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kimbongiorno's review against another edition
5.0
A must-read.
Ahmed skillfully weaves the high school senior emotional experience--the family drama, the classmate drama, the big stuff, the little stuff, the romance, the friendships, the whole new future just a breath away--with the serious business of how a hate crime can ripple through lives, over and over again.
I swooned, laughed, related, cried, hoped. She brought out the layers we are made of from the parts that influence our decisions to those we try to ignore. The shoulds vs the wants. The sacrifices we weigh, accept, regret. So much is captured in this beauty of a novel that I will recommend it to anyone who will listen.
Did you already read THE HATE U GIVE and DEAR MARTIN? This should be your next pick.
Ahmed skillfully weaves the high school senior emotional experience--the family drama, the classmate drama, the big stuff, the little stuff, the romance, the friendships, the whole new future just a breath away--with the serious business of how a hate crime can ripple through lives, over and over again.
I swooned, laughed, related, cried, hoped. She brought out the layers we are made of from the parts that influence our decisions to those we try to ignore. The shoulds vs the wants. The sacrifices we weigh, accept, regret. So much is captured in this beauty of a novel that I will recommend it to anyone who will listen.
Did you already read THE HATE U GIVE and DEAR MARTIN? This should be your next pick.
lostinfrance's review against another edition
3.0
I grabbed this book off the ARC shelf...YA, written by an Indian American writer? Yes, please.
I am always on the search of YA books I can use in the classroom (ok, so I don't teach high school at the moment, but I still....like to be aware!) or recommend to students.
This is the story of a Muslim Indian girl who is growing up in the United States, struggling with staying true to her culture (and parents ideals) and her dreams/life in the US. It is also the story of a teen girl who has crushes on boys, parties (that she can't go to) with friends, problems with ex-girlfriends...etc. Maya meets a great Indian guy--- that she doesn't fall for and crushes on a "all American football player" that ends up asking her out. She can't go to Prom, but she can fall in love--- and yes, this book is full of teenage problems. The story is sweet and easy to get pulled into and I enjoyed the story if you kept a few feet away from specific details.
My problems were the author's attempts to make it "controversial" and talk about Muslims being perceived as terrorists. Some parts worked, others did not--- I felt the every other brief chapter about the "other" person was a bit too superficial. Maya's random comments about the racism around her (the first one especially) were a bit forced. I think it should have either been a part of the book through out...or not brought up so randomly. I was looking forward to reading a book with candid observations of America at this time, but instead it was a back seat and often contrived moments. I really wanted this perspective of the book to be more profound and help the book separate from all the John Green, sick-mo, weird YA that keeps popping up these days....sadly it fails.
Read if you enjoy YA and enjoy reading stories to show culture clashing--- but don't expect anything profound or new.
2019 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge: A book with "love" in the title.
I am always on the search of YA books I can use in the classroom (ok, so I don't teach high school at the moment, but I still....like to be aware!) or recommend to students.
This is the story of a Muslim Indian girl who is growing up in the United States, struggling with staying true to her culture (and parents ideals) and her dreams/life in the US. It is also the story of a teen girl who has crushes on boys, parties (that she can't go to) with friends, problems with ex-girlfriends...etc. Maya meets a great Indian guy--- that she doesn't fall for and crushes on a "all American football player" that ends up asking her out. She can't go to Prom, but she can fall in love--- and yes, this book is full of teenage problems. The story is sweet and easy to get pulled into and I enjoyed the story if you kept a few feet away from specific details.
My problems were the author's attempts to make it "controversial" and talk about Muslims being perceived as terrorists. Some parts worked, others did not--- I felt the every other brief chapter about the "other" person was a bit too superficial. Maya's random comments about the racism around her (the first one especially) were a bit forced. I think it should have either been a part of the book through out...or not brought up so randomly. I was looking forward to reading a book with candid observations of America at this time, but instead it was a back seat and often contrived moments. I really wanted this perspective of the book to be more profound and help the book separate from all the John Green, sick-mo, weird YA that keeps popping up these days....sadly it fails.
Read if you enjoy YA and enjoy reading stories to show culture clashing--- but don't expect anything profound or new.
2019 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge: A book with "love" in the title.
shamatake's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars. The main character is the worst kind of teenager, and the Islamaphobia is a very small part of the book compared to teen love and dreams which are more important plot lines.
carlottag's review against another edition
4.0
I've been meaning to read it since June of 2017 when I met Samira Ahmed at BookCon and got an ARC of the book. This is and #ownvoices story with Indian and Muslim rep. I cannot speak to either since I am not Indian or Muslim but I did learn about Indian movies, food, and customs. There wasn't a lot of talk about Islam other than some lines about Maya's parents praying or inviting her to accompany them to service. It did not feel forced or preachy at all so anyone can enjoy the book even if they aren't religious.
I really enjoyed the book, it might've been a 5-star read if certain things had been different and who knows? Maybe they were fixed since I did read an uncorrected proof. I will definitely be reading the final version to see if anything was changed and will adjust my rating if needed. Here are the reasons why I didn't give it 5 stars (mild spoilers):
In the beginning, I didn't like the way the teenagers talked because it didn't sound authentic to how teenagers actually interact but it did get better by the third chapter. I was also thrown off by the story that was mixed into the central story every chapter break: the one detailing the bombing or the events leading up to it and after. It was confusing at the beginning because the actual event happened halfway through the book. I don't think it added to the story and it could have been told through Maya watching the news or from the police officers. And lastly, the ending felt rushed. The book is a bit short already, under 300 pages, but I felt that some parts were extended unnecessarily and the important ones were done in 5 pages or less. (Spoilers) The confrontation between Maya and her parents was significant, it happened in the second to last chapter of the book and then I turn the page and get an epilogue that she is going home for the holidays but we don't actually see any reconciliation? I felt a bit cheated. Also, the whole book build up to Maya and Phil getting together and they finally do and again, I turn the page to the epilogue and Maya is going on a date with another dude. I'm sorry, I know this is supposed to reflect reality and how relationships- especially high school ones- don't always work out BUT I signed up for a fluffy romcom read. I would have been fine with them breaking up but at least showing that they meet up once in a while since their schools aren't that far away from each other or that they see each other every time they go home or that they text each other. Anything to maintain a healthy friendship after everything they've been through and what they meant to each other.
I really did enjoy this book so much and will do a full review talking about what I liked as well. Pick it up on January 16th and let me know what you thought!
I really enjoyed the book, it might've been a 5-star read if certain things had been different and who knows? Maybe they were fixed since I did read an uncorrected proof. I will definitely be reading the final version to see if anything was changed and will adjust my rating if needed. Here are the reasons why I didn't give it 5 stars (mild spoilers):
In the beginning, I didn't like the way the teenagers talked because it didn't sound authentic to how teenagers actually interact but it did get better by the third chapter. I was also thrown off by the story that was mixed into the central story every chapter break: the one detailing the bombing or the events leading up to it and after. It was confusing at the beginning because the actual event happened halfway through the book. I don't think it added to the story and it could have been told through Maya watching the news or from the police officers. And lastly, the ending felt rushed. The book is a bit short already, under 300 pages, but I felt that some parts were extended unnecessarily and the important ones were done in 5 pages or less. (Spoilers) The confrontation between Maya and her parents was significant, it happened in the second to last chapter of the book and then I turn the page and get an epilogue that she is going home for the holidays but we don't actually see any reconciliation? I felt a bit cheated. Also, the whole book build up to Maya and Phil getting together and they finally do and again, I turn the page to the epilogue and Maya is going on a date with another dude. I'm sorry, I know this is supposed to reflect reality and how relationships- especially high school ones- don't always work out BUT I signed up for a fluffy romcom read. I would have been fine with them breaking up but at least showing that they meet up once in a while since their schools aren't that far away from each other or that they see each other every time they go home or that they text each other. Anything to maintain a healthy friendship after everything they've been through and what they meant to each other.
I really did enjoy this book so much and will do a full review talking about what I liked as well. Pick it up on January 16th and let me know what you thought!
jenpaul13's review against another edition
4.0
Finding what you're passionate about can take time, but advocating for yourself when it conflicts with what others want for you can take courage, as seen in Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Maya Aziz has a dream, and the necessary talent, to attend NYU to study film-making, which is her passion, but it's in stark contrast with her studying medicine or law close to home near Chicago that her protective, Indian parents envision for her, creating an environment of stress for Maya. Adding to this stress is the coincidental timing of some emotional drama with the boy she's had a crush on for forever and meeting a someone more suitable for her parent's vision of her future, turning Maya's life into a movie-worthy rom-com. When a terrorist attack takes place a few hundred miles from Maya's hometown, the unfortunate fact of sharing a last name with the speculated Muslim attacker dredges up some local hatred toward Maya's family with violence perpetrated on her parents' dental practice and threats to their lives. In the wake of this shocking event, Maya comes to realize the importance of following her passion.
As a traditional YA tale of finding oneself and challenging parental expectations, the narrative is well-written with engaging characters but trite with its romance plot that wasn't overly entertaining; with the added narrative thread of prejudice faced by Muslims in a post-9/11 America, the story gains a dimension of reality that counteracts some of its more cutesy elements. But this link felt tenuous as Maya being Muslim isn't thoroughly demonstrated through actions in the novel but instead readers are told that she's Muslim - if we weren't told, it wouldn't have been obvious. Addressing an unfortunately timely (and recurring) topic the of prejudices within our culture and how they can manifest, this story demonstrates the importance of challenging preconceived notions and trying to be better people to create a better world.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Maya Aziz has a dream, and the necessary talent, to attend NYU to study film-making, which is her passion, but it's in stark contrast with her studying medicine or law close to home near Chicago that her protective, Indian parents envision for her, creating an environment of stress for Maya. Adding to this stress is the coincidental timing of some emotional drama with the boy she's had a crush on for forever and meeting a someone more suitable for her parent's vision of her future, turning Maya's life into a movie-worthy rom-com. When a terrorist attack takes place a few hundred miles from Maya's hometown, the unfortunate fact of sharing a last name with the speculated Muslim attacker dredges up some local hatred toward Maya's family with violence perpetrated on her parents' dental practice and threats to their lives. In the wake of this shocking event, Maya comes to realize the importance of following her passion.
As a traditional YA tale of finding oneself and challenging parental expectations, the narrative is well-written with engaging characters but trite with its romance plot that wasn't overly entertaining; with the added narrative thread of prejudice faced by Muslims in a post-9/11 America, the story gains a dimension of reality that counteracts some of its more cutesy elements. But this link felt tenuous as Maya being Muslim isn't thoroughly demonstrated through actions in the novel but instead readers are told that she's Muslim - if we weren't told, it wouldn't have been obvious. Addressing an unfortunately timely (and recurring) topic the of prejudices within our culture and how they can manifest, this story demonstrates the importance of challenging preconceived notions and trying to be better people to create a better world.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
roseykels11's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75