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meat_muffin's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I loved this book so much - absolutely a sleeper hit I didn’t see coming, and whewwwww buddy did it reel me in once it got going.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Cultural appropriation
nightlight_reader's review against another edition
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Xenophobia
Moderate: Medical content and Death of parent
fromjuliereads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a good read! I tend to struggle a little more with YA books these days but this had so many fantastic moments and important elements to it that I read it fairly quickly. I admit that the familial relationships and friendships were my favourite parts over the main characters' romance. I liked them and they are a good fit, but the moments with Adam and his dad, or his friendship with Connor? The conversations with Zayneb and Aunty Nandy? Those moments were my favourites. Those were the parts that made me tear up. S.K. Ali writes fantastic familial relationships and friendships, and the moments that show them.
Also I had no idea that S.K. Ali is Canadian until the acknowledgements, but what a welcome surprise!
Warning: a LOT of HP references. I know this was written a little bit ago but it was too much for me...
Also I had no idea that S.K. Ali is Canadian until the acknowledgements, but what a welcome surprise!
Warning: a LOT of HP references. I know this was written a little bit ago but it was too much for me...
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Death of grandmother - killed by drone strike Harry Potter references throughoutnatalie_j's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Death, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Violence
luuley's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Islamophobia
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, and Death of parent
zahrahm's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia
Minor: Death and War
debosmitathereader's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia
librocubicularist_x's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
5.0
This book does a great job of demonstrating what modern-day Muslims go through daily. I loved how there was always a positive for every negative, a great reminder of how we shouldn't dwell on everything that goes wrong in our life. The characters' dynamics together were really refreshing to me, it was nice seeing loving and caring families. An accurate representation of the characteristics Muslims aim to exhibit
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Medical content, and Death of parent
Minor: Cultural appropriation and War
kingrosereads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
“This is a love story. You’ve been warned.”
Fantastic, brilliant, beautiful, effortless YA contemporary romance that is also a drama and somewhat of a coming-of-age.
I’m not even going to go into depth about what the book was about. You just need to know that two very beautiful souls serendipitously meet and they fall in love while going through the hardest things a person can go through.
This book was beautiful from start to finish. It is unapologetically Muslim and I friggin loved every second of it! I love Zayneb’s passion and Adam’s ability to see the beauty in the world. At first I didn’t see the chemistry between them and aside from them both keeping this journal based off an ancient manuscript, I didn’t think they had much in common since they’re SO different. But the book just unfolds in this amazing way, where you fall in love with Zayneb and Adam as individuals then watch them come together and fall in love with them as a couple.
Zayneb is dealing with Islamophobia throughout the book (at school, on a plane, at the pool, etc) and the injustices in the world make her righteously angry. And she tries to “tone down” her anger, but she learns she doesn’t have to hold back, she just learns how to be smarter than the bigots. Then there’s Adam and he is this peaceful soul that I just adored and is more behind-the-scenes in his support. He’s such a family guy and I loved his softer way of caring. They both deal with loss and grief in their own ways that make you want to tear your heart out.
I think this book does a fantastic job depicting a traditional Muslim relationship, grief, anger, prejudice, and dealing with a chronic medical diagnosis. I can’t speak for its accuracy but it seems authentic and raw. I loved that these two opposites started meeting in the middle on their own in a natural way (they weren’t forcing themselves to change to fit with the other). The book had me grinning like a fool, crying like a baby, and it even had me laughing a few times. Just a gorgeous, well written story.
Fantastic, brilliant, beautiful, effortless YA contemporary romance that is also a drama and somewhat of a coming-of-age.
I’m not even going to go into depth about what the book was about. You just need to know that two very beautiful souls serendipitously meet and they fall in love while going through the hardest things a person can go through.
This book was beautiful from start to finish. It is unapologetically Muslim and I friggin loved every second of it! I love Zayneb’s passion and Adam’s ability to see the beauty in the world. At first I didn’t see the chemistry between them and aside from them both keeping this journal based off an ancient manuscript, I didn’t think they had much in common since they’re SO different. But the book just unfolds in this amazing way, where you fall in love with Zayneb and Adam as individuals then watch them come together and fall in love with them as a couple.
Zayneb is dealing with Islamophobia throughout the book (at school, on a plane, at the pool, etc) and the injustices in the world make her righteously angry. And she tries to “tone down” her anger, but she learns she doesn’t have to hold back, she just learns how to be smarter than the bigots. Then there’s Adam and he is this peaceful soul that I just adored and is more behind-the-scenes in his support. He’s such a family guy and I loved his softer way of caring. They both deal with loss and grief in their own ways that make you want to tear your heart out.
I think this book does a fantastic job depicting a traditional Muslim relationship, grief, anger, prejudice, and dealing with a chronic medical diagnosis. I can’t speak for its accuracy but it seems authentic and raw. I loved that these two opposites started meeting in the middle on their own in a natural way (they weren’t forcing themselves to change to fit with the other). The book had me grinning like a fool, crying like a baby, and it even had me laughing a few times. Just a gorgeous, well written story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Xenophobia, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Murder, and War
ashes2003's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
You, I like you. A daily dose of controversial cheesy romance that I completely stuffed my face with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Cultural appropriation