Love, Hate and Other Filters

Love, Hate, and Other Filters

• Genre: Young adult fiction; contemporary fiction; coming of age
• Originally Published: 2018
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile HL660L; young adult (ages 14 and up)
• Structure/Length: Novel divided into chapters; approximately 288 pages; audiobook length approximately 8 hours, 24 minutes
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: Love, Hate, and Other Filters is a young adult novel by Samira Ahmed. The central conflict revolves around Maya Aziz, a high school senior living in a small town in America. Maya dreams of pursuing a career in filmmaking, but her traditional Indian parents have other plans for her. As she navigates the complexities of cultural expectations, Maya also faces a horrifying incident when a terrorist attack takes place in another part of the country, and her life is suddenly thrown into chaos. The novel explores themes of identity, love, prejudice, and the pursuit of one’s dreams. Samira Ahmed's storytelling is known for its exploration of contemporary issues and relatable characters.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes related to cultural identity, racism, and the aftermath of a terrorist attack

Samira Ahmed, Author

• Bio: American author known for her contributions to young adult literature; Samira Ahmed is celebrated for works like Love, Hate, and Other Filters and Internment
• Other Works: Internment (2019)
• Awards: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2018), Society of Midland Authors Award for Children's Fiction (2019)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Coming of Age Amid Social and Cultural Expectations
• Indian Identity, Tradition, and Expectations
• Racial Discrimination and Cultural Division Among Peers
• Terrorism, Islamophobia, and Hate

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the cultural context that makes up the setting and conflict of the narrative.
• Study paired texts and other resources to make connections to the text’s themes of Coming of Age Amid Social and Cultural Expectation; Indian Identity, Tradition, and Expectations; Racial Discrimination and Cultural Division Among Peers; and Terrorism, Islamophobia, and Hate.
• Cast a fictional movie version of the novel to demonstrate understanding of characterization.
• Analyze and evaluate the author’s craft to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding character relationships, author’s craft, and other topics.