Saturday Read: Towelhead by Alicia Erian

As Summer comes to a close, I read furiously. I have to finish all the frivolous, indulgent books I’ve picked up over the warm months that will soon be abandoned in favor of heavy textbooks. And that includes my Teen Fiction collection. I’ve mentioned it before and I will say it again: I’m not ashamed of my little fascination with Teen Reads. However, when I’m reading on a break from classes at my university, I’m too embarassed to be caught with a fluffy teen read in my hand. Being somewhat of a book snob myself, I know people will judge me based on what I’m reading and I would like to maintain some shred of dignity around this institution. Therefore, I reached for “Towelhead” by Alicia Erian.

By Alex

I discovered this little gem in the Teen Fiction section a couple months ago, but it’s sat on my shelf, just waiting to be read. I was attracted to the cover more than anything and the fact that it was being made into a movie enticed me further.

“Towelhead” is set in the early 90′s in Texas, with tensions high due to the war in the Middle East. 13-year-old Jasira moves to live with her strict Lebanese father after her mother’s boyfriend started paying more attention to Jasira than her mother. As a well-developed 13-year-old, Jasira struggles with the transition from childhood to young adulthood with a body superior to her peers. She attracts attention from all sorts of people; strangers classmates, her much-older, married neighbor (Mr. Vuoso), everyone except her parents it seems.

Jasira goes through a series of coming-of-age adventures. Despite some graphic and possibly disturbing encounters, Jasira’s story is told with such a charming, naive voice that the reader can look past the blatant sexuality.

Even though she acts and thinks just like every other 13-year-old, Jasira gives into the attention she is given from Mr. Vuoso and also, a particular boy at school. Besides these exploits, Jasira also faces racial discrimination, being called “Towelhead” amongst other names. The novel deals with all sorts of difficult issues that a 13-year-old should be ignorant to. She shouldn’t be worrying about her race or sexuality, yet Jasira does.

Besides being smart and charming, “Towelhead” has a unique story and point of view. It’s a refreshing and very different kind of novel. Readers won’t be able to compare this to anything they’ve read before, that’s for sure. PLUS – the movie version features Aaron Eckhart and who doesn’t want an excuse to watch a movie starring him!