Hi,I just read this and I love it n while It nvr hppns 2 me bt I cn relate..I'm a muslim but nt arab,living in a peaceful country where Islam is prcticed well.Here,we mix in with ppl 4rm othr religions wifout cntrovrsy cuz Islam means peace.Racism still exist tho bt usually nt like Vinny's case aside 4rm dat,I prefer cooking less so the food wont go 2 wste bt yeah we eat a lot snce we cook again when we r hungry again.,

Oh, I am perfectly bowled over!

This kind of piece brings out a lot of controversy (religion and politics-wise) because it is so passionately opinionated. You, the author, seem to want to defy the whole world with every word you spit out. Fortunately, it's not an emotional clutter. From the bigger things in life to the smaller, more insignificant ones (like the dinner part), and your contrasting comparison of bombs and chemistry class.

This piece is deeply philosophical with a deceitful (in a good way) veneer of platitude, because it starts off seeming like any other teenage angst story.

It's quite a blow when we find out that Leila is Muslim. Well timed. Absolutely staggering.

If you have never watched the movie 'Persepolis,' then I fervently recommend it to you. It deals with similar themes, and the heroine of the movie also has issues with accepting her heritage.

All the best,

Suzie

great writing. It's amazing that you've conveyed so much of who you really are in this. I enjoyed reading it.

This is beautiful.

This was such a wonderful piece, real and human. I felt for the main character, and I wanted her to be happy. This is really very good.

This story has such a great quality to it! I admire how well you approach the nature of humans, and the world we live in. I especially loved how you said that our bodies are our protective shells that hide our fragile humanity. A great line.

I think that the fact that you are approaching the effect of 911 and the terroism through a girls eyes adds something special. There are so many viewpoints in the world, that we concentrate on one and forget about the others. Thank you for writing this story.

Wow, you know most of your stories really make you think. And this one especially. I'm writing this at like 10, and my brain is starting to go into shut down mode, so if this doesn't make sense, I'm sorry. Plus I don't really know how to word it. This makes you think about what could happen to religious people and how they are treated even every day, now. I mean I'm christian, but most people don't find that as different as Muslims sometimes, but sometimes they do. And if any of this is insulting. Once again I must apologize, considering I couldn't remember the word for insulting a little while ago. But wow, this is deep. Good job.

Hah, I actually went and got a spoon from downstairs, put it in my mouth, and spoke, just to see what it sounded like. Good description there~
ANY way, I would just like to say, Bravo. This has my mind reeling! The way you put our modern society into such characterization was marvelous.
["People are so hungry, these days; they have no control."] Like that, right there, pretty much sums up the past few generations, referring to much more than food.
And I, personally, wanted to drop kick Vinny in the face. Ugh people like that.
That's another thing, whilst reading this, I felt little spurs of anger, sadness, in-your-face!...ness. Point being, this really got me to feel, which is probably the hardest thing for an author to accomplish.
The thing I loved most had to be the flow. I love that you built up to the main point of the story instead of making it known from the start.
There's so much I want to say about this, I can't really get it all to come out straight, hah.
Oh! The meaning of names was a nice touch, and it was good to see it repeated a bit, sticking with the opening line. It tied some parts together splendidly.
I adore Leila. Her thought processes really let the reader understand her and relate to her.
I truly can't find anything negative or critical to say about this.
I loved it.
Bravo.

I LOVE this.

Oh my gosh.

It's two in the morning here and I found this through your livejournal but oh my goodness... I LOVE this. I love how you connected the meanings of names to the Bible, to the apple, to Muslims, to the racist jerks in our society, to eating... Wow... just wow.

I know this isn't very much of a critique but I am too impressed to even think straight.

"Being hungry feels better than food tastes. It is the only time I feel any power over myself."
THIS... It just defines something I've...well...I've felt before.

Just...wow.

I am...speechless.

Wow.

I commend you.

This really works for me. I have some connection to this, not being Muslim, but being different. Making a name for oneself is important, and wasting the time on being invisible isn't worth it. I enjoyed it.

What I like most about this piece is that you brought us into the main theme gradually, which makes the impact much greater. Also, despite the short length, you managed to bring out Leila's characterisation so well that I really felt for her whenever she wanted to disappear, and shared that sense of triumph with her when she finally told Vinny what she'd wanted to say for ages. This was really poignant and beautiful. I love how your works always have an important message behind them, because that's what writing should be about!

omg, writ. this was absolutely amazing. like i'm sitting here, contemplating whether or not i'm going to cry, because i don't know, something about this just DID that to me, if that makes any sense. and like, i am so mad at myself for not actually reading this earlier and just sort of skimming it all the time, because this was honestly that amazing and i love leila to PIECES but my heart breaks for her at the same time and vinny is such an ass and i am totally not coherent right now. i want to be, but i'm not, and part of me blames that on the fact that i just woke up (i slept really late today...it's 1:35) but i don't know.

argh i wish i could write a better review but i am just currently astounded by how GOOD/AMAZING/FANTASTICAL this was. omg, is fantastical actually a word? because normally firefox shoves a little red line under it but that's not happening now, and i think that kind of made my day.

ANYWAY.

this was just too perfect. and i love how it all connected, like when her mom gave her an apple at the end and just--i just LOVED it. i really can't say anything worthwhile, and for that i apologize.

I hate people like that - anyone who judges another person by their outward appearance is pathetic. Leila has real strength. Unfortunately, I know what it's like to be stared at and judged like that, although for a different reason entirely. A very good story. =)

OMG! This was wonderful! Simply wondeful!! Poor kid, I was simply captured in the story until the very end!!
And to prove my theory that this story is so good, I'm going to add it to my favourites!!
Narq.

Wow. Very intense. My thoughts may not be well-defined or articulate, but there you have them. Laila's very... real (cue equally intense music).