In “Huda F Cares?” a Muslim American teen and her gaggle of sisters embark on a transformative family road trip

Dear readers, last week we promised you a lighter book after last week's beautiful but heart-wrenching novel, so here we go.

"Huda F Cares?" is the fourth graphic novel by cartoonist Huda Fahmy, and it is a delight. Our protagonist, Huda F, is a Muslim American teen who's just finished her freshman year of high school in Dearborn, MI. She's prepped herself for an uneventful summer where the most exciting thing she'll be doing is wearing contacts for the first time, until her parents announced they're going to Disney World!

But, unsurprisingly, there's a catch. Instead of flying to Orlando, they'll be driving, which means 24 long hours in a cramped van with three of Huda's four (annoying) sisters. And to make it worse, when they get there, their parents pair them off to "bond" while they explore the parks.

And then there's the fact that they're all visibly Muslim. Huda, her mother, and her sisters, wear abayas or hijabs, and the family prays five times a day. This doesn't matter so much back in Dearborn, where they live in a diverse community with many other observant Muslims, but in Orlando they stick out like a sore thumb. This makes Huda extremely uncomfortable.

Will Huda survive this vacation with her sanity intact? Or will it turn into a disaster?

We received digital copies of “Huda F Cares?” from the team at Dial Books. You can purchase your own at our Bookshop storefront here.

Asha: This novel was so fun!

Lakshmi: It was so relatable too!

Asha: I loved the family dynamic.

Lakshmi: I liked all of the disclaimers in the beginning.

The author and artist Huda (also a Huda F, also a sister to many sisters) stresses that this story is totally fictional! Of course it is! It isn't based on her childhood at all (Cough, cough.)

Asha: Of course not! It was just inspired by it ;-) And really, anyone whose parents insisted on family road trips, will relate.

Huda's father recently got a new job, which is why Huda can get contact lenses/ And one of the perks is use of a timeshare in Orlando. Huda's parents have decided this is the perfect opportunity for the sisters to bond because (stop be if you've heard this one, because I have): friends come and go, but you always have your sisters

Lakshmi: But as all these teen girls all note, driving across the country with a bunch of teens looking visibly Muslim, is not particularly relaxing!

Asha: Seriously. Think about all the states you have to go through to get from Michigan to Florida...not exactly friendly territory

Lakshmi: But, it's interesting (and fortunate) that most of the conflicts they encounter are internal–feeling insecure about praying in public parks etc; hesitating to enter little stores with their hijabs–but it's mostly fine.

Asha: It's true. They get a lot of stares, but mostly people leave them alone.

Lakshmi: Most people —- fortunately — are not truly evil

Asha: No, just ignorant.

Lakshmi: And being visibly different plus being a teen (who often feel like they stick out no matter what they are wearing or what they look like) was really touchingly portrayed here.

I also like the scenes at Disney World! (Which is obvi the heart of the book)

Asha: Me too!

Huda is the kind of teen who brings a book to an amusement park (which also makes her different from her sisters) and she meets another teen who's reading the same book!

Lakshmi: AND IT WAS A BOOK WE KNOW!!!

Asha: Hahaha, it was.

Lakshmi: I loved that it was a real book! That real Muslim American teens love! (We won't spoil it, but once you all read it, be sure to look up the title in our archives!)

And  not only does she bond with another teen girl about it, they chat about their theories about the characters in a fun, fan-fiction enthusiast kind of way that was very authentic.

Asha: Huda is thrilled to meet a like-minded soul…if only the girls' friends were as cool…

Lakshmi: And so happy that her new friend is not what you'd expect. As you just hinted, her crowd is very different from the open-mindedness Huda is used to VERY DIFFERENT (in stressful ways!) But her new friend is also a great ally!

Asha: Mostly...And they keep running into each other at the various parks.

Lakshmi: It's very teen movie! The whole book is…

Asha: Accurate.

Lakshmi: But of course this girl's weird friends lead Huda into trouble, thanks to misunderstandings and her sister!

Asha: I don't know if i'd say misunderstandings…so much as racism.

Lakshmi: Yes, it's true. 

I think I also appreciated that the character Huda makes a lot of mistakes in this book.

Asha: I don't think it's a spoiler to say that Huda's parents knew what they were doing when they set up this sisterly bonding experience.

Lakshmi: None of the sisters are perfect which makes all of the family bonds and convos feel very real.

Asha: They're not, and they all act their age, which is refreshing.

Lakshmi: Did you have a final thought?

Asha: There's an Epcot scene where Huda and her sister Dena get souvenirs with their names on them, and it's a big moment because if you don't have a Christian/mainstream American name that NEVER HAPPENS. Now I want to go to Epcot and get a souvenir with "Asha" on it!