A review by sakisreads
Brick Lane by Monica Ali

adventurous inspiring tense slow-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

3.5

My friend had absolutely raved about ‘Love Marriage’ and so I thought to try Monica Ali’s original ‘Brick Lane’ first to see what her writing was all about.

Initially, I was disappointed as I thought the events dragged in the first half of the book. Nazneen was getting nowhere and I couldn’t come to terms with her meeting Karim. 
However, once things started to pick up the pace and she started having her affair, I was far more excited 😂 I love an illicit storyline, especially when it affects people’s perspectives of self.
I’d like to think that Nazneen would’ve come to terms with herself and her identity without Karim, but he certainly felt like a catalyst 😳


I also ADORED Nazneen’s ‘no’ towards Mrs. Islam at the end. I WHOOPED 😂


Shahana and Bibi also felt like true teens and I loved how their anxiety and humanness was included in the storyline. 

I’d give it 4 stars if it had started with a faster pace, but this is still a stunning story. I would recommend it to challenge perceptions of both the immigrant experience and motherhood 👏🏼 Thank you ✨
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