Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
I read this book as a “window,” and it was very good. I struggled a bit at first because the characters’ lives were SO different from mine, but that was good for me. Hearing how Karim was treated at work (and knowing that’s a reality for people) made me ill
I liked this book a lot more than I expected to... it's my first Pride and Prejudice reimagining, so I was wary. Cute, fun, quick, easy read.
This was a fun, quick read. Pride and Prejudice-ish reset Canadian Muslims in a tight knit Indian community. I agree w/ some previous reviews that the villains ended up falling a bit flat, but I loved this book regardless. Honestly refreshing for me to read a rom-com from non-white perspectives.
Balancing traditional values and family expectations in a modern setting while still showcasing a beautiful culture = ❤️.
Balancing traditional values and family expectations in a modern setting while still showcasing a beautiful culture = ❤️.
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A really good story with relevant topics. No matter your faith you likely have experienced the pull of various priorities and responsibilities projected upon you by family, work, beliefs, friends, community, country, and more while trying to figure out what you truly want out of life. This story is gripping, it is funny, it is shocking, and it is well written. I also enjoyed the narrator. It's been a while since I've read really good fiction, Jalaluddin started my new year off right with this one!
I love a good Pride and Prejudice adaptation. I read most of this in February while I was teaching P&P, which made it more exciting, as the book was fresh on my mind. It was really cute to see how the author interpreted the novel into a time and setting, with creative twists on many of the characters and plots. Overall, this book was a bit mixed for me. There were parts of it that I LOVED and other parts that I didn’t like as much.
The first thing I really loved was how much I learned about Islam and South Asian marriage traditions from reading this book. Arranged marriages aren't something I know a ton about and I hadn’t read a book that dealt with them in any other way than just on the surface, so I really loved how this book dove into that world and really brought it to life. There is also a lot of Indian cooking lessons. At one point I ended up begging a Trader Joe’s worker to find me paratha bread in the back of the store after reading the delicious paratha making lesson scene.
I also loved that this novel took place in Toronto. It is such a cool and diverse city, but I feel like I don’t find a lot of books set there. It was really cool how the author brought to life the vibrant Muslim population that Toronto has. I also liked that Ayesha had a friend who was from NewFoundland.
I didn’t like that a lot of the plot was based around a lie and lack of communication. At this point, it seems like a very “old” plot that didn’t really need to be done for the book to work. It also was frustrating to imagine that such an extreme lie would be allowed to go on for so long. There were a lot of dramatic backstories that also didn’t feel believable.
I read the first 2/3s of the novel very quickly, but I struggled to get through the end of it, as the ending seemed pretty obvious. However, I did still like it for a lot of reasons and I’d recommend it if you are a fan of P&P, Indian food, and Toronto!
The first thing I really loved was how much I learned about Islam and South Asian marriage traditions from reading this book. Arranged marriages aren't something I know a ton about and I hadn’t read a book that dealt with them in any other way than just on the surface, so I really loved how this book dove into that world and really brought it to life. There is also a lot of Indian cooking lessons. At one point I ended up begging a Trader Joe’s worker to find me paratha bread in the back of the store after reading the delicious paratha making lesson scene.
I also loved that this novel took place in Toronto. It is such a cool and diverse city, but I feel like I don’t find a lot of books set there. It was really cool how the author brought to life the vibrant Muslim population that Toronto has. I also liked that Ayesha had a friend who was from NewFoundland.
I didn’t like that a lot of the plot was based around a lie and lack of communication. At this point, it seems like a very “old” plot that didn’t really need to be done for the book to work. It also was frustrating to imagine that such an extreme lie would be allowed to go on for so long. There were a lot of dramatic backstories that also didn’t feel believable.
I read the first 2/3s of the novel very quickly, but I struggled to get through the end of it, as the ending seemed pretty obvious. However, I did still like it for a lot of reasons and I’d recommend it if you are a fan of P&P, Indian food, and Toronto!
emotional
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
Ayesha At Last lived up to my hopes as a Pride and Prejudice inspired story, emulating the original characters and their flaws. But this was anything but a copy - it holds it's own as an ode to family and how our own presumptions can get in the way of truly seeing one another. Uzma Jalaluddin cleverly used Pride and Prejudice tropes and plot, weaving them into characters and settings completely their own and adding her own twists that kept the story fresh.
I've read a few adaptations on Pride and Prejudice now, I should probably give the original version a read. I really enjoyed the modern Canadian/Muslim version of the story. I thought the author did a wonderful job with her additions while keeping true to the original foundation (at least from what I've heard). I thought the characters were all well thought out. My only complaint is that sometimes I felt it was rushed - and I still am not sure how they got a conference for hundreds of people organized in a few weeks without really working on it - unless there were more people helping behind the scenes.
if this helps: thought pride and prejudice was okay, loved Bridget Jone's Diary when it came out, and really liked this book.