Reviews with content warning for Confinement - The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali

I was in a dark place when I started this book. It was a beautiful journey, and helped me channel many feelings. It gave me hope and a very important affirmation that the life that you deserve to live the life you want to live. It's worth fighting for. And your story deserves to be heard as much as anyone else's.

The writing felt a little choppy in the beginning but I loved the story!

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rhaase0509's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book was a little young for me, as the characters are in high school. It is difficult at times to read the choices they are making when a better alternative seems obvious. However, this is a book about teenagers, and teenagers do not always make good decisions. At one point the main character reads a diary including some intense subject matter that I did not feel like the book did enough to address. The abuse detailed in the diary seemed to be glossed over in favour of the main character's personal development. I do not think such subjects should be handled so lightly.
Overall, the story was interesting and I enjoyed learning more about Islamic and Bengali culture.

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krilves's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Overall I liked it. I had issues with the writing, and particularly the dialogue which felt very scripted and unnatural. Not only in the sense "no real teenager speaks like this" but in the way dialogue sometimes feels scripted on reality tv because participants have been asked to say specific lines they never normally would. It was very difficult to ignore and made the whole book feel a bit...forced.

Aside from that it was engaging and interesting, if very dark at times - Rukhsana faces violent homophobia from her parents when they discover she's a lesbian, with abusive treatment following and a forced arranged marriage. There is a happy ending (and no forced marriage), but only after the marriage plot takes a tragic turn. I was honestly shocked at that part, but learning in the acknowledgements that this was a nod to real events that took place less than 5 years ago, was sobering. I think it's an important book, not just for queer teens but their families too. I just wish the writing had been smoother - I think that would've elevated this from "I liked it" to "I LOVED it". As it is I'm just mildly disappointed the writing bogged down an otherwise good book.

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gem114's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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 is one of the best books I have read this year.

Rukhsana is a high school senior, looking forward to heading off to college in California with her girlfriend. The problem is being gay is against her family's Muslim beliefs, and when her parents catch her with her girlfriend, all hell breaks loose.

Rukhsana's story really resonated with me, and I feel like anyone who is has experienced or is anticipating religious backlash when coming out could relate to this book.

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