"...equal parts conflict and heart..." —Teen Vogue
Photography by Michael Frost and Tanya Frost and cover design by Liz Dresner.
Click here to download the JPG of the cover!
Lulu Saad doesn't need your advice, thank you very much. She's got her three best friends and nothing can stop her from conquering the known world. Sure, for half a minute she thought she’d nearly drowned a cute guy at a party, but he was totally faking it. And fine, yes, she caused a scene during Ramadan. It's all under control. Ish.
Except maybe this time she’s done a little more damage than she realizes. And if Lulu can't find her way out of this mess soon, she'll have to do more than repair friendships, family alliances, and wet clothing. She'll have to go looking for herself.
Debut author Aminah Mae Safi's honest and smart novel is about how easy it can be to hurt those around you even if— especially if—you love them.
A Junior Library Guild Selection🏅
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Praise for Not The Girls You’re Looking For
"Safi’s prose style has a lively staccato rhythm that captures Lulu’s spirited nature.. In addition to Safi’s focus on multicultural identity, her story provides a candid perspective on female friendships that are full of conflict, love, and angst...Safi offers a refreshing perspective on conformity and the path to self-actualization."—Publishers Weekly, Starred
"Safi’s debut novel offers Arab and Muslim readers a teenager they can relate to as they too learn to navigate racial and religious tensions in a predominantly white society. Delightful and funny but still giving voice to serious issues of sexual consent and xenophobia." —Kirkus Reviews
"These authentic teen girls are smart, complicated, sexual, and sensitive. Their friendships can be mean and messy, but they are also fiercely loyal. This rich story also explores biracial and mixed culture identity (Lulu has a white mom and an Arab dad) in all its joys and struggles…This debut is a worthwhile purchase for all teen collections." —School Library Journal
“The issues in “Not the Girls You’re Looking For” are not tidy topics, and Safi reminds us that these are not tidy times. For all the pop culture references and snide commentary on wealthy neighborhoods, Safi’s mayhem has real roots.” —The Christian Science Monitor
"As hilarious as it is heartwarming, this beautiful story about family, friendships, and one amazingly complex teenage girl will leave you begging for more." —Sandhya Menon, New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi
“Engaging and unexpected, voice-y and full of verve, this a whip-smart swan dive into all the messiness of best friendships and new romance, fitting in and growing up.” —Katie Cotugno, New York Times-bestselling author of How to Love
“An intense, emotional debut about finding one's place in the world and throwing off labels applied by other people.” —Jodi Meadows, author of Before She Ignites
“Lulu Saad is exactly the girl YA fiction has been looking for: a fearless and beautiful Arab-American Muslim ready to take the world by storm. Sparkling with humor, wit and vulnerability, Safi's debut will make you laugh and cry.” —Tanaz Bhathena, author of A Girl Like That
