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marissasa's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This book had a mix of cute, awkward teen girls fake dating romance and realistic coming of age while grappling with harsh truths about your loved ones. I was rooting for Hani and Ishu the whole way, both for them to realize their true feelings for each other and for them to succeed and grow in their individual stories. It was a joy to see the depiction of their Bengali, Indian, and Muslim cultures and their support and understanding of each other in them. I liked that each girl was fleshed out and dealt with realistic issues, as frustrating as they were at times. It was very relatable to see a long-time friendship turn toxic and to see immigrant parents with harsh expectations of their kids. I thought there was a lot of charm in the Irish culture in the book too, especially in the audiobook with the narrators' accents and the way they cursed so naturally. Even though I'm not at the target audience age for this book anymore, I enjoyed it thoroughly and know that it will be such an important one for young Bengali and Indian bisexual teens.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
robin_nescu's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
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: Biphobia, Hate crime, Racism, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
batbaby's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
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
4.5
Honestly I enjoyed this one even more than henna wars, I loved the characters and hated the ones I was supposed to not like. The romance was sweet. I really enjoy the fake dating trope and this one didn’t feel like too slow of a burn.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Racism, and Islamophobia
falibat's review
funny
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Racism, Islamophobia, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Gaslighting and Abandonment
dhatislandbookworm's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This was such a cute sapphic romance!
Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, but oftentimes, the motivations of participating in a fake dating ploy can be quite ridiculous. However, in this instance, it made perfect sense since they both had something to ‘gain’!
Hani and Ishu also plays into the grumpy x sunshine trope and the girls’ opposing personalties complimented each other well.
The book also manages to perfectly balance the romance with the heavier topics such as prejudice, assimilation, abandonment, and the fear of failure.
Unfortunately, the ending felt a bit rushed. The main antagonist didn’t face any repercussions for her abhorrent behavior and was essentially rewarded for it!
We also didn’t get closure on certain plot points. This disappointed me because I felt that some of these points were very essential to the story.
All in all, would still recommend if you’re looking for a delightful read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Racism, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Gaslighting and Abandonment
ctara2123's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Cursing, and Racism
Moderate: Bullying and Toxic relationship
Minor: Islamophobia
xwritingstoriesx's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
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
This book was brilliant. I loved the ways in which the teenage characters were portrayed realistically. Most books never seem to get younger characters right but this author aced it.
It was also really interesting reading from the perspective of Asian characters with references to culture, food and clothing that I hadn't encountered before. Even though it was so unfamiliar for me it felt really comforting to read.
My favourite aspect overall is how the main conflict of this book wasn't the issue of being outed. Though being outed is a very real issue for many and is quite frightening for a lot of people in the lgbt community, I feel as though this kind of conflict has been played out enough in lgbt fiction, so I'm glad I didn't have to read it again. Last but not least, Hani and Ishu made such an adorable couple and I loved the ending they got together.
It was also really interesting reading from the perspective of Asian characters with references to culture, food and clothing that I hadn't encountered before. Even though it was so unfamiliar for me it felt really comforting to read.
My favourite aspect overall is how the main conflict of this book wasn't the issue of being outed. Though being outed is a very real issue for many and is quite frightening for a lot of people in the lgbt community, I feel as though this kind of conflict has been played out enough in lgbt fiction, so I'm glad I didn't have to read it again. Last but not least, Hani and Ishu made such an adorable couple and I loved the ending they got together.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
onlyvitro's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Islamophobia, and Toxic friendship
maggies's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I found this book surprisingly slow-paced, which is rare for YA. Ishu and Hani were charming, but there was something about all the side plots that really slowed it all down, and I sometimes got distracted and couldn't follow. I loved the intersection of Bengali and Irish cultures in this book, as well as the really impactful and unflinching display of microaggressions, both with regard to culture and sexuality.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Racism, Xenophobia, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Toxic friendship
bookswithlauren's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship