HOLLOW FIRES

An unconventional murder mystery takes a sharp look at racism and Islamophobia in America.

Aspiring journalist Safiya Mirza, a high school senior in Chicago, has always wanted to tell the full story of DuSable Prep, the exclusive private school she attends on scholarship. But when 17-year-old Safiya starts reporting on White supremacist sympathies among members of the student body, she runs afoul of the administration. Chicago public school ninth grader Jawad Ali first received media attention after his teacher believed the jet pack he created for a school project was a bomb. Jawad’s suspension leads people from local police to a right-wing talk show host to wonder if the Iraqi American child of refugees deliberately orchestrated a bomb hoax. When Jawad goes missing, the tightknit Muslim community in the area is shaken and wonders why the case isn’t a police priority. After Indian American Safiya, whose family has roots in Hyderabad, starts investigating what happened, she begins hearing messages from Jawad’s ghost, who leads her to his body. When, in a breathtaking twist, Safiya realizes that Jawad’s killer is closer than anyone had ever imagined, she is both terrified and determined to bring about justice. Ahmed’s gripping story details how racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and other forms of extremism are normalized on the internet and in the media. The book’s skillful construction combined with its sharp observations makes it a must-read with strong reader appeal.

A deeply chilling, inventive, and timely page-turner.