Sie ist sich in ihrer Identität und ihrer Religion so sicher und lässt sich von niemandem was einreden. But what is unexpected is the degree of racism that she experiences at her new school. It is not only the students but also the teachers who could not care less about the toxic environment.

It was a decent read, but it’s not my favourite. I found that I didn’t connect with any of the characters, and the writing style felt more like it was telling me about everything that was happening instead of showing me. Aaleyah was an interesting character, but I found her to be really annoying at some parts. I also didn’t like the way that she interacted with her parents when anything serious had happened. Her parents were concerned and worried about her, and yet she was trying to brush everything off and she would be the one making the decisions about what they would do. It didn’t feel realistic to me. I think this novel is extremely important in educating not just athletes or sports fans, but everyone, and sharing the discourse on concussions and brain injuries will open the conversation more and help and impact a lot of people. Reading this book was a very touching experience. Getting to hear the first hand knowledge and experience of my childhood hero and seeing the open, honest, and transparent story telling from early in his career, to the injuries that eventually ended it was extremely educational and enjoyable.

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was a seemingly minor crash at Michigan International Speedway in June 2016 that ended the day early for NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. What he didn't know was that it would also end his driving for the year. He'd dealt with concussions before, but no two are the same. Recovery can be brutal, and lengthy. Torn between a race-at-all-costs culture and the fear that something was terribly wrong, Earnhardt tried to pretend that everything was fine, but the private notes about his escalating symptoms that he kept on his phone reveal a vicious cycle: suffering injuries on Sunday, struggling through the week, then recovering in time to race again the following weekend. In this candid reflection, Earnhardt opens up for the first time about: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has chronicled his accidents and the injuries that forced him out of the car in a new book, "Racing to the Finish: My Story", co-authored by ESPN senior writer Ryan McGee. I received a Netgalley e-arc of "Race to the Finish Line" by Aisha Yusuf in exchange for an honest review. Some parts of this review will contain spoilers, but I will mark those parts accordingly.

The setting was strong and it was easy to visualize the events taking place in the different locations. On the other hand, it is great to see a story like this, featuring such an unusual idea and storyline. Even better when the spunky and wilful MC also happens to wear a hijab! I look forward to seeing what the author comes up with next, because despite some shortcomings, this is certainly a promising start to her writing career. I give it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for effort and originality. If you're not a race driver, stay the hell home. Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat that candy ass.” Contrary to what one would expect from a book by a NASCAR driver, this is less of a story about the sport and more about today's understanding of concussions. What was most surprising was the revelation that there is a whole body of medicine geared toward overcoming concussion symptoms, that they involve exercises and training instead of invasive surgery, and that these methods are becoming more effective as the years pass. This was fascinating in light of the ongoing issue of CTE in the NFL, and the high-profile tragedies of players like Junior Seau. This makes Earnhardt's story even more of an inspiration, not simply to race fans, but to those dealing with similar conditions - there is help, and people should go and seek it. Ab dann fängt Aaleyah mit Hilfe ihrer Freunde an, die Probleme selbst in die Hand zu nehmen und die Stadt und ihre kuriosen Vermisstenfälle und menschenverachtende Einwohner auffliegen zu lassen.We have here the makings of a riveting plot, but the execution leaves something to be desired. It is partly the age of the writer that is likely to be responsible for the degree of telling versus showing on display. The character development is also somewhat uneven, with the female MC not just taking centre stage, but almost taking up the entire stage, at the expense of other characters.