THE UNLOVABLE ALINA BUTT

An awkward Pakistani Muslim sixth grader learns to love every part of herself.

For her first few weeks at Greenhill Middle School, all Alina Butt wants to do is to move home to Pakistan. Her family has moved cities several times since they immigrated to England in 1998, three years ago, and Alina still longs for her beloved family and misses being in a place where she fits in—and where her surname isn’t material her classmate Adam Atkins can use to torment her. Things start looking up when she befriends Emma, Kayla, and Vaani, who instantly understand her quirky humor and who bond over a shared love of the Spice Girls. With their help, Alina tries out for the lead in the school play, a feminist adaptation of Cinderella. But when Emma and Adam are cast as the leads and Alina is cast as a mouse, her jealousy threatens to undo all the progress she’s made. It’s only after a series of unlikely encounters with bullies—Alina’s sister’s bully and her own—that Alina realizes that she’s growing into someone she just might like. In this charming, tightly plotted debut, Alina’s witty, vulnerable narratorial voice guides readers through her intensely authentic personal evolution. The plot is further served by a cast of supporting characters, each of whom is full of surprises. Adam and Emma read White, Vaani is of Indian heritage, and Kayla is described as having curly black hair.

An insightful coming-of-age novel.