Reviews

The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan

blee98's review against another edition

tense slow-paced

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

1.5

specificity's review against another edition

5.0

I talk about how I sobbed or I cried at certain scenes in books or movies but usually those are just times when I've felt a phantom knife in my heart. I'm not a crier for media. In fact, I've only ever cried for three pieces of media before: The Bridge to Terabithia, Dead Poets Society, and The Book Thief.

This book made me cry harder, and burst into tears more times, than all three of those put together. I'm usually embarrassed to cry in front of my roommate, but this time I just burst into tears in my dorm room, shaking as I took in what happened.

It's an exceptional and very difficult read, but it's so, so worth it.

lsparrow's review against another edition

4.0

YA novel about a young girl navigating through faith, tradition, systemic racism and homophobia
and trying to find a way to reconcile all the parts of herself.

madeeznuts's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-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

5.0

dhishfish's review against another edition

4.0

WOW this book was good. It was very powerful and emotional and took me through a part of South Asian culture that I have never experienced before. Rukhsana's parents were very, very traditional parents, but what I loved about this book was that (mild spoiler):

Spoiler

her parents were able to grow and learn, and while they were villainized for quite a lot of the book, they became better people which is a hopeful message that many queer brown people probably needed to hear

This book was so heart-wrenching and great and a really good read.

mochipooja's review

emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I really wish I’d read this book when it first came out and I’d gotten it because this was kind of at that height of bringing more attention to South Asian representation. I absolutely loved the queer rep as well as the Bengali rep between the community and the culture. It’s not often that you see stories about South Asians that aren’t solely Indian so this was a nice change of pace. Also, the story itself can seem extreme and outlandish because of how it’s written. But the thing to understand is that this is a YA novel written in the perspective of a 17 year old girl. So it may seem exaggerated by the situation itself is not at all outlandish because some families do crazy things like what’s shown in the book. Also the grandmother’s backstory? HEART WRENCHING. Overall, a fast and easy read but incredibly emotional, culturally based, and is a story to keep you turning the page till the end. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia

ariannemaya's review against another edition

4.0

J'ai beaucoup apprécié le personnage de Rukhsana et les relations qu'elle entretient avec les diverses personnes de son entourage. Les personnages ne sont pas des stéréotypes; même les parents ont des raisons de faire ce qu'ils font et croient fermement qu'ils agissent pour le bien de leur fille. Rukhsana se trouve aussi des alliés là où elle ne croyait pas du tout en avoir.

Le seul hic, c'est la copine de Rukhsana, pour qui je n'avais que très peu de compassion et qui, à certains moments, me tombait royalement sur les nerfs. Mettons que le fait que je ne souhaitais même pas que le couple principal finisse ensemble m'a enlevé un peu de mon plaisir de lecture.

Mais en tant que tel, c'était une très bonne histoire.

s_smiadak's review against another edition

5.0

This book was way heavier than I anticipated and even though I have never had the added burden coming out to my family, I completely related to the cultural expectations desi families hoist onto their children.

charms1976's review against another edition

3.0

*ARC provided by the publisher for an honest review*
First of all, kudos to the author for writing about some touchy subjects in society still today.
That said, I didn't really know how to rate this book. I did like it - the writing being good. I think my problem is all the different subjects that was touched on in this book. It left me feeling 'heavy'. I am not sure it was my reading funk I have been in, but it isn't a book I will reread.

demoluver's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

3.75