This is a lovely book about a teenage boy dealing with anxiety. Ibrahim wants to be a stand up comedian, but his family rely on him for a lot and he has started having panic attacks. The story made me cry. Ibrahim's experience and the way Rahman writes about anxiety feels so real. I liked the way that real CBT methods were woven into the story, meaning that as well as this being a lovely story, it can also teach teenage readers skills they can use in their own lives. This is a really important book about mental health, friendship, family and culture, and it's part of a bigger conversation about mens' mental health. More people should be reading this book!

Ibrahim has been hiding his passion for stand-up comedy from his immigrant family, who would really rather he follow a different path. His best friend Dexter has so much confidence on stage but panic sets in for Ibrahim. After a particularly bad attack at a local comedy competition, Ibrahim runs off the stage and meets Sura. Sura seems to understand Ibrahim and knows how to soothe him but she seems to disappear instantly. How can Ibrahim follow his dreams while dealing with the pressures of home and his mental health without Sura there? This emotional story deals with the little-spoken topic of mental health within teenage boys and an exploration of mental health in an Asian culture. A story of family, divided loyalties and following your dreams, this is a moving, honest depiction of a perspective that we rarely get to see.

Yasmin Rahman is an author whose books I know I will always enjoy. I’ve read her previous novels and loved them. They are emotional, beautiful and hard-hitting. So, when I heard that she would be releasing a new book, of course I was excited! I read her latest novel Why is Nobody Laughing? in a couple of sitting and I loved it. It is slightly different from her previous books, for a couple of things I’ll mention soon, but it was still hard-hitting, emotional and all round amazing.

As with Yasmin’s previous books, I love how she writes friendships. The friendships we see throughout this book are so special. Ibrahim and Dexter’s friendship is one of the loveliest friendship storylines I’ve ever read. We get to see their ups and it shows that friendships aren’t always easy. Their friendship feels realistic and very true-to-life. So, if that is something you are interested in you don’t need to look further.

There is a little bit of a fantasy element in this book which I thoroughly enjoyed. I didn’t know what to think when I read that this book has surreal elements. So, I was pleasantly surprised when those surreal elements were wonderful. I don’t want to give much away about this element but I feel it really added to the story in a number of ways. It allowed us to see more of Ibrahim, our main character, as he opened up more thanks to these elements. I felt the fantasy element in this book was very unique and made this book feel magical at times.

Ibrahim is such a wonderful main character. He is going through so much during this book and at times it is really difficult to read about. We get to see him grow so much as a person and learn how to deal with the things he is facing. I loved watching him grow in confidence and learning to face his challenges. Dexter is also an excellent character we get to see a lot of. Even though he is a side character, we also get to see him develop throughout the book. He is facing his own challenges too, which aid in making him who he is by the end of the book.

I loved seeing the family in this book. Ibrahim’s family has its issues and is going through a number of difficult things. This allows us to see how they bond as a group because of those challenges. I adored the family game nights that they had together in this book and those sections really brought a smile to my face. The sibling relationships between Ibrahim and his brother and sister was lovely to read. They have their fights but they always stand up for one another which was heart-warming.

Yasmin Rahman always does an extraordinary job of handling fragile issues in a sensitive manner. This book in particular deals with cultural issues, racism, mental health, suicide and a whole lot more. All of these topics are discussed in a sensitive way and you can tell, as a reader, that Yasmin has put a lot of thought and care into how she writes these topics.

At parts this book made me laugh out loud. Ibrahim wants to be a stand-up comedian and you can tell he is a naturally funny character. I loved the stand-up competition element of this book as it brought something I’ve never seen in YA before. Also, it just gave the reader some well-deserved laughs at exactly the right times.

Overall, Why is Nobody Laughing? is a heart-warming, emotional and funny book which I adored. It discusses mental health in such an honest, respectful and beautiful and I’m sure it will help a number of its readers. Yasmin Rahman is a truly extraordinary author whose books I cannot recommend enough!