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arayofreading's review against another edition
4.0
TW: sexual assault
This is one of those books that makes me remember why representation is so important.
I’ve never related to a character more than I related to Janna. She is a Muslim teen trying to understand how she fits in a world that so often polarizes her identity as a young girl in western society and as a Muslim. She faces judgement from both sides, and you really feel her anxiety as the people around her pressure her to be what they perceive to be “normal” or “right”, when in all reality she is still trying to figure out who she is. Janna is a character who is flawed, and I wholly appreciate it. She makes some questionable decisions, but so does everyone her age. She is still learning, and I think that is a luxury not often granted to teenagers.
This book delves deeply into relationships and as Janna grows, she learns that some strengthen in adversity, and some crumple. I absolutely adored the new friendships she formed (and can I say Nuah is so cute). And of course, her relationship with mr. ram was so sweet.
What I really appreciate is that there is not just one token Muslim character. So many times in novels may have a single Muslim character that is somehow supposed to represent their entire culture and religion, and that is not realistic given the complexity of human nature. There are bad people in this book, but there are also such wholeheartedly good people, and this diversity is so important in portraying marginalized groups. We need to be able to recognize this diversity in order to truly understand other groups of people.
This book was not without faults. I did not particularly enjoy the writing style and in the beginning it was hard to get through (even though I eventually got used to it and speedily finished it). I also did not enjoy Tats characters, simply because she seemed so ignorant and oblivious at times that it was so annoying. This book also suffered from trying to address too many issues at once without adequate discussion of each. But the parts that succeeded were so important and well done that they outweighed the others flaws.
I’m really glad this book exists, and I hope there are more like it in the future.
This is one of those books that makes me remember why representation is so important.
I’ve never related to a character more than I related to Janna. She is a Muslim teen trying to understand how she fits in a world that so often polarizes her identity as a young girl in western society and as a Muslim. She faces judgement from both sides, and you really feel her anxiety as the people around her pressure her to be what they perceive to be “normal” or “right”, when in all reality she is still trying to figure out who she is. Janna is a character who is flawed, and I wholly appreciate it. She makes some questionable decisions, but so does everyone her age. She is still learning, and I think that is a luxury not often granted to teenagers.
This book delves deeply into relationships and as Janna grows, she learns that some strengthen in adversity, and some crumple. I absolutely adored the new friendships she formed (and can I say Nuah is so cute). And of course, her relationship with mr. ram was so sweet.
What I really appreciate is that there is not just one token Muslim character. So many times in novels may have a single Muslim character that is somehow supposed to represent their entire culture and religion, and that is not realistic given the complexity of human nature. There are bad people in this book, but there are also such wholeheartedly good people, and this diversity is so important in portraying marginalized groups. We need to be able to recognize this diversity in order to truly understand other groups of people.
This book was not without faults. I did not particularly enjoy the writing style and in the beginning it was hard to get through (even though I eventually got used to it and speedily finished it). I also did not enjoy Tats characters, simply because she seemed so ignorant and oblivious at times that it was so annoying. This book also suffered from trying to address too many issues at once without adequate discussion of each. But the parts that succeeded were so important and well done that they outweighed the others flaws.
I’m really glad this book exists, and I hope there are more like it in the future.
bookish_aesthete's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-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
allison_sirovy's review against another edition
4.0
Good book, just not a great book. I think teens will like the book - lots of stuff that teens will be able to relate.
dainybernstein's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? No
5.0
mehvie's review
4.0
Some people have nice-looking husks with nothing inside. Some people have dried husks but there's fruit and even a nice kernel in there
I loved how realistic and relatable this book was and how S.K Ali described 'monsters' (those who look saintly from outside but filled with evil intentions) in the Muslim community. In my opinion this is such an important book for the young generation (and everyone who likes wearing rainbow colored glasses) as it talks about how actions speak louder than words and how not all people who look religious or have memorized religious texts have the best of intentions. S.K Ali handled the topic with a lot of care and got her message across loud and clear.
Not going to lie but it took me some time to start enjoying the book as I felt like some kid was rambling about how bad her life was. There were times where I felt was draggy and the ending was very dry! I expected a bit more but the book did pick up as it got to the main crux of the story.
The language was easy to understand and comprehend plus you'll be getting a lot of wisdom throughout the book! Jannah's character development was great, I like how she found the strength to confront the 'monster'. One downside was the gym scene with Jeremy and Jannah- I mean it went a bit over board with Jannah decking up and going out without hijab. But again when I put myself in Janna's shoes and saw the situation from her perspective (trying to fit in, and getting the attention of her crush) it is reality of girls nowadays.
My favorite character would be Mr. Ram, and his words of wisdom. The second favorite would be Muhammad (Jannah's brother), he was sweet, caring and funny. And was always concerned about his sisters well-being. Fizz annoyed the crap out of me ! She's the perfect portrayal of someone who's blinded by a person's outer religiosity and then who puts them on a pedestal of they can never do anything wrong. Nuah was the perfect gentleman !
On the whole, this book makes you aware of the masks that so-called religious people wear and would go to any extent to save their outer religious reputation. While scarring the people who they affected.
I loved how realistic and relatable this book was and how S.K Ali described 'monsters' (those who look saintly from outside but filled with evil intentions) in the Muslim community. In my opinion this is such an important book for the young generation (and everyone who likes wearing rainbow colored glasses) as it talks about how actions speak louder than words and how not all people who look religious or have memorized religious texts have the best of intentions. S.K Ali handled the topic with a lot of care and got her message across loud and clear.
Not going to lie but it took me some time to start enjoying the book as I felt like some kid was rambling about how bad her life was. There were times where I felt was draggy and the ending was very dry! I expected a bit more but the book did pick up as it got to the main crux of the story.
The language was easy to understand and comprehend plus you'll be getting a lot of wisdom throughout the book! Jannah's character development was great, I like how she found the strength to confront the 'monster'. One downside was the gym scene with Jeremy and Jannah- I mean it went a bit over board with Jannah decking up and going out without hijab. But again when I put myself in Janna's shoes and saw the situation from her perspective (trying to fit in, and getting the attention of her crush) it is reality of girls nowadays.
My favorite character would be Mr. Ram, and his words of wisdom. The second favorite would be Muhammad (Jannah's brother), he was sweet, caring and funny. And was always concerned about his sisters well-being. Fizz annoyed the crap out of me ! She's the perfect portrayal of someone who's blinded by a person's outer religiosity and then who puts them on a pedestal of they can never do anything wrong. Nuah was the perfect gentleman !
On the whole, this book makes you aware of the masks that so-called religious people wear and would go to any extent to save their outer religious reputation. While scarring the people who they affected.
ebrarkzlgl's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
blithesquesttoread's review against another edition
4.0
There's a good reason why I live S.K. Ali so much <3
hannahrhian's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rachelbaack's review against another edition
emotional
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? No
4.5
Summary: Fifteen-year-old Janna is dealing with a set of normal teenage issues—crushes, negotiating spending time with her divorced mother and father, and deciding how she feels about her brother’s possible soon-to-be fiancée—but she has one big secret that is tearing her apart inside: a boy who everyone at her mosque believes is a wonderful young man has done something terrible to her, and she doesn’t know how to respond. Follow Janna’s story as she juggles these issues and, along the way, discovers who in her life is really going to be there for her and even meets some unexpected allies.