Academy Story by Naim Hammami
I dnfed this elementary aged book a few months ago, and pulled it back out feeling obligated that the publisher sent it to me and, I ought to read it. So, I did, and it is not well-written, but since I read it, I’m writing a review, and hopefully sparing y’all the same frustration. The cover is pretty cool, so is the idea, and the Islam is centralized and prioritized, but the story reads like an introduction, yes a 152 page introduction. It repeats itself so often, it contradicts itself within the repeated ideas, and then moves forward at a snails place before ending. I think it wanted to end on a cliff hanger, but because so little is accomplished up until that point, it feels like it doesn’t end at a climax, but rather the start of the action, which is irritating. It feels like the author started telling a story orally about a family in a kingdom that when they finish primary school either continue to secondary school or find themselves in a secret academy, and no one knows how they are chosen, or what the academy is like; someone heard that much and told the author to write a book, and they did. There is no character development, drawing the reader in, suspense, imaginative language, or refinement, it reads rough and I don’t know if it is because it is translated, or because there was never much to work with, but if you have seen this book, and were excited to see an Islam centered adventure story, sadly I’d say pass, it misses the mark.
SYNOPSIS:
The book starts with centralizing three siblings, Fatima, Suhayl, and Harun. Fatima is the oldest and is a second mother serving her family, cooking, and apparently enjoys reading, she was not chosen for the Academy and is still bothered by it. Suhayl is the protagonist who hates school, and Harun is the little brother who is still in primary school. The first few chapters are the repetitive circling of anticipation and excitement for finding out who gets in to the Academy at home and talking about what little is known about the Academy, and why it is important as today is the day Suhayl will find out. Why they had no idea about the Academy before breakfast on the day he is going to find out, is beyond me, the world building was an info dump, repeated in the following chapter when Suhayl is now at school. His friends all discuss that they are going to find out about the Academy, only then to contradict that whole build up and wonder IF they will find out about the Academy today. We meet the friends, find out some of them have parents that went to the Academy, but do not talk about, as they are not allowed. The reader is not told what the benefits of having gone to the academy are either, outside of knowing all educators have been trained there. The book then says how Suhayl doesn’t have friends and proceeds to discuss how close he and his friends are. When the assembly starts the class learns there is no Academy announcement and no end of the year field trip, instead they will have to come up with a challenge, that is optional, to do over the school holidays. After rounds of voting and a weird power flex, a business challenge with rules is established and the winner gets to leave school if they want. Suhayl is determined to win, he and his buddy, Yusuf, decide to make fans using the Venturi Effect to sell at their stall and try and make the most profit and win.
WHY I LIKE IT:
I like the premise, the artwork, the Muslim characters, I even like the business, life-lessons and science explanation of the fan. I don’t understand how it makes Suhayl’s fan more effective than a regular fan, but the book has bigger problems. I know for many author’s writing is figuring it out or making it up as you go, so I realize the ridiculousness of saying that this book feels like the book is being made up on the spot. It is writing quality that allows readers to get lost in a story, enjoy the words, and connect to the characters knowing that the author has control of a story and taken care of the required elements of a completed book. The rules of the challenge and how they were to finalize the idea, seemed so scattered, that combined with the weak writing, and repetitive premise building, made the intrigue of a whispered about Academy seem like a completely separate story.
Additionally, I don’t understand the stressing of the three siblings, The book is only about one, Suhayl, and his friends, yet each have a “character profile sheet,” but they are not all together at the start, or even the end. One profile sheet is at the end of chapter 2, one at the end of chapter 4, and then the third at the end of chapter 6. If the point is that as the series progresses you will see the sibling more, and it is meant to garner interest, the choice assumed that readers will stick around for a series, and I don’t think the book at hand, will pull readers in to see how the series pans out.
FLAGS:
Secrets, business deception
TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:
If the book were donated I would shelve it, but I would not seek it out to shelve.
