Sunburnt Veils, by Sara Haghdoosti

Tara’s first day at Uni plunges her into the middle of a campus bomb scare. It’s all a misunderstanding of course; this is what happens when you wear a hijab. A total nerd, Tara plans to focus exclusively on study so she can transfer into Medicine. But Uni is full of distractions and she finds herself an accidental activist, in league with a crew of supportive misfits. Oh and one very hot, privileged white male, helping to battle the forces of intolerance. Haghdoosti paints a clear picture of the day-to-day grind of being marginalised and suspected because of what you wear and the colour of your skin. Her heroine is a little too good to be true, but Tara’s relationships with her mother and her best friend are nicely depicted, showing how difference doesn’t have to mean dispute. The relationship with the hot boy doesn’t work quite as well, its abrupt twists and turns not really making sense, but maybe that’s what it’s like being 18 these days. Despite its serious subject matter the novel’s tone remains light, with plenty of humorous touches.