Part history lesson, part memoir, part inspirational narrative, this is a book well worth reading. The first half, which is the background sets the tone & provides perspective. The second half is where you really get to hear Malala's voice as she tells her story. Witnessing the events of history through the eyes of someone who lived it is always fascinating for me. Putting a face & giving a heart to the headlines is what Malala does with grace as she shares her perspective & story.

Very informative as it related to Pakistani politics. Wish there was more about Malala and her family.

This book was truley amazing, i loved it. It gave me a different view on how things are for people in there country, that do not hate America and do not share the same views on the Taliban.And to hear it from a child. LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Malala is an amazing teenager. Incredibly smart and devout to learning, her God and her people. She does not know fear. The first few chapters, I loved, the description of her homeland and her family. After that, this book just became drudgery, very slow and boring. I did learn about Pakistan and for that I was grateful but it was written in such a way that it just seemed to drag on.

If you want to read Malala's story from her own 16-year-old perspective, then you will enjoy this book. It reminded me of Anne Frank's diary in that it was told by a young girl and juxtaposes historical events with the daily life of a young girl (arguing with her brother, disagreements with friends, studying for exams). I found the book to be both informative and charming in that it was obviously written from Malala's own perspective.

They called her the Mother Theresa of Pakistan! Many thought middle school girls should read this, but a couple found it difficult to read due to the subject matter.

I Am Malala is the inspiring story of one girl's right to an education and her strength after her horrific attack. The first two thirds of the book are obviously written by her co-author. It is bogged down in the political, environmental and historical descriptions of Malala's country and hometown in the thirteen years before she was shot. Malala's story could have been much better edited. By the time we get to her shooting, it is almost a relief. Her recovery and stance after her shooting is astounding. Her parents are amazingly supportive, especially her father, who should be a parental role model to Muslim men. She expresses regret at not being able to live back in her home town but realises she now must fight for oppressed girls worldwide. For such a young girl to have such intellect is incredible.

Though at times the writing seemed disjointed, we thought the book was worth reading. We learned much more about Pakistan and the insights regarding the US.

Hard to believe a young teen could go through so much, and write with such clarity and maturity. No matter who was a ghost writer...or how much input was given by others, Malala is to be much admired.

This is the story of Malala, a Palestinian girl. It is an eye opening account of life in the Middle-east and will change you're understanding of the problems that exist. A sad but wonderful story.

I feel it is eye opening to their culture. It makes you think how good we have it. Hard to imagine living that way.

Interesting story about the problems women face living in Pakistan today with regard to getting an education. Sad to see that the Taliban continues to violate human rights and fosters radicalism in this area. The story line moved slowly until the latter part of the book.

Informative and gripping.

I didn’t think that there would be that much of interest in a book about someone so young, written by someone so young, yet I was blown away by her ability to put her life and experiences into words. Malala, a devout Muslim who loves her religion, has written not only an autobiography of her life, but also a brief history of her country with special emphasis on the Pashtun people, their customs and their culture. Malala and her family are members of a Pashtun Tribe, as are most people who live in the Swat Valley she so loves. Although she was just a teen when an attempt on her life was made, an attempt which almost succeeded, her courage and bravery continued to shine in the years afterward. She endured pain, disabilities and surgeries but seemed always to have a positive attitude buoyed up by her own prayers and the prayers of others. The Taliban and their barbaric methods did not silence her; actually, their brutality only furthered her reputation of heroism. She rose to fight another day. Although she now lives in Birmingham, England, with all of life’s modern conveniences that are in stark contrast to her home in Pakistan, she still yearns to return to the Swat Valley with its warmth, basic life and beauty that she so adores. She yearns to return to her home, her room, her teachers, her friends, and her school, the school that was founded by her father. She still continues her struggle for women’s rights in the Islamic world. She is a fan of President Obama and John Kerry because of their public, personal stand on civil rights. She appears not to be a great fan of former President Bush or of other leaders who have negatively influenced her country to advance the cause of their own. In that light, in the present day, her opinion of President Obama may have changed, as well, but there is no mention of that in the book.
The attempt on her life was meant to silence her voice, a voice that spoke out for more freedom and civil rights for the women of Pakistan, largely the right to have an education and the limiting of the more severe Sharia Laws. The Taliban banned education for women. In school, most of Malala’s friends wanted to be doctors; it was not easy for a girl to be anything but a teacher or a doctor in her country. Malala wanted to be in politics. She wanted to be a spokesperson to enable change and additional freedoms for girls and women. The methods the Taliban used to accomplish all of their ancient goals and enforce Sharia Law, were barbaric and savage. The people in Swat Valley were frightened, but not Malala. She believed that one person had the power to make a difference, to change things, and if it was her duty to do this, than so be it; she would face the danger.
Malala was 14 when her nightmare began. In 2012, she was shot on her way to exams. A top student, she was hoping to, once again, place first. However, after being shot, she remembers little about what happened except for her dreams which were inaccurate. She knows that the bus suddenly stopped and someone approached wanting to know who Malala was. Although no one spoke, their eyes gave her away. She was the only child on the bus with a face that was not covered. A spray of bullets also injured two of her friends, but she received a bullet to the head which was a grave injury threatening her life. It is miraculous that she recovered. With the help of modern medicine and technology, she has been restored almost fully.
This book illustrates the corruption that exists in Pakistan and uncovered the fear that most of the residents lived with because of the Taliban threats. It reveals the worst attributes of the Taliban and other radical Islamists. It also exposes the worst traits of the Pashtun people, as well as shining a light on their better attributes. The guilt she places on outside countries and international intervention into the affairs of Pakistan permeate many threads of the narrative. A reasonably backward part of the world was thrust into the spotlight by America’s war and suffered the consequences of misplaced bombs, drone attacks and governments that changed with the wind. It seems that each successive government promised reforms which were short lived or which became corrupt when the leaders reneged on their promises and became like their predecessors, whom they had overthrown. The coalition forces often misjudged or misunderstood the traumatic effect of their involvement in Pakistani affairs. They supported dictators whom the people distrusted. It was their chaotic affect on the country which helped usher in Sharia laws and the viloence of the Taliban, the very same Taliban they were trying to defeat.
Malala reads the prologue of the book herself, and she reads it in a very clear and confident manner. She is obviously extremely intelligent and mature beyond her years. She believes in non violence and also that “one person, one book, one pen”, can influence society and bring positive change. However, she respects Islamic customs and enjoys the prayers. Her effort to bring about change takes courage which she has proven is a major part of her character. Although her father was a devout Muslim, he was well educated and he never stood in her way. They actually worked together when he allowed her to join his crusade, giving many speeches, because he, too, believed that women should be entitled to education. He did not require his womenfolk to shroud themselves with burkas, although they did wear head coverings. Both father and mother supported the effort to advance the cause of equal rights.
It is very easy to listen to, and connect to, her book and its message which is universal when it comes to civil rights. Archie Panjabi does an excellent job disseminating the message of the book. Her tone is melodious and her manner warm. She reads to inform rather than to condemn or offer excessive praise and the message comes through loud and clear. She has captured the voice of Malala perfectly.

Very educational. Learned much about Pakistan and Taliban and the history in that area. Malala is young and moves us to be inspired to make change for what we are passionate for!

This is an interesting book and a story that needs to be known but unfortunately, it is told in a very slow, somewhat plodding way, which is sad because it is such an emotional situation. I had hoped to love it but the method of telling really makes it a difficult book to read.

OUr book club was disappointed by this book. While she is an inspiring individual we felt the writing poor and lots questions were unanswered.

This was a good book but at times I was tired of the history. We had very good discussion from this book.

Poorly written and repetitive. However, it generated a lot of discussion so others liked it better than I did.

Our book club had various reactions to this book with ratings that ranged from 3 to 5 stars. One thing we all agreed on is that in the end we are glad we read it.

We gave this a B-.