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booksjessreads's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
4.0
I really enjoyed reading the audiobook and listening along was such a great experience. The character development is really great, and I loved the subplot of Hana's family history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia and Xenophobia
Moderate: Violence and Car accident
emilineopines's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
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
3.5
I enjoyed Jalaluddin's debut, Ayesha at Last, but I was seriously impressed by the growth she showed as an author in her sophomore outing. Where Ayesha gave me exactly what I wanted, Hana Khan kept surprising me with its nuanced characters and relationships. I loved the idea of a reimagined You've Got Mail, but while Hana Khan wears its Ephron-inspiration proudly (with some nice little on-the-nose references, especially near its denouement), it updates the story to better reflect the culture of its characters as well as 21st century mores writ large. (Beloved though they may be, 90s rom-coms leave much to be desired in the way it handles gender and just full-on criminal behavior.) While I agree with classifying this novel as a lighthearted rom-com, I was surprised at how deeply the novel digs into tackling Islamaphobia. (To be clear, I thought the topic was appropriate and handled with both great candor and great sensitivity, but in a world where readers have bemoaned the lack of content warnings around Beach Read, which I took to be a frothy delight of a novel, I feel it worthwhile to note that this novel looks hate squarely in the face in many of its various forms, from internet trolling to workplace microaggressions to literal assault.) Nonetheless, this novel reads like a warm cup of chai and a hug from a loved one. I'm excited to read whatever novel comes from Jalaluddin next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Violence, Religious bigotry, Racism, Racial slurs, and Hate crime
Moderate: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, and Panic attacks/disorders
buttermellow's review against another edition
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Hate crime, Sexism, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Car accident, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
aseel_reads's review against another edition
lighthearted
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
4.0
this was so freaking cute!! honestly I loved the whole thing except for one small mc/friend interaction at the end, which seemed a little out of place but everything else was great, so many aw and laugh aloud moments
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Pregnancy, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia
hannahkiwi'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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Suicide attempt
heliotropia's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Car accident
hannahrhian's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, and Car accident
Minor: Death and Death of parent
internationalreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Cancer, Car accident, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Violence, Xenophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
sidbookreviews's review against another edition
hopeful
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
4.0
Hana Khan Carries On was everything I was hoping for and more! I love You've Got Mail, and Ayesha at Last, so I knew this would be a great read, but nonetheless, it still surprised me! Family drama, secrets, romance, and of course delicious food, are all combined to make for an amazing book about family, finding your voice and being who you are. I loved Hana as a main character, and her relationships and ponderings were so well done. All the characters have rich and well-fleshed-out conflicts and storylines, which was amazing and made the themes of family, relationships and community stand out. The twists and secrets revealed at the ending totally surprised me as well, and I could not put this book down in the second half. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I especially loved all the characters (my favourites are Hana, Rashid and Kawkab Khala). Also I really, really want to try biryani poutine. Would it be good? I'm skeptical, but I am more than willing to give it a try.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Grief, and Pregnancy
Minor: Car accident, Mental illness, and Miscarriage
azrah786's review against another edition
4.25
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I was provided with a finished copy of the book by the publisher for a blog tour in exchange for an honest review**
CW: racism, islamophobia, hate crime, vandalism, death, car accident (off page)
Uzma Jalaluddin has returned with a Muslim rom-com that will both pull on your heart strings and have you laughing out loud.
The story follows Hana Khan, a woman in her early twenties with a passion for telling stories, whose heart is set on a future in the broadcasting industry. However, she’s also big on family so juggles her internship at the local radio station and time hosting her own podcast with helping out at her mother’s restaurant, the Three Sisters Biryani Poutine which as of late isn’t doing so great. When competition arrives to the neighbourhood of Golden Crescent in the form of a new gourmet halal restaurant and its dashing owner Aydin Shah, and some family secrets as well as more hostile affairs cause further complications, with the help of her family, friends and her most loyal podcast listener Hana is determined to do whatever it takes to save Three Sisters.
**I was provided with a finished copy of the book by the publisher for a blog tour in exchange for an honest review**
CW: racism, islamophobia, hate crime, vandalism, death, car accident (off page)
Uzma Jalaluddin has returned with a Muslim rom-com that will both pull on your heart strings and have you laughing out loud.
The story follows Hana Khan, a woman in her early twenties with a passion for telling stories, whose heart is set on a future in the broadcasting industry. However, she’s also big on family so juggles her internship at the local radio station and time hosting her own podcast with helping out at her mother’s restaurant, the Three Sisters Biryani Poutine which as of late isn’t doing so great. When competition arrives to the neighbourhood of Golden Crescent in the form of a new gourmet halal restaurant and its dashing owner Aydin Shah, and some family secrets as well as more hostile affairs cause further complications, with the help of her family, friends and her most loyal podcast listener Hana is determined to do whatever it takes to save Three Sisters.
"Find your principles and see your story through to the end, no matter what."
I’ve personally not seen the film that this book is loosely based off of – You’ve Got Mail – but I’d say the storyline definitely has a unique narrative from your average rom-com. Set in a neighbourhood akin to Gilmore Girls’ Stars Hollow with a much more diverse set of characters, this book is delightfully jam packed full of Indian-Canadian culture and great Muslim rep that immerses you right in to the close-knit community at the heart of the story.
As someone who is of a very similar age I found Hana to be a super relatable character. Her spunky outlook on life and the segments of her podcast that were interspersed throughout the book were truly inspiring. In fact I loved that this book was full of inspirational and wonderfully written women characters!
The various relationships, both familial and friend related were wholesome and I thought it was refreshing to see Hana have such great parental support on both ends when it came to her life decisions. I really appreciated the commentary that was present on the attitudes and societal pressures, particularly towards women in South Asian communities, with regards to marriage and career choices.
There is also the exploration of racism and islamophobia in this book both on a more discernible, hate crime level as well as a look at the more subtle prejudices and microaggressions towards ethnic minorities in the workplace which I thought was all handled incredibly well. Hana’s persisting mentality of staying true to herself and her journey of self-discovery was absolutely wonderful.
"My father says that trying to stop hate is like trying to stop the tides... The best thing you can do is take advantage of it. Don't stop the tide from flowing. Build a hydroelectric dam and make electricity instead, enough to power ten thousand houses. That's how you stop hate."
Now I’m someone who loves it when characters give each other nicknames so I was down for the romance as soon as the words “Mr Silver Shades” came into Hana’s mind. I was surprised with how the romance plot wasn’t as central to the story as I expected but it was one solid rivals to lovers rollercoaster. The banter and the bickering, the sometimes glare sometimes longing glances was all just *chef’s kiss* (no pun intended)
Where this book didn’t have the full on South Asian serial drama feel that Ayesha At Last gave me, the family drama and a couple of the reveals were still on that level. However, despite the storyline being a little predictable it still felt pretty realistic, was hilariously entertaining and a really fun read. I’m even a little curious to have a taste of Biryani Poutine now too! 😂
I can’t wait to pick up what Uzma Jalaluddin writes next!
Final Rating - 4.25/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Islamophobia, and Hate crime
Moderate: Death
Minor: Car accident