijab is important to her mother, but her father doesn't like it.  Or when she has a crush on a boy who doesn't follow her faith, one of her friends disapproves, but her other friend thinks it is great.   Janna sees others as Saints, like the girl her brother wants to get to know better.  On the surface she seems perfect and Janna has a hard time seeing past that.  Then, there is the Monster, the boy who seems perfect to the outside world, but Janna knows his secret and it scares her.  This story is really about how Janna tries to figure out how all the Saints, Misfits and Monster fit together in her world. 

This was another great story for me to read.  I loved Janna's story and her take on the world.  I can see lots of kids enjoying this book.  The book does deal with a mature topic (the monster is really a monster) but it is addressed in a very sensitive way.  I wouldn't hesitate to give this book to anyone in grade 7 or 8.