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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
This story is being sold as a modern-day Muslim Pride and Prejudice but, in my opinion, out of all of the Pride and Prejudice retellings I've read, it's the least faithful to the characters of the story. So if you're looking for a faithful retelling, this isn't it. But if you don't mind reading a retelling that takes a lot of liberties with the characters, you may still be interested in this book.
Since there are no Bennet sisters in this book, Jalaluddin uses extended family members as stand ins for some of these characters. The main characters were fully fleshed out, with believable backstories for family members who appeared in the story as well as those who were missing.
This book was a great window into the Muslim Indian population in Canada. I really enjoyed reading and learning about the difference between the more liberal and traditional Muslim factions and the author managed to rewrite the modern day Darcy character in an entirely believable way, which was not an easy feat. I wasn't the biggest fan of how the characters made the two main characters tried to shame the characters about their advanced age (late twenties) and remind them how abnormal they were for being single or at least not having sex. There was a lot of emphasis on money and status amongst the aunties, which seems to be typical of stories I've read about Indian values. It's kind of ironic how similar their point of view was to that of Austen's Mrs. Bennet and how little has changed over such a long period of time.
The tightly woven plot and excellent characterization had me enjoying this book far more than I had anticipated. Her spin on Pride and Prejudice took me in different directions than I had anticipated and I wasn't upset with this. I ended up liking this book quite a bit better than I liked [b:Unmarriageable|39926661|Unmarriageable|Soniah Kamal|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1524485741l/39926661._SY75_.jpg|61800121]. I would highly recommend this to any [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320399351l/1885._SY75_.jpg|3060926] fans.
Since there are no Bennet sisters in this book, Jalaluddin uses extended family members as stand ins for some of these characters. The main characters were fully fleshed out, with believable backstories for family members who appeared in the story as well as those who were missing.
This book was a great window into the Muslim Indian population in Canada. I really enjoyed reading and learning about the difference between the more liberal and traditional Muslim factions and the author managed to rewrite the modern day Darcy character in an entirely believable way, which was not an easy feat. I wasn't the biggest fan of how the characters made the two main characters tried to shame the characters about their advanced age (late twenties) and remind them how abnormal they were for being single or at least not having sex. There was a lot of emphasis on money and status amongst the aunties, which seems to be typical of stories I've read about Indian values. It's kind of ironic how similar their point of view was to that of Austen's Mrs. Bennet and how little has changed over such a long period of time.
The tightly woven plot and excellent characterization had me enjoying this book far more than I had anticipated. Her spin on Pride and Prejudice took me in different directions than I had anticipated and I wasn't upset with this. I ended up liking this book quite a bit better than I liked [b:Unmarriageable|39926661|Unmarriageable|Soniah Kamal|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1524485741l/39926661._SY75_.jpg|61800121]. I would highly recommend this to any [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320399351l/1885._SY75_.jpg|3060926] fans.
This grew on me. It's a bit more YA than I usually read and the characters are exaggerated caricatures, but I warmed up to the story after the first 1/3 of the book and found myself rooting for Khalid and Ayesha by the end.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third Pride and Prejudice retelling I've read this year; all of them have their own merits and their own drawbacks. With this one, I really admired the quality of the writing, especially for a first-time author. I also appreciated how Uzma Jalaluddin brought some original details and perspectives into the story, so it felt really fresh and innovative. While I enjoyed meeting all the new characters (especially Ayesha's charming, likeable grandparents), there were a lot of threads to keep track of. I also felt like some of the villain (or villain-adjacent) characters were a bit overwrought. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this take on the story.
This is the third Pride and Prejudice retelling I've read this year; all of them have their own merits and their own drawbacks. With this one, I really admired the quality of the writing, especially for a first-time author. I also appreciated how Uzma Jalaluddin brought some original details and perspectives into the story, so it felt really fresh and innovative. While I enjoyed meeting all the new characters (especially Ayesha's charming, likeable grandparents), there were a lot of threads to keep track of. I also felt like some of the villain (or villain-adjacent) characters were a bit overwrought. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this take on the story.
I'm a sucker for a Pride and Prejudice retelling. And I loved this one!
⚠️content warning ⚠️ islamophobic, alcoholic, abortion (past mentioned), blood, death of a parent (past mentioned), fatphobia, workplace harassment, and slut shaming
2.5⭐️booking myself a rage room because Sheila, and everyone else, when I catch you
2.5⭐️booking myself a rage room because Sheila, and everyone else, when I catch you
Fun story (a take on Pride and Prejudice) that's set in the Muslim community of Toronto. Not a terribly deep book, but a fun read with a cultural twist (for me).
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced