A review by moh
Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali

4.0

This is a lovely YA novel. The central conflict takes a while to get going, but it is 100% worth the wait. The main character, Janna Yusuf, becomes more fully fleshed out as the plot develops and she faces different challenges, so that the effect is like getting to know someone better as she understands more about herself. I also appreciated how much I learned about Islam and how deftly S.K. Ali integrated that information into the narrative in ways that felt essential to the characters. There's a central theme of kindness throughout Saints and Misfits that I loved. But this isn't fluffy YA. The kindness is thoughtful, tested, and explored.