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A review by plottrysts
The Flame Must Burn by Beena Khan
3.0
The Flame Must Burn is a short novel that centers on the romance between Cyrah, a young Iranian woman, and Ryder/Rehan, a Pakistani-Canadian young man. They meet while Cyrah is participating in a summer study abroad exchange program in small-town Canada.
Their relationship moves at a quick pace, from a brief glance at the beach, to love letters, to dates and hot-and-heavy make-outs. We especially liked their love notes and poetry, since they reveal both Ryder's knowledge and respect for Cyrah's culture and that the MCs share a mindset. We especially enjoyed the presentation of a culture clash between members of two non-Western cultures, both of which were somewhat unfamiliar to us.
The book took a turn about halfway through that complicated the story and our characters' motivations. Cyrah has been presented as an obedient woman who does not want to shame her family, and Ryder has encouraged her to break out of her shell and embrace new freedoms in Canada. We were interested to see how Cyrah would resolve the conflict between cultural expectations and her relationship with Ryder. Unfortunately the resolution emphasizes Cyrah's continued reliance on the men in her life. Although her culture of birth is presented as being restrictive, she also never manages to break away from it, despite the urging of members of her family, friends, and Ryder himself.
This objective review is based on a free advance review copy.
Their relationship moves at a quick pace, from a brief glance at the beach, to love letters, to dates and hot-and-heavy make-outs. We especially liked their love notes and poetry, since they reveal both Ryder's knowledge and respect for Cyrah's culture and that the MCs share a mindset. We especially enjoyed the presentation of a culture clash between members of two non-Western cultures, both of which were somewhat unfamiliar to us.
The book took a turn about halfway through that complicated the story and our characters' motivations. Cyrah has been presented as an obedient woman who does not want to shame her family, and Ryder has encouraged her to break out of her shell and embrace new freedoms in Canada. We were interested to see how Cyrah would resolve the conflict between cultural expectations and her relationship with Ryder. Unfortunately the resolution emphasizes Cyrah's continued reliance on the men in her life. Although her culture of birth is presented as being restrictive, she also never manages to break away from it, despite the urging of members of her family, friends, and Ryder himself.
This objective review is based on a free advance review copy.