Mark My Words

Sixteen-year-old Dua Iqbal wants to be a journalist. When Year 11 pupils from Bodley High are merged with the prestigious Minerva College, Dua desperately wants to join their student newspaper, but her hopes are soon dashed. Undeterred, Dua decides to set up her own online journal, Bodley Voices, and persuades her principal, Mr Aden, to let the venture proceed. He insists on having the final say on any copy and Dua agrees, but doesn’t stick to her side of the bargain for very long …

Due quickly learns that behind the glittery façade of academic success and respectability that Minerva projects is another story entirely. Minerva students drink and take drugs, despite their school’s zero tolerance policy on such activities, but it’s obvious to Dua and her friends that there’s one rule for the well-off, well-connected students and a different rule entirely for the Bodley High kids. They’re the ones who get excluded; their futures ruined for one mistake.

The explosive success of Bodley Voices takes Dua into a head-on clash not only with other pupils but also with the dangerous gang behind the supply of drugs in the town, leaving her isolated from her friends, lying to her family and with the odds firmly stacked against her.

Muhammad Khan presents a searing portrayal of social inequality, prejudice and academic pressure, where teenagers’ lives are played out under the harsh spotlight of social media. Dua is a tough, sparky character, determined to maintain her own values. She wears a hijab as part of her public affirmation of her faith, as do many others at Bodley High, but in Minerva College, that’s enough to mark her out as different and differences matter.

I was totally captivated by Dua’s story. Whether you like them or can’t bear them, Khan’s teenagers positively ooze authenticity. Haughty influencer Roshni uses her online popularity to help launch Bodley Voices. Loyal Liam is Dua’s best friend and deputy editor. Exuberant Max enjoys make-up and drag, and knows how to dress to kill.

The adults are equally convincing. Dua’s mother, a teacher, is struggling with her mental health and is being bullied at work. Her estranged father, Rashid, runs a comic book store and does his best for the daughter he’s barely seen for the past few years when her mum can no longer cope. They have their own problems and pressures, and there are no magic solutions for anyone.

This is a hugely engaging story of a teenager determined to uncover the dark truth lurking behind the sophisticated exterior of Minerva College, I cared about Dua, even when she was making mistakes and alienating her friends, and I desperately wanted her to succeed. She really mattered to me, and so did her family and friends.