Love, Hate and Other Filters
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Reclaim Oklahoma Parent EmpowermentLove, Hate and Other Filters
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Reclaim Oklahoma Parent Empowerment- Introduction and Words of Concern: Presents an overview of potentially concerning language and content about the book's protagonist, Maya, a teenager dealing with various life challenges.
- Themes That Might Be Concerning to Parents: Discusses various themes in the book that may be of concern to parents, including sexual content and relationships.
- Quotes from the Book: Presents direct quotes from the book that illustrate the themes and language used in the narrative.
Love, Hate and Other Filters
Samira Ahmed
Words of Concern:
Ass, damn it, ass, ass, ass, ass-kisser, ass, damn, shit, hell, fucking, asshole, ass,
ass, fucking, asshole, bullshit, damn it, holy shit, ass, fuck, bullshit, bitch, dammit,
damn, damn it, ass, asshole, ass
This book is about Maya, a 17 year old Muslim American. She is in high school,
thought of as a rule follower and a “good Indian girl”. Maya loves using her video
camera to create movies. She has been accepted to NYU and wants to make
movies. Her parents want her to attend school in Chicago so she is closer to
home. Maya believes her parents smother her and have strict rules for her to
follow. She likes a boy named Phil. After Phil breaks up with his girlfriend, he and
Maya hang out a lot. He teaches her to swim at a deserted pond near a deserted
cabin Phil uses as a place he can think, alone. A terrorist drove a truck into a
federal building near their town, and the original belief was it was a Muslim man
who did it. Maya’s parents’ office building had a brick thrown through the
window (they are Muslim) in response to the terrorist attack. A boy at school
gave Maya trouble for being Muslim like the terrorist (they shared the same last
name). It comes to light that the original suspect was actually there to be sworn
in as a citizen that day and the real terrorist was a white supremacist. The same
boy who gave Maya trouble attacked her and broke her elbow. Phil saved her
from a worse fate. Afterward Phil and Maya start dating. Maya chooses to go to
NYU against her parent’s wishes and is disowned. She and Phil share intimate
moments and sneak around her parents. The book ends with Maya going to NYU
to study filmmaking. There were many unfamiliar Indian words that created a
hurdle to sometimes understand what the meaning was the author was trying to
get across.
Themes that might be concerning to parents:
Sexual innuendos, premarital sex, Maya believes that lying to everyone is easier
than telling the truth, boyfriend and girlfriend have sex, underage drinking is
eluded to, wet dreams are mentioned, detailed description of first kiss, teenage
boy assaults teenage girl, Maya lies to her parents throughout the book,
condoms, bondage club, dominatrix
Quotes from the book: (Remember 14 year old boys will be reading this)
“…fumble-strip down to my underwear.”
“Dressed only in my bra, underwear, and flip-flops.”
“…my bra and underwear sticking to my goosepimply body.”
“The worn weave of Phil’s jeans rubs against my naked thighs.”
“He kisses my neck. I move closer to Phil, and he gently pulls me on top of him.
Phil kisses me, his lips hesitant. I kiss him back, deeply, softly.”
“…and now you’re planning on summering with him after macking, half-naked, in
a secret cabin in the woods.”
“All he has to do is ask, and I will go to the ends of the earth with him. Defy my
parents’ expectations, even my better judgement for the perfection of Phil’s arms
around me.”
“In case of emergency, rip open.” (a note written on a condom a friend gave
Maya before her date with Phil)
