Book Review: Reem into the Unknown
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A while ago, author Ahmed Salah Al-Mahdi (أحمد صلاح المهدي) generously gave me his book in English and Arabic, and asked if I could review it. It's been a while, but I have finally finished it! Sorry for taking so long Mr. Al-Mahdi.
Saif, a young office worker bored with life, living in the suburbs of Cairo, Egypt, suddenly buys a strange black cat and is thrust into a mystery surrounding a young girl named Reem, who is coming to terms with her heritage after her parents' death forces her to live with her grandmother. Assisted by Osama, Reem's friend from the souk (market), Saif tries to unravel the mystery surrounding Reem and the black cat, coming up against witchcraft and evil.
Reem (ريم): Into the Unknown was written for children and teens, and is a fantasy story. It's told from three characters' perspectives: Saif, Osama, and Reem. Al-Mahdi grew up reading Arabic and Western fantasy stories alike, and I could see the Western influences in Reem: a white, blonde, blue-eyed girl, an old witch living in the woods, who is also our classic villain, and our classic symbol of evil, the witch's black cat and the pentagram. I don't know much about Egyptian culture, as my time spent in the Middle East was in Jordan and Palestine, so I can't comment on particular elements of Egyptian culture in this story. Although I can say the shopkeeper of the pet shop was a classic representation of Middle Eastern shopkeepers. I am an unrepentant window shopper, and I have had some shopkeepers spot this and they let me walk around and amuse myself in the shop, much like the shopkeeper did with Saif in the pet shop.
I have to say my favorite character was Osama; he can't really handle the hustle and bustle of the souk, so he hangs out by himself at the river nearby, which as an introvert, I totally understand and sympathize with. When he knows Reem is in trouble, he is determined to help her and bravely goes into the woods to find her multiple times. I can always get behind a character who is loyal to their friends, and in fact, I tend to hate stories where the main character betrays or doesn't value their friends. I tip my hat to Al-Mahdi, Osama and Reem's friendship was done very well and was one of my favorite aspects of the book. Saif had his moments, but overall he seemed wishy-washy when compared to Osama and Reem's bravery and determination. But again, he had his moments [if you want to know what these 'moments' are, you have to read the book ;)], so he was redeemed in my eyes.
Reem was quite short, I wish there was more, but it also packed quite a punch as well. Its ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, and now I want to know what happens next with Reem, Osama, and, yes, Saif too. I hope Al-Mahdi writes a sequel (hopefully a longer sequel, I want more!). The book was originally written in Arabic, and the author himself translated it into English, and I think he did a good job of it. I recommend this book for children and young teenagers, and even for people who are either learning Arabic or English (reading the book in their native language, then reading it in the other language). I think adults could still enjoy Reem, but probably not as much as children and teens; the audience the book was intended for. For me personally, I reread series from my childhood, like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. As an adult, unless I have read it as a child or I am reading it to a child, children's and young adult books don't hold much interest for me, and this may apply to other adults as well.
Well, this was my first book review and I hope you all check out Reem!
Related Links:
Ahmed al-Mahdi: On Writing Young-adult Literature in Egypt
(Better) BOOK REVIEW – Lessons in Innocence: Western Chills and Eastern Frills in Ahmed Al-Mahdi’s Reem