Scan barcode
harlow_m's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kitten's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
gracemuelle's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
this book was rly cute. i did get a bit frustrated when nishat told flavia she didn’t want to be with her because she wasn’t out. actually i got a lot frustrated. other than that i rly enjoyed the book. i related to a lot of the homophobia nishat encountered. although it was really hard to read her parents’ initial reactions to her sexuality, the end gave me a lot of hope
sunrey's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
3.75
mikaylaj's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
maya_dlr's review against another edition
3.0
(3.5 stars)
I loved Nishat and her journey. But Flàvia’s actions were incredibly hurtful and should not have been forgiven.
This should not have been a romance novel…
I loved Nishat and her journey. But Flàvia’s actions were incredibly hurtful and should not have been forgiven.
This should not have been a romance novel…
rai's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
nervousbell's review against another edition
3.0
(Not spoiler free, uses direct quotes.)
The cautionary notes for this book were thoughtfully included. As an individual who faced homophobia during high school and in church, reading this book transported me back to those challenging times. Despite prevalent one-star reviews primarily criticizing the exploration of cultural appropriation, I'm glad I gave this book a chance. While the treatment of the topic may be somewhat superficial, as someone of East Asian and Indigenous descent, I grasped the underlying message the main character was attempting to convey. The handling of cultural appropriation is disappointing, but I wasn’t expecting much to begin with, with how scaling some of the one of the star reviews were. I do think it wasn’t as bad as people were making out to be, it gets slightly better towards the end of the book specifically in chapter 32. Yes it was somewhat cheesy but I rather have cheesy than balant tone deafness.
Some critics targeted the main character for being perceived as "full of herself," but within the narrative, she acknowledges this flaw, particularly in her interactions with her younger sister. This relatable self-awareness resonated with me, as I, too, experienced moments of teenage self-absorption.
In Chapter 13, the character expresses regret, underlining her realization:
"How did I miss this, when I’m supposed to always protect her? I’ve been so caught up with my own drama."
Later, in Chapter 18, after a conflict with her sister, the main character has another epiphany:
"I feel like someone has punched me in the gut. I was so caught up with what happened to Flavia and the henna stuff, that I somehow completely missed what was happening with my sister."
Another quote from Chapter 18 reflects her evolving perspective:
“I’m tempted to blame Chyna and Flávia for this, too. After all, if it wasn’t for them trying to sabotage me, to distract me, to take from my culture, I would be more focused on my sister. Or I hope I would, anyway. But I know that isn’t an excuse. Priti should always be my priority.”
Then in chapter 25 there’s yet another internal monologue quote about how she was selfish and wasn’t paying attention to her family which is what was the most important thing to her.
“Priti is right. I’ve been so caught up with Flávia and the competition and everything else that I’ve forgotten to pay attention to the important things.”
She’s aware of how “full of herself” she was and apologized to her sister later on in the book. I’m convinced people didn’t read the book fully. I wouldn’t have cared if it was just one review but it was multiple and that being their one and only plight which makes zero sense to me. They made Nishat sound like a villain when there’s an actual racist in the book.
Now multiple reviews about how cultural appropriation was handled is valid and those reviews I appreciate.
While it's commendable that the character comes to this realization, the delay in taking action until 76% into the story is a drawback, albeit understandable given the character's overwhelming challenges. Despite not reaching the status of a five-star gem, I don't find this book deserving of a one-star rating. While some aspects could have been more developed, and I might not personally recommend it, honesty compels me to rate it higher than one star.
The cautionary notes for this book were thoughtfully included. As an individual who faced homophobia during high school and in church, reading this book transported me back to those challenging times. Despite prevalent one-star reviews primarily criticizing the exploration of cultural appropriation, I'm glad I gave this book a chance. While the treatment of the topic may be somewhat superficial, as someone of East Asian and Indigenous descent, I grasped the underlying message the main character was attempting to convey. The handling of cultural appropriation is disappointing, but I wasn’t expecting much to begin with, with how scaling some of the one of the star reviews were. I do think it wasn’t as bad as people were making out to be, it gets slightly better towards the end of the book specifically in chapter 32. Yes it was somewhat cheesy but I rather have cheesy than balant tone deafness.
Some critics targeted the main character for being perceived as "full of herself," but within the narrative, she acknowledges this flaw, particularly in her interactions with her younger sister. This relatable self-awareness resonated with me, as I, too, experienced moments of teenage self-absorption.
In Chapter 13, the character expresses regret, underlining her realization:
"How did I miss this, when I’m supposed to always protect her? I’ve been so caught up with my own drama."
Later, in Chapter 18, after a conflict with her sister, the main character has another epiphany:
"I feel like someone has punched me in the gut. I was so caught up with what happened to Flavia and the henna stuff, that I somehow completely missed what was happening with my sister."
Another quote from Chapter 18 reflects her evolving perspective:
“I’m tempted to blame Chyna and Flávia for this, too. After all, if it wasn’t for them trying to sabotage me, to distract me, to take from my culture, I would be more focused on my sister. Or I hope I would, anyway. But I know that isn’t an excuse. Priti should always be my priority.”
Then in chapter 25 there’s yet another internal monologue quote about how she was selfish and wasn’t paying attention to her family which is what was the most important thing to her.
“Priti is right. I’ve been so caught up with Flávia and the competition and everything else that I’ve forgotten to pay attention to the important things.”
She’s aware of how “full of herself” she was and apologized to her sister later on in the book. I’m convinced people didn’t read the book fully. I wouldn’t have cared if it was just one review but it was multiple and that being their one and only plight which makes zero sense to me. They made Nishat sound like a villain when there’s an actual racist in the book.
Now multiple reviews about how cultural appropriation was handled is valid and those reviews I appreciate.
While it's commendable that the character comes to this realization, the delay in taking action until 76% into the story is a drawback, albeit understandable given the character's overwhelming challenges. Despite not reaching the status of a five-star gem, I don't find this book deserving of a one-star rating. While some aspects could have been more developed, and I might not personally recommend it, honesty compels me to rate it higher than one star.
katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
Cultural and sexual identity... in a family and school setting.
With shades of Heartstopper, this multi-racial queer love story set in Ireland covers a lot of ground.
NIshat is 17 and Bengali, she works hard at her Catholic school, has a close relationship with her sister Priti, and is about to come out to her parents. Their reaction, to try and ignore it and ask her to 'make a different choice', hurts.
While reeling from this, Nishat meets an old school friend Flavia, to whom she is instantly attracted. But soon also develops a rivalry with, as both girls decide to start henna businesses for their class competition. Nishat has been raised in a culture dedicated to such creations, Flavia has seen it done at a wedding. Nishat cannot let her win this.
Confusion over feelings, over culture, over identity results. Nishat herself comes across as self-absorbed and I became quite annoyed at her treatment of friends, her sister and others. Priti was much more likeable and grounded, a wonderful sibling relationship there when she manages to bring Nishat back to the real world. The love story is sweet, though nothing that hasn't been seen before, though with a mixture of racial backgrounds made visits to family homes and seeing their cultures intriguing.
I could see this on a screen, lots of good roles for friends and family, with bullies and contemporary issues to play out, it's also about coming out and standing up for yourself and for others.
For ages 13 and above.
With shades of Heartstopper, this multi-racial queer love story set in Ireland covers a lot of ground.
NIshat is 17 and Bengali, she works hard at her Catholic school, has a close relationship with her sister Priti, and is about to come out to her parents. Their reaction, to try and ignore it and ask her to 'make a different choice', hurts.
While reeling from this, Nishat meets an old school friend Flavia, to whom she is instantly attracted. But soon also develops a rivalry with, as both girls decide to start henna businesses for their class competition. Nishat has been raised in a culture dedicated to such creations, Flavia has seen it done at a wedding. Nishat cannot let her win this.
Confusion over feelings, over culture, over identity results. Nishat herself comes across as self-absorbed and I became quite annoyed at her treatment of friends, her sister and others. Priti was much more likeable and grounded, a wonderful sibling relationship there when she manages to bring Nishat back to the real world. The love story is sweet, though nothing that hasn't been seen before, though with a mixture of racial backgrounds made visits to family homes and seeing their cultures intriguing.
I could see this on a screen, lots of good roles for friends and family, with bullies and contemporary issues to play out, it's also about coming out and standing up for yourself and for others.
For ages 13 and above.