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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Lots of subplots, some handled better than others.
That being said, I checked this book out during a very stressful week and the book’s combination of fun and serious was very welcome and appealing. There are a lot of takes on Pride and Prejudice but I thought this one did a fun job of retelling the original without being a 1:1 copy.
Spoiler
Despite the title, I felt like Ayesha’s dreams got a bit of short shrift. She quit a job to go travel the world but I’m just like .... with what money lol??? But I never much like plots that act like you have to choose between a boring job and following the career of your heart (which always involves being an artist of some kind.) This stood out because the author showed that it doesn’t have to be this dichotomy with Khalid’s work subplot. He left his toxic workplace for a career that was in demand but also allowed for creativity. Also the writing for Hafsa was ... aggravating. Being flawed isn’t a problem, especially since she’s the Lydia expy here. However she said and did some things that really did feel unforgivable to me. I found myself wishing she had been Ayesha’s sister since then you could potentially chalk up some of her behavior to her grieving over her mysteriously dead father and being jealous that Ayesha could remember him. Here she’s just kind of spoiled and awful and I saw nothing to suggest she would keep her word to be more conscientious of others’ feelings.That being said, I checked this book out during a very stressful week and the book’s combination of fun and serious was very welcome and appealing. There are a lot of takes on Pride and Prejudice but I thought this one did a fun job of retelling the original without being a 1:1 copy.
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
Complicated
lighthearted
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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:
Yes
3.5, but I round up.
This book is super cute and very light. I saw a lot of growth in the main characters, particularly Khalid. Lately, in my own life, I have been trying to find the "gray" in situations and purposefully notice that people's actions are rarely black and white. This is a journey that Khalid also goes on; he learns that there is not one "right" way to be Muslim, as long as you are not hurting other people. He had to wrestle with his mother's pious interpretation of Islam. Her actions are not solely a result of her practicing a more conservative religion; he learns that they also come from a place of fear and pride. This story encapsulated that life is more nuanced than the stereotypes you were raised in (or led to believe from the outside looking in.)
If I were to make one criticism, it's that the "villains" (and there are definitely villains in this story) are kinda flat characters. They are kinda "all bad," with Khalid's boss in particular having really zero redeeming qualities. As a plot point, this works. But in a book about seeing the gray, this character, in particular, is pretty black and white.
This book is super cute and very light. I saw a lot of growth in the main characters, particularly Khalid. Lately, in my own life, I have been trying to find the "gray" in situations and purposefully notice that people's actions are rarely black and white. This is a journey that Khalid also goes on; he learns that there is not one "right" way to be Muslim, as long as you are not hurting other people. He had to wrestle with his mother's pious interpretation of Islam. Her actions are not solely a result of her practicing a more conservative religion; he learns that they also come from a place of fear and pride. This story encapsulated that life is more nuanced than the stereotypes you were raised in (or led to believe from the outside looking in.)
If I were to make one criticism, it's that the "villains" (and there are definitely villains in this story) are kinda flat characters. They are kinda "all bad," with Khalid's boss in particular having really zero redeeming qualities. As a plot point, this works. But in a book about seeing the gray, this character, in particular, is pretty black and white.