All We Have Left by Wendy Mills

The date is September 11, 2001. High school junior Alia is torn between the professional expectations of her family and the graphic artist she longs to be. While she tries to maintain traditional Muslim customs she is at constant odds with her parents. After a particularly bitter blowup, she is grounded and won't be allowed to attend a special art program at NYU. Rather than talking to her mother, she decides to talk to her father to convince him to let her go. That morning, she skips school and heads over to the World Trade Center where her father works...

Fast forward to 2016. Jesse is a bright high school junior. Her dysfunctional family hasn't come to terms with her older brother Travis's death in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Her father is angry and bitter for something Travis did, and has deep hatred for all Muslims. Her mother tries to move on, but will not talk about the details. Her older brother can't deal with his parents, and leaves the country. Jesse feels like she doesn't exist. Becoming attracted to classmate Nick, she gets caught up with the wrong crowd, a racist group of taggers. Tagging the wall of the Muslim Peace Center, she gets caught and arrested. She now has to perform community service at the Peace Center. To make amends, she needs to face her past, motivating her to search for the truth about her brother's death.

Alternating the voices of Alia and Jesse, the story peels away Alia's experience, her connection to Travis, and the truth that tore Jesse's family apart. The start was a slow one. The character building takes us through the teenage angst of Alia, and the misguided romance for Jesse. Once the real story of the two girls gets started, you will not put the book down. There is much to learn here in terms of tolerance, understanding, and the human spirit.

Mark's Book Picks Score: 4.5

Reading Level: 5.6 • Interest Level: 7-12 • AR Points: 12 • Lexile Level: NA • Publisher: Bloomsbury • Pages: 362 • Copyright: 2017 • ISBN: 978-1-681-19432-5 • Available in Perma-Bound Binding

CYRM 2020/21 Nominee, Young Adult