Representation: Asian characters
Trigger warnings: Slavery, physical injury, blood depiction, sexism, depression, death, arson and murder mentioned
Score: Seven points out of ten.
Find this review on The StoryGraph.

I wanted to read this for a while but never got around till now. Soon enough, it was time to read Amal Unbound. I glanced at the blurb, making it seem like an intriguing, yet heavy read, despite being targeted for a younger audience. That aspect doesn't automatically cheapen a novel like this, as some can be hits. The ratings were high, so I headed in with high expectations. When I closed the final page, I enjoyed it, but I've read better.

It starts with the titular character, Amal, living in an impoverished neighbourhood in Pakistan, longing to be a teacher. The only problem is the society Amal lives in, as her family forced her to stay at home to care for the people there instead of going to school. I could understand that some communities are sexist since they are biased against women, which is sad to see on the pages. After the opening pages, Amal unexpectedly encounters the son of a landlord and has to work at the landlord's mansion as punishment. The middle of Amal Unbound is the saddest section to read as I must see Amal at the lowest point of her life: being a slave. However, the situation becomes less bleak from there, as Amal meets a minor character and plans to escape the mansion. For a narrative above 200 pages, it can get slow-paced at times, but that does not ruin my enjoyment. I liked all the protagonists, especially Amal, and I appreciate how the author wrote her so that I could connect and relate to her. The conclusion is satisfying as Amal exposes the antagonist's actions, causing his arrest and finishing Amal Unbound on a high note. ( )

I loved this book. Can't wait to share it with my students. Perfect companion to I am Malala. ( )

This was solidly good. I think the first part of the story (the birth of Amal's new sister and Amal being forced to quit school) moved too slowly. I almost didn't finish the book, but once the main part of the story got going (Amal being forced to become a servant for a rich family) it was much more compelling. Still, for a story with a lot of dramatic elements, I felt it lacked a spark that could've taken it from good to great.

I would recommend this especially to kids interested in girls' rights around the world. It works as a read alike for [b:I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World|19161872|I Am Malala How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition)|Malala Yousafzai|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1418768876s/19161872.jpg|52473571]. ( )

EducatingParents.org rating: Caution - Read With Care

Book Reviews for Christian Families (FB group) -
"I just finished reading this book and couldn't find a review up here so I thought I would share.
Amal Unbound tells the story of a young Pakistani girl named Amal who longs to continue school to become a teacher. Early in the story, she has to stop attending school to help care for her household and younger sisters after her mother gives birth to another daughter. Amal feels a lot of animosity toward her parents during this section as she hates that she has to give up on her education to take care of the family. She also resents her parents' response to the birth of a fifth daughter.
In a moment of frustration, she leaves home to go to the market alone, something that both parents have asked her not to do. While there, she is struck by a car and mouths off to the driver of the car, who basically blames her for the accident. It turns out that the driver was the evil landlord who controls the whole village. As punishment for her disrespect to him, she is forced to become an indentured servant in his household.
The story follows her to his home, where she becomes his mother's handmaid. Amal faces issues with some of the other servants, secretly borrows books from the landlord's library, and finally uncovers information that lands the bad guy in jail. His mother frees her and the other servants and forgives the debts that Amal's family and other families in the village owed to the landlord.
Overall, this story didn't seem to know what it was. It is promoted as a story about the education of girls, and Amal complains about how bad it is for her as a girl and how things are so much better for her male friend Omar. Yet at the same time, she is frustrated with everyone for their response to the birth of her baby sister and argues to herself that it is good to be a girl. It's supposed to showcase the horrors of indentured servitude, but really, Amal doesn't have it all that bad (She is slapped by the landlord and has her phone taken away, so cannot contact her family. At the same time, she is taken under the wing of the landlord's mother who protects her and provides well for her.) and ends up freed rather quickly and easily. It is a story about family, but while Amal learns how much she missed the things she had previously resented about her family, she is at the same time disillusioned with them upon her return and doesn't seem closer to them, but further isolated.
This book is recommended for middle grades. I would not hand it to the typical middle grade child because I think it would just perpetuate some of the self-centered, victimized thinking that many that age are tempted to. This book might be well used as a discussion starter for thinking through some of these issues and the temptations that we face in our thinking when facing similar trials. I wouldn't give it to a child or teen I wasn't planning on talking with about the book during and after reading. The only agenda it seems to be pushing is diversity, mild feminism.
Content that may cause concerns:
Dark/selfish thought patterns - I almost stopped reading the book because of the thoughts Amal shares in the first few chapters. Nothing self-harming, but definitely self-serving. Her bad thoughts lead to bad actions with serious consequences, but it really isn't addressed.
Father figure disparaged - Amal is told to keep begging her parents to let her continue school so that they will give into her even though her father wants her to help out at home instead. He is made out to be out-of-touch with the times and holding Amal back. He and his wife argue about the loan he took out from the landlord, it is basically seen as his fault that Amal has to become an indentured servant. He leaves home before she is taken away because he can't bear to see her go.
Sneakiness/Secrecy - Amal sneaks around to see Omar because her mom told her that they couldn't be friends "but that's a rule I can't keep." Sneaks into the landlord's library to borrow books, after being caught (and struck for it), she and some other servants find a way to continue taking books.
Overall attitude that the younger generation knows better than all the adults in the book.
There is no inappropriate language, sexuality, or any romance in the book."

This was such a well told story--it had elements that made it feel almost like a classical fantasy while being rooted in something all too real world and all too important. I think the hardest part about shedding light on things that aren't particularly happy is generally that we read to be entertained more than to feel overwhelmed by the world, and Saeed really strikes that balance in creating an excellent, highly readable book that really does make readers more aware. Major kudos. ( )