We Didn’t Ask For This by Adi Alsaid

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As someone who graduated from a high school that was literally surrounded by corn fields, a book set at an international school fascinated me. My school was very small and very, very white. The thought of being surrounded by classmates from different countries, speaking different languages, and having completely different life experiences is radically different from my own experience. My son currently attends a relatively small district but is pretty diverse both racially and socioeconomically, unlike the school in We Didn’t Ask for This.  In this book, the school is for the wealthy elite kids who are used to getting what they want, when they want it. When one of the students uses the school’s most popular event, lock-in night, to stage a protest, the kids are completely unprepared to have their wants and desires denied them. 

Rich kids and their rich kid problems.  

Every year, for one night, the students of Central International School’s K-12 campus closes for the students to spend a night pursuing interests, dancing, food fights, and workshops taught by social media influencers. The students spend the night making new friends, exploring new relationships, learning more about themselves, and waiting for one student to lead the ultimate party without any parental or teacher interference. Months go into planning the event and students wait all year for the night to come. When Marisa and her group of fellow environmentalists use the night to stage a protest, those hopes and dreams of a magical night instead become a nightmare. Now, with no way out of the building, students and teachers alike are trapped until Marisa’s long list of demands are met. When hours turn into days, some students try for normalcy while others plot dangerous escape plans. With pressure placed on the protestors to give up intensifies, the students must discover how far they are willing to go to pursue their goals. Interesting characters and a compelling story combine for a fascinating look at teenage relationships, hopes and dreams. 

I loved this story. These teenagers are genuinely good kids that are just trying to find their place in the world. They have hopes, struggles, and insecurities. They want a better world, a great party, and the cute guy or girl. They are trying to discover how to be braver, smarter, more determined, and tougher. Some are also bitter, hurt, spoiled and greedy. Adi Alsaid gives readers all of this complexity while keeping the story deceptively simple. 

I really enjoyed the little glimpses into the privileged lives of the kids. They casually mention traveling the world and when the school becomes locked down, it’s the housekeepers and staff that are sent to check in on kids and bring them home cooked meals and clean clothes. The parents rant about tuition costs while the kids try to smuggle in famous DJs and hangout in the rooftop garden. 

Did your high school have a rooftop garden? Wild.

I loved this book. I’ve ordered it for the Library and I just can’t recommend it enough. If you would like a copy for yourself, you can get one here:

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this title.  All opinions and mistakes are always my own. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qulaifying purchases. 

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