Out of Heart

Another memorable debut novel . . . Beautifully told this debut is set in 1940's India at the time of the Partition, with themes of tolerance that still resonate today * The Bookseller on A BEAUTIFUL LIE * A gritty story full of heart (yes, pun kind of intended.) * Red Magazine * To put it simply, this book is unlike any I have ever read before. The writing is unusual, the characters are different, the setting is one not often used and the whole concept is one I would love to see more of. I love the mixture of writing - it was extremely clever in structure. This book really stands apart in many ways, and above all, it intrigued me. This book holds a lot of meaning. It talks about things many YA novels don't - abuse, depression, illness, mental health and race. I love the way this book explored nationality and I felt some of it directly related to situations in some communities here in the UK. I felt Adam's story really demonstrated the need for equality, and I wish we had more of that. It really struck a chord with me, and reminded me the real importance for stories like this to be told. * The Books Are Everywhere * Thoughtfully conceived and beautifully executed OUT OF HEART found a place in my heart that will stay there forever. * Anna Perera, author of Guantanamo Boy * As soon as I got this book, I knew it was going to be something special, and I was not wrong at all. What a beautifully written story. All in all, I loved this coming of age story. The writing was beautiful. In fact, I'd say it was beautifully simple, almost poetic. I'd recommend this story to anyone looking for a quick but compelling read with a few surprises in store. * Alba in Bookland * Out of Heart is something entirely unique, heartwrenching and wonderful. * Alta Speaks * This extraordinary, almost magical, book is ostensibly the story of an organ donation but is really about the trauma, violence and messiness of an ordinary life. It's about communication and miscommunication, about being alone and loneliness; about giving, taking and sharing. In a world dominated by social media depicting perfect, and perfectly happy, lives, Out of Heart shows how it is life's imperfections that allow us to grow into who we are meant to be. * Booktrust * Inventive use of form lifts this above the standard novel. t is also a moving exploration of the hurt that is passed on through families, of the inarticulacy of conventional masculinity and how that hampers emotional closeness, and about the controlling, demanding aspect of community. It's also an insight into contemporary Pakistani-British family life; something that's rarely written about in children's or YA literature. * Megaphone * There is a great deal to admire in this novel, not least its ambition, and some memorable writing. * Books For Keeps * Everything about this book was beautiful and down-to-earth, at times relatable, and the quotes and facts lining every chapter add to the ambience. Reading this book wasn't just a pass-time, it was an Experience (with a capitalised 'E' for emphasis). You don't just pick this book up to read when you're bored or to help you to get to sleep; you clear your schedules for it, have a good sit down with a cup of tea or coffee (or whatever else floats your boat) with a handful of biscuits. The writing is too exquisite, too magnificent for the mundane. The story has been carved with a knife so precise and measured that when it finishes it's 260 paged brevity, you're not entirely sure how you'd managed to come across something so profound.Additionally, the cover is simply delightful to look at, the incandescent gold against the ominous black. Often times, one is advised not to judge a book by its cover but honestly, the cover perfectly depicts the amount of beauty held within. The book is not Out of Heart at all but full of it, bursting at the seams, spilling over the brim. * Young Muslim Writers Awards * Master's use of Blake's The Little Boy Lost and The Little Boy Found, which serve as a prologue and epilogue respectively, was the proverbial icing on this delicious novel. At least one of us in the office was gently weeping only a few pages in. And Master's soaring phrases of prose juxtaposed with edgy use of the vernacular make for an exquisite pairing of styles. Just beautiful. An evocative novel for young adults but would also work well as a class-reader with year 6's in the summer term. * The Literacy Tree * A narrative that pines, yearns, pulls and aches before, finally, flooding you with warmth and immeasurable hope. * Letterbox Library * a novel of exquisite artistry and contemporary storytelling * Nudge Magazine * this cleverly constructed and thought provoking coming of age story is rich in metaphor and offers the reader much to reflect upon * The Guardian * Lyrical and moving, this is an intimate picture of a small family coming to terms with their past and learning to fight for their future * The Scotsman * It would be a great book for class study, exploring as it does so many issues: grief, guilt, community/family expectations, domestic abuse, gangs, loneliness and communication to name but a few. The short chapters would also make it ideal for reluctant readers. * Reading Zone * Out of Heart is a wonderful exploration of friendship and family, love, loss and trust. Like all the best of YA, it confronts troubling subjects in a way that is uplifting but not sentimental * Book Muse * this unusual, visceral and touching urban story is all heart * INIS Reading Guide * It's well paced, compelling and strong on depicting relationships of all kinds * School Library Association *