The book shows what Malala’s life was like before the arrival of the Taliban, and how much change the Taliban brought with them. Before the Taliban, Malala had a happy childhood with great parents. Afterwards, the Taliban took over, they started enforcing their beliefs, such as encouraging girls not to go to school and taking steps to restore Pakistan to their “glory days.” But Malala did not hide away, and spoke in interviews and wrote for the BBC website about her life under the Taliban, and even after people got killed by the Taliban her father encouraged her to keep going. On October 9, 2012, Malala boarded her bus to school. A gunman boarded and attempted to fatally shoot Malala, and despite everything she made a full recovery.
One of the most interesting things about the way this book was written was how it was structured. The book opens with the day Malala got shot, and is divided into 5 parts after that. The writing style is formal and almost powerful, like giving a speech to a large crowd. The book goes very in depth into the histories about Pakistan and politics, which gives a lot of people unfamiliar to the situation in Pakistan some context, but I can see people who are not very into history not liking that part of the book. Overall, this book, and Malala Yousafzai, are one of the most inspiring tales/person I’d ever known about.
Malala’s story is absolutely unforgettable and truly inspiring. This book really made me think about how much in my life I take for granted and how people all around the world don’t even have a fraction of the safety I feel in my community. So really, the most memorable thing about I am Malala is Malala Yousafzai herself, who is now just 18 years old and already has won a Nobel Prize and is changing how the world sees Pakistan and the importance of human rights and education.
Reviewed by Emily, Grade 9, Twin Hickory Area Library
HCPL TeenScene's Read + Review 
This is on my TBR, can’t wait to read it!