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neonskylite's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
Usually when I read books like this I find the romance to be a plot tumour and its the exact opposite this time - I felt the pacing got very rushed at the ending and I barely had time to settle in with Razia's high school life and relationship with Angela before it started getting complicated, so I wasn't as upset or disturbed when it comes crashing down rather than a bit disoriented. I am going to miss Razia for a long time, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Islamophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Outing, Xenophobia, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
samantha1960's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-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
3.75
Rehman writes beautifully but I found the first half of the book quite difficult to follow. The second half get significantly more easy to read as it becomes chronological. Wish the first half had been done better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Child abuse, Grief, Racism, Violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Incest, Misogyny, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Outing, Rape, Sexual assault, Bullying, Colonisation, Murder, and Toxic friendship
siandee's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Racism
shugentobler's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
This book pierced right through my heart and into my soul. That is all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Physical abuse, Violence, Animal cruelty, Xenophobia, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Islamophobia, Homophobia, and Emotional abuse
detailedshrimp's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Disappointed by a few unfinished storylines.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Animal death, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
jayisreading's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Written with tenderness, Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion is a queer coming-of-age novel that gives the reader a glimpse into the life of a Pakistani American girl in New York City during the 1980s. Throughout this novel, the protagonist, Razia, is constantly at odds with her family's traditional values, especially when she starts to grapple with her queer identity. The novel is as much a novel about being queer as is it is a novel about being Muslim and being a part of the Pakistani diaspora. Rehman highlights the difficulties that many children of immigrant households face in trying to find themselves while dealing with clashes in culture, religion, and tradition. I found that Rehman did a wonderful job exploring the thorniness of it all, and the conflicted feelings that continued to grow in Razia as she grew older.
My main complaint about the novel is about the ending, which I thought was rather abrupt. I felt Rehman could have taken time to build up to the ending she presented, but it ended up being rushed and I felt like I was left hanging.
This was a really great exploration of what it means to be queer, Pakistani American, and Muslim, though, and while some of the characters (including Razia) got on my nerves, I found that I was mostly touched by the earnestness of the story.
My main complaint about the novel is about the ending, which I thought was rather abrupt. I felt Rehman could have taken time to build up to the ending she presented, but it ended up being rushed and I felt like I was left hanging.
This was a really great exploration of what it means to be queer, Pakistani American, and Muslim, though, and while some of the characters (including Razia) got on my nerves, I found that I was mostly touched by the earnestness of the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Islamophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, and Xenophobia
Minor: Death and Pandemic/Epidemic
ivanarundaworld's review
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Death, and Islamophobia
Minor: Sexual assault, Vomit, and Pregnancy
bookishcookiemonster's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
I'm so happy to see more and more books about Pakistani-American published.
I grew was born in the 90s, and reading about gatherings of the aunties, and the young girls escaping away from reading Qu'ran, transported me right back to my own childhood, doing the same things.
And, Razia's constant fear of being sent to Pakistan and married off, also brought back the fear me and my friends had growing up too, while we did things our mothers didn't approve of.
Razia's story is so beautiful, and heartwrenching, and most very important. Young, Muslims/South Asian Queer folk are in desperate need representation. And hope. Even though Razia's story wasn't really a happy ending, it was still hopeful. I like to imagine that she was able to find her way, and got to live her truth.
Thank you, Bushra Rehman, for writing this wonderful story.
I will be reading it again!
I grew was born in the 90s, and reading about gatherings of the aunties, and the young girls escaping away from reading Qu'ran, transported me right back to my own childhood, doing the same things.
And, Razia's constant fear of being sent to Pakistan and married off, also brought back the fear me and my friends had growing up too, while we did things our mothers didn't approve of.
Razia's story is so beautiful, and heartwrenching, and most very important. Young, Muslims/South Asian Queer folk are in desperate need representation. And hope.
Thank you, Bushra Rehman, for writing this wonderful story.
I will be reading it again!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Lesbophobia, Vomit, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Racism
shelby1994's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
TW: animal cruelty
“But I knew “religious girl” was code for something that had nothing to do with Allah. It had to do with how a girl did whatever her husband and community said, how a girl wouldn’t question the way things were set up.”
I read this after listening to Lamya H. (author of Hijab Butch Blues) begin interviewed on The Stacks podcast. She recommended this as a book being in conversation with her own writing about being a queer Muslim woman in the U.S., and while I originally wanted to read them back to back, I still have **updated Libby for the 6th time in an hour** 7 WEEKS until my hold comes through on HBB.
The first half reads like a series of core memories - the ones that you spill out of you on drunken first dates, trading them like playing cards with whoever is sitting across from you at the bar that night. It’s feeling each other out and casually sliding a religions reference into your banter, then shrieking with delight when they catch it and throw it back in your court.
Rehman’s characters show that for an immigrant community, the traditions and community building that religion and its rules and comforts provide, can be the only thing keeping people above water. At the same time, deviating from that path can close off the world of your childhood. When rebellions are made, their consequences are permanent.
Also recommend this book for anyone looking to recapture the ironic satisfaction that gay girls get when they realize that their parents have spent all their time on alert for boys (commonly referred in my childhood as the ‘spawn of satan’ (™)) that they’ve missed all the gay shenanigans going on under their roof.
Read If:
- You were always a little jealous of your ultra-devout friends, for reasons you couldn’t pinpoint.
- Your best fashion finds happen in Goodwill
- You and your mum will put aside any drama to combine forces against the one relative you all hate.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Domestic abuse
thissagreads's review
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This novel was bittersweet. I loved and appreciated getting an inside look at the Muslim culture and religion in the 80’s. It was especially nice reading the journey and development of the main character, as she came into her own. But I found myself frustrated with the main character’s mother and cultural stifling the main character was experiencing. I wish there were less stories about her childhood and more more story as a teen, into adulthood.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Religious bigotry
Minor: Sexual assault, Violence, and Racism