You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
So delightful!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Yes
informative
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
This book started off a bit weak, but Ms. Jaigirdar managed to find her footing as soon as she got past the setup for the fake-dating plot. This was a really cute and easy read! Hani and Ishu are both extremely well-developed characters, and their chemistry was just *chef's kiss* so good. I always love the Bengali rep in Ms. Jaigirdar's work, I felt so thrilled being able to translate all the Bangla conversations in this book <3
3.5
J’ai bien aimé, c’est une romance pour ado mignonne qui aborde des thèmes importants dans leur réalité de minorité culturelle !
J’ai bien aimé, c’est une romance pour ado mignonne qui aborde des thèmes importants dans leur réalité de minorité culturelle !
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
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:
Yes
ahh so cute!!!! I loved it sm. more than The Henna Wars. the characters were well developed and I loved their relationships
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
[4.5] Have you ever connected so deeply with a book that every other thing made you cry?
I was in tears multiple times. It was just so refreshing to read about queer South Asians and Hani is Muslim and so am and I and just. Wow.
WHO is doing it like Adiba Jaigirdar?
The writing style is simple and engaging. It’s told in first person dual POVs so it reads quick. The cover is stunning. The title explains the whole premise. Immaculate all around.
Ishu is just trying to live up to the expectations her immigrant parents have set for her. She’s determined and competitive and outspoken. And I loved her.
Hani by contrast is a people pleaser, she’s a practicing Muslim who stands by her beliefs as non-confrontationally as she can. And I loved her.
I enjoyed their dynamic immensely. They were very cute, occasionally awkward, delights .
The Henna Wars was one of my favourite reads of last year and somehow this book topped it. Hani and Ishu have far more chemistry than Flávia and Nishat and it makes all the difference.
Speaking of Jaigirdar’s debut novel, I really appreciate that she displays a range of Muslim experiences. Hani is a practicing Muslim whereas Nishat wasn’t and their parents had different relationships with religion than their children and it was all just very cool.
The one consistent flaw with both books is that there’s a trio friendship where the two are closer with each other than the protagonist. And the relationship gets tested but it never felt very substantial in the first place so whatever happens is kinda inconsequential.
It felt more intentional this time but it would have been nice to see some foundation before the drama or maybe more flashbacks or something.
I also really liked reading about Nik’s relationship with Ishu and the progression of it. Warmed the cockles of my heart it did.
I felt drained because I kept connecting events and people from my life with things happening in the book which forced me in and out of it. It’ll be a while before I read this again but I’m unlikely to forget this first experience and the joy it created.
[SPOILERS]
.
.
.
-The foreshadowing of Ishu thinking:
“Humaira is the kind of girl who...thinks she’ll get what she wants by turning on the waterworks. Her friends are, after all, white feminists.”
And then Aislynn winds up crying and literally escapes all repercussions. Damn.
-It was really nice to see how accepting Hani’s parents were.
-Hani didn’t really feel very popular because she was rarely shown talking to people outside Aislynn and Dee.
-it felt realistic that Nik and Ishu’s parents didn’t wind up going for Nik’s wedding but it was still devastating. It also made sense that Ishu hadn’t come out to her parents and I like that a big deal wasn’t made out of this
-the Bangla included wasn’t translated which I liked. If the lines included are minimal then I don’t mind having to do the work myself because it feels like the author left it there as a nod, like a “well if you know you know” type deal.
I was in tears multiple times. It was just so refreshing to read about queer South Asians and Hani is Muslim and so am and I and just. Wow.
WHO is doing it like Adiba Jaigirdar?
The writing style is simple and engaging. It’s told in first person dual POVs so it reads quick. The cover is stunning. The title explains the whole premise. Immaculate all around.
Ishu is just trying to live up to the expectations her immigrant parents have set for her. She’s determined and competitive and outspoken. And I loved her.
Hani by contrast is a people pleaser, she’s a practicing Muslim who stands by her beliefs as non-confrontationally as she can. And I loved her.
I enjoyed their dynamic immensely. They were very cute, occasionally awkward, delights .
The Henna Wars was one of my favourite reads of last year and somehow this book topped it. Hani and Ishu have far more chemistry than Flávia and Nishat and it makes all the difference.
Speaking of Jaigirdar’s debut novel, I really appreciate that she displays a range of Muslim experiences. Hani is a practicing Muslim whereas Nishat wasn’t and their parents had different relationships with religion than their children and it was all just very cool.
The one consistent flaw with both books is that there’s a trio friendship where the two are closer with each other than the protagonist. And the relationship gets tested but it never felt very substantial in the first place so whatever happens is kinda inconsequential.
It felt more intentional this time but it would have been nice to see some foundation before the drama or maybe more flashbacks or something.
I also really liked reading about Nik’s relationship with Ishu and the progression of it. Warmed the cockles of my heart it did.
I felt drained because I kept connecting events and people from my life with things happening in the book which forced me in and out of it. It’ll be a while before I read this again but I’m unlikely to forget this first experience and the joy it created.
[SPOILERS]
.
.
.
-The foreshadowing of Ishu thinking:
“Humaira is the kind of girl who...thinks she’ll get what she wants by turning on the waterworks. Her friends are, after all, white feminists.”
And then Aislynn winds up crying and literally escapes all repercussions. Damn.
-It was really nice to see how accepting Hani’s parents were.
-Hani didn’t really feel very popular because she was rarely shown talking to people outside Aislynn and Dee.
-it felt realistic that Nik and Ishu’s parents didn’t wind up going for Nik’s wedding but it was still devastating. It also made sense that Ishu hadn’t come out to her parents and I like that a big deal wasn’t made out of this
-the Bangla included wasn’t translated which I liked. If the lines included are minimal then I don’t mind having to do the work myself because it feels like the author left it there as a nod, like a “well if you know you know” type deal.