Hollow Fires

Set in Chicago, Illinois, the story follows Safiya Mirza, a seventeen-year-old high school journalist on scholarship attending DuSable Prep. She is highly ambitious, runs the school newspaper, and has already committed to Northwestern’s journalism program. When a fourteen-year-old Muslim student disappears, Safiya is determined to uncover the mystery behind his vanishing. Simultaneously, her school newspaper is hacked, and racist, cryptic messages are posted, foreshadowing the extensive racism that will prevail.  

Jawad Ali, the fourteen-year-old Muslim student, created a backpack out of recycled materials for a school project. However, when one of his teachers suspected it to be a bomb, Jawad was arrested, suspended, and publicly humiliated. Although he was cleared, racist threats and comments followed him until he disappeared. When public news outlets, the police, and other students quickly forget him and overlook his case, Safiya persists. She will stop at nothing to expose the truth.  

Each chapter alternates between Safiya’s present narration and Jawad’s posthumous narration, which adds to the story’s intensity. The reader can sympathize with Jawad as he watches his family, who have questions about his death. Jawad wants his disappearance to be solved to ease their pain. So, as Safiya continues to inquire into his disappearance and her school’s racist hacker, Jawad observes over her, guiding her to the truth. Furthermore, she unearths the underlying racism that is embedded in her city, school, and the people around her. As she investigates, she also learns that familiar faces may not be as innocent as they seem, and her safety may be in jeopardy. Can she successfully catch the culprit and get justice for Jawad?   

DuSable Prep’s very handsome and highly popular senior, Richard Reynolds, is captain of both the lacrosse and swim teams. Like the majority of students attending his school, Richard’s family is quite wealthy, which undoubtedly contributes to his sense of entitlement. He is initially introduced as a potential romantic partner for Safiya, as he often flirts with her openly and even asks her to the winter ball. However, as their connection and banter build, Richard reveals his manipulation tactics, using his popularity and socio-economic status to dodge any suspicion and responsibility. So, when Safiya’s investigation leads to Richard, his deep-rooted beliefs are revealed and sadly reflect the racism that persists within society today.  

Throughout the story, there are multiple references to real-world events and offensive symbols. Some of these include 9/11, swastikas, Adolf Hitler, and Islamophobia. By including these elements, the author attempts to ground the story in reality and present harsh truths for the reader to grapple with. The author hopes that her book will inspire young readers to take action and seek out the truth, especially during a time of such drastic social division.  

Hollow Fires is based on real events, such as the murder of fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks that took place in May of 1924. The murderers were from wealthy and prominent families, similar to those depicted in this book. The author, Samira Ahmed, notes that she struggled to finish this story due to its depraved content and realistic nature. Nonetheless, she wants her readers “to keep speaking up and speaking out. . . [and] to shine light on the truth” just as Safiya does. This book is a must-read for those passionate about social justice and change. 

The author includes common themes of justice, the power of truth-telling, privilege, and courage throughout the story. In particular, Safiya’s character persevered despite racial discrimination and frightening experiences to finally expose the truth. The book encompasses the racism and bigotry that immigrants and racial minorities experience in the United States. It will open the reader’s eyes to hidden prejudice and implicit bias that occur in modern society. There is no doubt that the reader will be deeply moved and left with a strong urge for social activism.      

Sexual Content     

• In between class periods, Richard flirts with Safiya by her locker. When Safiya turns “back to Richard, he pecked [her] on the cheek.”

Violence     

• Safiya’s mosque receives a threatening anonymous letter. The letter reads, “Dear Muslim Scum, we will be coming to your mosque. It will be a massacre on a scale never seen. Christchurch will pale in comparison. You can pray all you want to your God. But God is dead.” No violence is brought upon their mosque.  
• Richard and Safiya meet up in a park at night. When Safiya suspects that Richard may hurt her, she attempts to flee. “I muttered a prayer as I clenched my right hand into a fist and swung at Richard’s face.”  
• After punching Richard, Safiya runs. “[Richard] grabbed at my collar, yanking me toward him. I slammed into him and we both fell backward onto the grassy strip by the sidewalk. I tried to scramble away . . . but Richard pulled at my leg and I went down hard on my right side . . . He grabbed after me and I kicked at him. Making contact with his shin as he dropped down closer to me. I tried to push myself off of the ground with my left hand, but Richard shoved me back, straddling me to keep me pinned down . . . I dug my nails into the cold, wet earth and grabbed a fistful of dirt and flung it into Richard’s eye. He reeled back and I pushed myself away from him. . . He lunged for me, grabbed me, shoved me against the hood of Nate’s car. There was rage in his eyes as he raised the rock [in his hands] above me.” A student at DuSable Prep, Asma, drives her car into Nate’s car, attempting to stop Richard from hurting Safiya. She succeeds, and no one was hurt.  

Drugs and Alcohol     

• None  

Language     

•  Language such as asshole, hell, shit, bullshit, fucking, bitch, and other offensive slurs are used often.  
• When Safiya’s school newspaper is hacked and inappropriate articles are published, she says, “I think it’s the same assholes who put that meme on the school Facebook page.” 
• The school’s fire alarm goes off. A student says, “What the hell? Is this a drill? It’s freezing out!” 
• When Richard is being questioned for his involvement with Jawad’s death, he yells, “That fucking liar! That weak piece of shit. He did it! All of it! I never laid a hand on that raghead skittle.” 
• When Nate, a fellow student at DuSable Prep, is being questioned about his involvement with Jawad’s death, he responds, “That was Asma’s fault – crazy bitch driver.” 

Supernatural     

• Throughout the book, Safiya feels a strong spirit with her, although she cannot quite place what it is. “A crack made me jump back, startled. I thought Usman had broken the twig he was holding. But he was still rolling it between his fingers. Neither he nor Asma seemed to have heard the sound. . . I heard that voice again. So faint. But I knew what I heard. It wasn’t a delusion. Help. Safiya. Help me. I opened my eyes. There was that incense smell hanging over us like a cloud. I was the only one who noticed that, too.” There are many instances of Safiya feeling Jawad’s presence. This is just one.  
• Jawad narrates, “She heard me. This time I’m sure of it. She. Heard. Me. My words. Help me. I tried to whisper it so many times before. But my voice sounded like the wind and the rustling leaves.” 

Spiritual Content     

• In a threatening letter to Safiya’s mosque, God is mentioned: “You can pray all you want to your God. But God is dead.”   
• After a heated class argument between Nate and Safiya regarding the hacker who has seemingly hacked their high school’s newspaper, Nate mutters to himself, “God is dead.” 

by Leela Kowalski