Customer Reviews

Ask Me No Questions

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I loved this compelling and terrific look at a very important subject. Illegal immigration is much in the news these days, but people rarely seem to see or think about the human faces and stories behind the headlines. This story of a Bangladeshi family who have successfully "passed" as legal for years in New York but are caught up in the post-9/11 crackdown on anyone Muslim is a heartwrenching look at the people affected every day by bureaucratic tangles and injustices, as well as American prejudices and fears. The father wrenched from his family and detained for months, the "star student" daughter who is afraid to tell anyone at school her family's situation, the younger, quieter daughter who works to find a way out of the catastrophe that has befallen the family--these characters come vividly to life and it's impossible not to imagine what it would be like in their situation.

Marina Budhos's first YA novel is a moving story about nation, identity, patriotism, and what it means to be American in post 9-11 America. It is more than just the story of one family's struggle to stay afloat and remain "home" in the midst of crisis. Rather, it gives the experiences of an oft-invisible group of Americans a much-needed voice.

The prose is simple and succinct, and suitable for middle school students, but the content and themes are also sophisticated enough for high school and adult audiences. The theme is timely. The narrator is compelling.

I highly recommend "Ask Me No Questions." It's a valuable addition to post 9-11 literature.

It's hard to be a teenager...trying to fit in with the crowd while also trying to figure out who you are and what you want to be. But when you are seemingly invisible to the society around you, it's a lot more complicated.

High school students Nadira and Aisha are immigrants from Bangladesh. They have lived in NewYork City since they were young children surrounded by friends and family. Their father (Abba) has been working with a lawyer to acquire the papers to become legal, but for now the family is living on expired visas. Their status as illegal aliens is not a problem, really, until September 11, 2001 when everything changes! Muslims are now targets for harassment and having proper papers is crucial to avoid deportation or even imprisonment!

The family tries to flee to Canada where they hope to receive asylum. Unfortunately, when they reach Canada, they are turned away due to the huge numbers of people also seeking asylum. When they try to re-enter the U.S., they are stopped. Abba is led away for questioning and Ma must stay in a Salvation Army shelter in order to be close to him. Nadira and Aisha are sent back to New York City where they are told to stay with an Aunt and Uncle and go to school as if nothing has happened until the situation is straightened out.

Aisha is a senior in high school and has always been the smart and pretty one. Her grades place her in the top of her class. She is a member of the varsity debate team and she has been nominated to be valedictorian of her class. Aisha has always been sure to fit in with those around her. She wears the right clothes, listens to the right music and has the right friends. She is the "star"of the family who will go to college and be someone rich and important someday. Nadira is quiet and a little chubby. She must work for her grades and she has always been outshone by Aisha. But suddenly, Aisha stops trying. She skips classes, misses the championship debate meet and even misses her entrance interview with Barnard College. She believes that it's not worth trying anymore since they will probably be deported anyway. Now it's up to Nadira to come up with a plan to save the family.

Budhos has written a compelling story that humanizes the situation experienced by Muslims right after 9/11. The title, "Ask Me No Questions" refers to the fact that illegal aliens often live and work in a community with the full knowledge of its citizens. No one asks for their paperwork, so they don't have to worry about producing it. In the climate of fear after 9/11 many Muslims were suspected of being terrorists and the need to have proper documentation was critical. In this book, Nadira and Aisha have lived in New York for years with no problem. As far as they are concerned, they are Americans. Suddenly everything they have come to expect about their future is in question. Because the story is told through Nadira's eyes, the reader experiences her confusion and fear first hand.
Much of young adult literature focuses on teens "coming of age" and "finding their place in the world". Budhos has created a story of two teens who experience all of that and more. Readers are provided with insight into a problem experienced by more teens than we might imagine. This is a thought-provoking and eye-opening book to which teens and adults can relate.

I can understand why people like this book, but I don't like it at all. I really want to see these girls in my mind, but right now they could be anybody. I barely know where they are, what their surroundings look like and what the major problem is. I know that her father has been taken away, but that's it. A good book has plot line that thickens as you get into the book, not to have the plot line get duller. Although this book shows the life of a bangladesh immigrant, I wish I could see her suffer more. It may sound a little mean, but it makes an interesting book. One last thing (out of many), is that there are too many unnecessary characters. I want Budhos to spend more time developing the characters and problems/plot before adding nonsense.

I found the book very interesting. It showed the emotions of the main character, Nadira, very clearly as she went through the struggles of becoming a U.S. citizen right after the 911 attacks. People were very suspicious of people who appeared to be Middle Eastern, and as she was from Bangladesh she was almost deported with her family because all of them had expired visas. Prior to the 911 tragedy, they would have had the chance to renew their visas easily, and because of the tragedy, her father was arrested as the U.S. government was being very cautious and strict about such things. Nadira had been in the U.S. since she was 8, and because she was now 14, this was especially traumatic as she and her family couldn't have predicted the terrorist attacks, or the changes that would happen afterwards, and they really wanted to be citizens and considered the United States their home. Eventually, Nadira helped her family stay due to her excellent testimony in court.

I felt Nadira's emotions were shown in a compelling manner. As the reader, I could see how she felt inferior to her older sister, Aisha, as Aisha always seemed to know the right thing to say and was appreciated by other people. I also felt the horrible fear along with Nadira as she realized that she and her family could be forced to leave their new home against their will.

Overall this was an interesting look at a situation we U.S. citizens can only imagine.

Cynthia S.

i can tell that the girl in this book has been through alot and i can relate to her because so have i. this world is soo big and there is soo much about it that no one knows we all have a hard life in this world and especially if your a student like me. us students live up to alot more then we used too my parents are one of those people that dont understand that. i feel like im carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders now even though i am full American that doesnt mean i dont know how this girl feels i have feelings too and i wish the whole world could just live in peace but i know that thats impossible.

Nadira is an average teenage girl who makes average grades, struggles with her weight, and lives in the shadow of her brilliant older sister. "Whenever we talk about Aisha, I feel two things: I'm proud, like I get to rest for a minute in the glow of being her baby sister, but then I get mad and wish there were some way I could make them notice me, too."
Aisha, a straight-A student, debate star, and candidate for valedictorian, plans to attend a topnotch college. There's only one hitch: filling out the applications.
The family has lived in New York City for nearly half Nadira's life, ever since they came from Bangladesh on a tourist visa. "Year after year we went on, not thinking about Abba's expired passport in the dresser drawer ... You forget you don't really exist here, that this really isn't your home. One day, we said, we'd get the paperwork right. In the meantime we kept going. It happens. All the time."
Then comes 9/11. The Muslim Registration Act. Nadira's family tries to go to Canada for asylum but is turned back at the border. Her father is arrested; her mother goes to a shelter in Vermont to be near him. Suddenly Nadira and Aisha are on their own in New York, expected to go to school and carry on as if nothing is wrong. When strong Aisha falls apart, it is 14-year-old Nadira who must cope for the entire fragmented family.
Despite the current and controversial situation, this is not a book about politics; it's the story of two sisters trying to make sense of a world turned upside down. "I don't like the way the adults have been talking to me since this all began. Either they speak like I'm a little baby who can't understand the stupidest thing, or they gaze at me with the weight and sadness of the world behind their eyes. making me feel so confused I wish they'd just shut up."
The issue of illegal immigration ignites volatile emotions, attitudes, and opinions. But regardless of political philosophies, one fact is undeniable: The children involved have no control over what happens to them. In Ask Me No Questions, two of those children become real people, with names, feelings, and--for good or ill--futures.
Fiction helps us explore difficult issues and understand why we should care about things that may not affect us directly. Beautifully written in a believable teen voice, Nadira's story doesn't provide easy answers, but it does personalize the questions. "All I ask of you is to see me for who I am." Ask Me No Questions is highly recommended.

This young adult's novel shows how the changes in immigration policies, post 9-11, have affected families. The story traces a family who were living on expired visas in New York City, hoping they could someday realize their dream of becoming legal citizens of the United States. The main character is a middle school student, who only knows the United States and feels distant from her homeland of Bangladesh. She strives to please her parents and be a good student. But after 9/11, her world falls apart-she is seen as a "terrorist" because her family is Muslim. When the family tries to leave for Canada and apply for asylum the father is arrested and detained and the family has to make many choices while striving for the "American Dream". Marina Budhos, a critically acclaimed author, does an amazing job at crafting this story so it captures a young reader's attention while explaining contemporary issues-such as the Patriot Act and controversial concepts-such as detention.

First let me say I loved the premise of this book, and was excited about it once I read the synopsis on the back. However, I was sorely disappointed. The book lacks consistent character development, the plot is predictable and it does not come close to addressing the larger social issues that it could, given the subject matter. I found myself decidedly unsympathetic towards the protagonist and disinterested in the resolution/outcome by the middle of the book, which is never a good sign. Perhaps I had too many expectations going into reading the book.

I gave it a three star rating, because it wasn't completely awful. The writing is fine, and it is a quick read. I could see lower-level Young Adult readers enjoying it and will keep the copy I have for my classroom library.

This book covers an important story of illegal immigrants, particularly Muslims after 9/11. Confident, smart Aisha has everything going for her while plodding younger sister, Nadira, feels insignificant. Then the father decides to take the family and run for the border where he is detained. The mother remains near the father while the two girls travel by themselves(?) back to NYC to stay with family friends. The girls cope with fear and uncertainty while trying to help their father's situation.

Unfortunately, I found much of this story to be overly dramatic: Strong Aisha bullies her way into the lawyer's office trying to prove her father deserves an appeal, but then collapses into a heap of despair while slow and steady Nadira trudges onward to victory over the ridiculously inept INS. How these young girls travel by themselves in dangerous areas and unfamiliar territory is beyond me. Aisha's valedictorian speech spits out their story, but fails to motivate. My favorite part was the short endnote which gave a summary of events that led to the book. I'm sorry I could not like this book more.