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A review by breannehakey
More Than Just a Pretty Face by Syed M. Masood
5.0
Danyal Jilani’s new goal in life is to show people that he is more than just a pretty face. Yes, he is a 19 year old senior and yes, he did get held back, but there is more to him than just his pretty looks.
Danyal is not very good at school and everybody knows it. Everyone except Danyal’s teacher, who chose him to be in the Renaissance Man--a school-wide academic championship. Danyal’s long time crush, Kaval offers to help Danyal with his thesis, stating that if he does a good job with the Renaissance Man, maybe he could ask for her hand in marriage. Another unlikely companion comes along in Danyal’s life with a completely opposing view to Kaval’s. As Danyal gets closer and closer to the Renaissance Man competition, he realizes he has a lot of important decisions to make about his future.
I found this book to be a really cute YA novel about finding yourself and love. However, there were also deeper issues intertwined throughout the book such as race, religion, family, history, and so on.
This book constantly made me hungry. Since Danyal is working toward being a chef, there was constant mention of food. Yummy food. I loved the way the dishes were described, almost if I was watching Danyal make them myself.
I did feel a little sorry for Danyal who was constantly getting talked down to throughout the book. Imagine having that many people not have faith in you. Including your mother and father. I am surprised he was so happy.
I can’t personally say anything about the Muslim aspect of the book as I do not know much about the religion. However, I have seen many other reviewers give opinions based on their own knowledge.
Thank you Syed M. Masood Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the ARC and DRC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Danyal is not very good at school and everybody knows it. Everyone except Danyal’s teacher, who chose him to be in the Renaissance Man--a school-wide academic championship. Danyal’s long time crush, Kaval offers to help Danyal with his thesis, stating that if he does a good job with the Renaissance Man, maybe he could ask for her hand in marriage. Another unlikely companion comes along in Danyal’s life with a completely opposing view to Kaval’s. As Danyal gets closer and closer to the Renaissance Man competition, he realizes he has a lot of important decisions to make about his future.
I found this book to be a really cute YA novel about finding yourself and love. However, there were also deeper issues intertwined throughout the book such as race, religion, family, history, and so on.
This book constantly made me hungry. Since Danyal is working toward being a chef, there was constant mention of food. Yummy food. I loved the way the dishes were described, almost if I was watching Danyal make them myself.
I did feel a little sorry for Danyal who was constantly getting talked down to throughout the book. Imagine having that many people not have faith in you. Including your mother and father. I am surprised he was so happy.
I can’t personally say anything about the Muslim aspect of the book as I do not know much about the religion. However, I have seen many other reviewers give opinions based on their own knowledge.
Thank you Syed M. Masood Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the ARC and DRC in exchange for my honest opinion.