Representation: Asian characters
Trigger warnings: Hospitalisation and death of a brother and a child in a body of water, grief and loss depiction
Score: Seven points out of ten.
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Someone recommended Call Me Adnan to me but I thought no library had it. That is until I discovered an eBook, not physical, edition of Call Me Adnan, so I picked it up. When I read and finished Call Me Adnan, it was enjoyable but a heavy read, and I felt the story borrowed elements from others whilst remaining original.

It starts with the titular character, Adnan, living with his family, and most importantly, his younger brother, Rizwan (he plays a role later on.) It turns out that he trained himself to be a professional at table tennis according to the book, and now he and his family will go to Florida for the Ultimate Table Tennis Championship. The author dedicates part one to Adnan's run in the tournament, eventually reaching the finals before losing to another sportsperson, finishing as a runner-up. Did I mention Adnan is colourblind and does not prefer to lose?

Part two revolves around Adnan and his relatives celebrating until the worst happens--Rizwan dies. Adnan detailed that Rizwan wore floats in the water, making the latter think he could swim. But he couldn't. I knew something tragic would happen according to the blurb, but I didn't expect that event to catch me by surprise. Call Me Adnan got heavier from there as Adnan and others process what happened and weather through the storm of grief. I liked Adnan as a character and the other people, which made it hurt more when one person died. The poetry is also remarkable as it is never too repetitive or unimaginative. Parts three and four concern the later stages of grief, as Adnan recovers and moves on from Rizwan's death. Adnan has a new sister now, Nusaybah. The conclusion is about Adnan's family learning from the mistakes that killed Rizwan so that a similar incident will never happen again. What a story.

To summarise, Call Me Adnan is a novel in verse that initially sounded promising, but this time the author's latest fictional composition fulfilled my expectations. ( )