Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Zara Hossain Is Here

Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan

21 reviews

queerafictionado's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring tense fast-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

4.0

This was an amazing story that covers some pretty heavy and intense topics in a (for the most part) delicate way, without too much sugar coating or downplaying - racism, xenophobia, immigration, and gun violence to name the big ones. It’s the story of Zara, a bisexual, Muslim, Pakistani immigrant in Texas, as she navigates being a teen and growing up while being othered and dehumanized, all while she and her family deal with immigration red tape bureaucracy and the fate of their ability to stay in the country hangs in the balance.

With all the intense topics that this story touches on, including homophobia, I love that Zara’s parents are not one of the sources. They are supportive and love and defend her and it made my heart so happy to see that. Zara has a close relationship with her parents as well as her two best friends and with all the bad things that were happening to Zara and her family, it was great to have so much love and support and goodness written into the story through these relationships. And I of course have to mention the adorable rescue dog, Zoro!

At times it felt like Khan tried to pack too much into the book, and some parts felt rushed and too easily resolved. But overall it was an enjoyable story and I recommend checking it out. The narrator, Richa Moorjani, did a great job bringing this story to life!

While this story did have a sapphic romance subplot, it is not a romance. This story is a coming of age novel about family and friendship, standing strong and remaining hopeful in the face of hatred.

🏳️‍🌈Rep: MC is a Bisexual, Muslim, Pakistani immigrant; LI is a white lesbian; several POC and queer SCs

📝Tropes/Themes: Young Adult, High School, Friendship, Family Relationships, Catholic School, Immigration, Coming of Age, Racism, Social Justice, Cute Rescue Dog

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courtknee__vn's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

This book really made me stop and think about my privilege how much I don’t have to think about daily being a white woman. Being in Texas, I see a lot about immigration and I’ve always thought it was so unfair that immigrants and people of different ethnicities and religions have to deal with so much discrimination on a daily basis but really diving into that experience from Zara’s perspective made me see it even more and it broke my heart and made me so angry. It’s not fair that she had to wake up every day with the weight of so much on her shoulders and constantly had to be on guard because of so many cruel people. I obviously don’t have the words to really express how important this book is but I think it’s such an eye opening and important read for every single person. Very very highly recommend!!

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cassiebartelme's review against another edition

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challenging emotional fast-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

2.75

This is a young adult novel about Zara who in addition to being a senior in high school is navigating many things including but not limited to Islamophobia, bullying and waiting for the results of an eight year immigration process. It’s a lot.

I appreciate a story that depicts young adults as complex humans with more issues than just crushes and mean teachers but for me there were too many things going on to really get into any of them fully. And then they had to all be wrapped up so the ending felt a little forced. Again, I realize the intended audience is young adults but if they are picking up a book addressing these type of topics I believe they can handle a deeper dive into them.

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zombiezami's review against another edition

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3.75

What I most liked about this book were Zara as a character and her loving and mutually supportive relationship with her parents. I really loved how they were written. I also especially enjoy books where I can't predict what's going to happen next, and that was definitely the case with this one.

As far as my critiques, most of the characters did not feel especially developed. What activities does Priya enjoy? Why does Zara like Claire other than that Zara finds her pretty and they are both queer? At the end of the book, I didn't have a clear idea of how to answer those questions. Even with Zara, we open the book with her training in martial arts, but that barely gets brought up again after that first scene, despite the fact that she's been involved with it for most of her life.

Moreover, there were some plot points that were introduced but never really went anywhere. For example,

what happened with Maria after Zara intervened in the bullying and intimidation that was happening? It's implied that she might talk to the principal about how she was bullied, but we never hear about her after that incident. I was thinking she might become friends with Zara and her crew

. The ending felt rather abrupt, too.

There were also several instances where the characters acted as mouthpieces for the author's beliefs, sounding like they were reading Wikipedia pages about the DREAM Act and immigration reform. Although I agreed with what they were saying (fuck borders), I imagine there could have been a more organic way to present these ideas in the characters' own voices.

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susanknights's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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bitterseason's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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sarah984's review against another edition

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emotional informative medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This book touches on a lot of important topics and I did like parts of it but overall it felt a little bland and superficial, more like a summary than its own novel. A lot of things happen really quickly and kind of get glossed over (the romance is SO fast) and the side characters don't have a lot of personality. I liked the way the book spotlighted problems with the immigration system that aren't as commonly addressed. However a lot of issues got solved way too easily -

the love interest’s homophobic Christian parents go to one therapy session and then they're okay with her Muslim girlfriend coming over for dinner, the way going to Canada is presented as an answer to every problem as if there are no racists here.

The food descriptions are great though, and I loved Zara’s relationship with her family.

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amberinpieces's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

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venetiana's review

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This was so good. I especially love how it didn't latch onto the "easiest" solution. The purpose of this book is definitely not to assuage white guilt, and I really appreciate that.
Also, very lovable characters, great writing, and funny too.

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smillas_tales's review against another edition

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tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This book offers a view into the uncertain situations many immigrants find themselves in, and It’s a heavily political and family-oriented story! It also explores the intersectionality of race, religion and sexuality, and while it isn’t a new favorite, I really enjoyed my time with it!

This story focuses on a lot of important topics, and I loved how none of the issues were sugarcoated! I also really liked the casual queer representation, as there isn’t made a big deal of Zara’s sexuality. I also appreciated that her safety as a queer woman as well as a woman of color and a Muslim was discussed, as these intersectionalities aren’t often explored this thoroughly in YA literature.

While I loved many aspects of this book, the execution was lacking. I had a hard time getting into the writing style, as I found the dialogue to be somewhat awkward, as well as the descriptions to be lacking. I never got a clear picture of any of the characters or their surroundings, which is something I need to really get enveloped in a story. The ending was also really rushed, and I lacked a more comprehensive conclusion.

Additionally, the romance just didn’t work for me. The reader is told that Zara and Chloe like each other, but not actually shown why. We don’t get to see them connect, and it’s very insta-lovey, which I can’t stand. It’s definitely a sub-plot though, so don’t let it keep you from reading this!

Although it isn’t a new favorite, I do highly recommend this if you’re looking for a YA contemporary with a political focus and great queer representation!

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