*Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo

An emotionally-resonant cautionary tale about the allure of bright red fruit even when signs of danger lurk alongside.

Note: this book contains sensitive topics, including sexual assault; it’s a starred review because it’s an excellent example in its field, but excellence does not mean it’s appropriate for all ages or all readers in the recommended age group. As always, we encourage you to be discerning about your audience. Parents and educators may want to preview this title before handing it over to teens.

*Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo. Make Me a World (Penguin Random House), 2025. 400 pages.

• Reading Level: Teens (ages 15-18)
• Recommended For: Ages 15 and up

SAMIRA IS TRAPPED

Ugh. Samira’s mom is just ridiculous with her restrictions. She says it’s because of their strict Islamic beliefs, but Samira knows that “reputation” is really behind it all. After all, she has somehow garnered a reputation for being immoral: a girl who was seen kissing a boy, wearing shorts, and wearing makeup. But if her mother would actually talk to her, Samira could explain what was true and what was false. Instead, her mother works long hours to provide for them and works hard to protect Samira, believing that grounding Samira for the summer is only for her good.

Samira loves to write, especially poetry. (And, fittingly, this is a novel in verse written in Samira’s “voice.”) When she has the opportunity to take a poetry class during the summer, she jumps at the sanctioned emancipation from the confines of her home. Soon, she’s joined an online poetry forum, a place for teens to share poetry and give one another feedback. When Horus starts praising her poetry, she is flattered. When he asks to meet her in person, she agrees, managing to slip out of the house.

BRIGHT RED FRUIT IS DECEPTIVELY ALLURING

Perceptive adults will pick up on red flags long before Samira does. Teen readers won’t be far behind, but Samira’s seduction by an older man (he’s in his 20s) is sadly not uncommon. Gradually, Horus drives wedges between Samira and the adults in her life she can trust (like her mother and her cousin). He also encourages deception with Samira’s friends. Horus appears to be the only one who really understands Samira, flattering her with compliments about her poetic gifts and her beauty. Predictably, they start dating (in secret), making out in the park on clandestine rendezvous and communicating electronically.

A good cautionary tale only works if readers see the bad consequences. Otherwise, the warning falls on deaf ears. Such is the case with Bright Red Fruit. When Samira ultimately opens the door to her home and lets Horus inside, readers will rightly fear for her safety. It’s clear by that point in the narrative that Horus does not have Samira’s best interests at heart and is up to no good. Sure enough, he tries to sexually assault Samira, trying to push her far, far beyond their previous kisses. Samira fights him off, but the scene is startling and sobering.

Samira’s near rape is what finally wakes her up to her real danger. By the end of the book, she is finding her own feet again and, perhaps most importantly, has begun repairing her relationship with her mother. She’s also gained a renewed sense of her own identity, a renewed confident in her poetic talents, and has been restored to her estranged friends.

POINTS TO PONDER FROM BRIGHT RED FRUIT

Despite the messiness in this book, it’s an outstanding read for older teens. Sometimes these sorts of dangers are easier to discuss after reading a story like this. Discussion topics could include:

• The warning signs of an unhealthy relationship,
• the need for open/honest communication with parents (this goes both ways, parents!),
• the wisdom of listening to and heeding the warnings of those who know you and love you…
• and the pattern of sin: See, covet, take. From the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, this has been the pattern.
• For those who want a challenge, the “bright red fruit” imagery runs throughout the book, particularly in references to pomegranates (note the one on the cover). Greek mythology is full of references to the pomegranate, particularly in reference to the story of Persephone. We recommend adults doing the preliminary research on this topic because it is easy to get into the weeds, as it were, particularly in the references to sexuality and fertility. But the connection to seduction is an apt connection to Bright Red Fruit.

We might not share Samira’s family’s Muslim background or her Sudanese heritage, but we can just as easily shift into hyper-protective mode in the name of Christianity without actually trying to uncover the truth or really disciple our children. It’s easy to fall back on rules (law) and much harder to navigate grace.

Considerations:

• Language: Several oh-my-g– sprinkled throughout. (less than 5)
• Romance/Sexuality: Kissing and romantic feelings/sensations. Mention of a girl’s period.
• Violence/Sexual Assault: As mentioned, Samira is very nearly raped. The incident is necessary for the plot and within appropriate bounds given the recommended age range of the audience.

Bottom Line: Beautiful and worth discussing for girls and their mothers, perhaps even at a mother-daughter book club.

Related Reading From Redeemed Reader

• A Review: All the Days Past, All the Days to Come is a poignant conclusion to the saga begun in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Cassie Logan, as a young woman, learns some of the same hard lessons that Samira does in Bright Red Fruit. (Note considerations) Another excellent cautionary tale for a slightly younger audience is Goodbye Stranger (about the dangers of sharing inappropriate/risky images via cell phone).
• A Review: Two more excellent books dealing with sexual assault are Ordinary Hazards and Forward Me Back to You, both for older teens and both written by professing Christians but for a secular audience.
• A Resource: Bright Red Fruit is a good example of a “messy” book, and we devoted an entire chapter to these books (and how to handle them) in our recent book, The Redeemed Reader.

You may purchase Bright Red Fruit from Amazon