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kaitlyn_hantz's review against another edition
3.0
This was a interesting read. It started off so slow that 100 pages in I had to switch to the audiobook otherwise I wasn't going to finish. The audiobook was a good choice though. It was very interesting to read about another culture and the struggles the main character faces with coming out to her parents. I really loved the relationship she had with her grandma.
whoaitslei's review against another edition
3.0
3.5*
This book started out a bit bland for me. I didn't like the writing style, it almost felt like a fanfiction sort of writing (in a lot of novels that have come out recently I have noticed this pattern). But once it got good it got really good. Though this isn't my favorite book ever I applaud how the author wrote about the culture and being queer, and I would recommend it if someone asked me.
This book started out a bit bland for me. I didn't like the writing style, it almost felt like a fanfiction sort of writing (in a lot of novels that have come out recently I have noticed this pattern). But once it got good it got really good. Though this isn't my favorite book ever I applaud how the author wrote about the culture and being queer, and I would recommend it if someone asked me.
bo0's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It made me cry
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Confinement, Religious bigotry, and Death
Moderate: Sexual assault
photogcourt's review against another edition
4.0
So many thoughts about this book, which I actually listened to on audio and was very happy with that choice. The narrator was amazing, and did spot on accents and pronunciations which really added to the cultural element of this book in a way my own mind would not have. Really recommend going that route.
At times I was a bit annoyed with, and over, the youthful tone of this book in some areas - but I kept reminding myself that this is what I get for picking a teen novel. However, the overall themes are not "teen," they are quite large and Sabina Khan tackled very heavy themes: LGBT, racial and religious minorities, anti-LGBT in Muslim and Bangladeshi communities, inter-racial marriage/relationships, arranged marriage, rape/assault, violence against women and LGBT individuals, the intersections between family culture and growing up in America culture...there was just so much, and for this I definitely give five stars, but averaging to four with my general feelings about some of the other aspects.
I took away a lot from this book, despite it being fiction I know that it isn't fictionalized. The issues in this book are real-life issues, and reading this as a fictional tale did a lot to get into the mind of a person vs. just reading facts and stats. A main takeaway I had was Rukhsana's relationships with her white American friends. I was often frustrated by their unwillingness to fully listen to Rukhsana and the problems that she faced at home because of her parent's cultural and religious ideals/beliefs. It really hit home the disconnect between Americans and others, in the way that Americans seem to not listen and just believe that anyone can do whatever they want. They disregarded Rukhsana's intersections on many occasions and would get mad at her or not listen when she tried to explain what was happening in her life, why she couldn't come out to her parents, etc. etc. I felt like it made me sad to realize this is a real experience for a lot of our minority kids probably, and I think more discussion and consciousness raising needs to be done in this area.
I am interested to see what Khan will work on next, I believe her work is important in teen spaces and I hope a lot of middle-grade and high school age people are able to read this and get those important themes.
At times I was a bit annoyed with, and over, the youthful tone of this book in some areas - but I kept reminding myself that this is what I get for picking a teen novel. However, the overall themes are not "teen," they are quite large and Sabina Khan tackled very heavy themes: LGBT, racial and religious minorities, anti-LGBT in Muslim and Bangladeshi communities, inter-racial marriage/relationships, arranged marriage, rape/assault, violence against women and LGBT individuals, the intersections between family culture and growing up in America culture...there was just so much, and for this I definitely give five stars, but averaging to four with my general feelings about some of the other aspects.
I took away a lot from this book, despite it being fiction I know that it isn't fictionalized. The issues in this book are real-life issues, and reading this as a fictional tale did a lot to get into the mind of a person vs. just reading facts and stats. A main takeaway I had was Rukhsana's relationships with her white American friends. I was often frustrated by their unwillingness to fully listen to Rukhsana and the problems that she faced at home because of her parent's cultural and religious ideals/beliefs. It really hit home the disconnect between Americans and others, in the way that Americans seem to not listen and just believe that anyone can do whatever they want. They disregarded Rukhsana's intersections on many occasions and would get mad at her or not listen when she tried to explain what was happening in her life, why she couldn't come out to her parents, etc. etc. I felt like it made me sad to realize this is a real experience for a lot of our minority kids probably, and I think more discussion and consciousness raising needs to be done in this area.
I am interested to see what Khan will work on next, I believe her work is important in teen spaces and I hope a lot of middle-grade and high school age people are able to read this and get those important themes.
yasminar's review against another edition
5.0
my fav book out of all i read during ramadan readathon. i have never come across such a positive portrayal of queer Muslims – it's a taboo topic in many muslim cultures and i'm glad this book touched on it
i could relate to a lot of things in this book. one that stood out to me was Rukhsana’s relatives telling her she’s gotten “so dark” as if that’s a bad thing, and constantly telling her to wear something that'll make her look fairer
many reviews note the way rukhsana's parents respond to her being gay is really cruel – i wholeheartedly agree. that's why i think this book is a really imporant one. the ways that her parents respond do not shock me because i've heard of similar things happening – from forcing her to choose a husband to getting a religious healer to “release the jinn” from her body.
also the subplot abt her potential suitor and grandma really broke my heart 3
would definitely recommend this to everyone, muslim or non muslim
i could relate to a lot of things in this book. one that stood out to me was Rukhsana’s relatives telling her she’s gotten “so dark” as if that’s a bad thing, and constantly telling her to wear something that'll make her look fairer
many reviews note the way rukhsana's parents respond to her being gay is really cruel – i wholeheartedly agree. that's why i think this book is a really imporant one. the ways that her parents respond do not shock me because i've heard of similar things happening – from forcing her to choose a husband to getting a religious healer to “release the jinn” from her body.
also the subplot abt her potential suitor and grandma really broke my heart 3
would definitely recommend this to everyone, muslim or non muslim
welllovedspines's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
TL;DR: If you're a fan of contemporary YA, this was a great read offering diverse perspectives. It's messy like most teenage experiences are, and there is a lot of heart. Some plot points are a bit of a stretch, but overall highly enjoyable!
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.
REVIEW:
First, please check the trigger warnings before reading this one.
This book was great, and also unexpected in so many ways. It started off like a standard YA contemporary romance with a little bit of angst. Then there were a lot of twists and turns that really made me struggle with determining just what genre this book would fall under.
Without spoiling what exactly happens as the plot unfolds, I can say that some of the toxic behavior displayed in this book (especially by the parents) was concerning, even moreso when it seemed like it was all just brushed over in the end. I couldn't reconcile with that.
The different connections and dynamics between various characters is really where this book shined. I would gladly check out more from this author in the future!
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REVIEW:
First, please check the trigger warnings before reading this one.
This book was great, and also unexpected in so many ways. It started off like a standard YA contemporary romance with a little bit of angst. Then there were a lot of twists and turns that really made me struggle with determining just what genre this book would fall under.
Without spoiling what exactly happens as the plot unfolds, I can say that some of the toxic behavior displayed in this book (especially by the parents) was concerning, even moreso when it seemed like it was all just brushed over in the end. I couldn't reconcile with that.
The different connections and dynamics between various characters is really where this book shined. I would gladly check out more from this author in the future!
teaandtropes's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I think where this book lacked for me is that I didn't like any of her friends or her girlfriend. Ariana was kind of straight up awful? I'm not sure how we're supposed to see them in love with the continual microaggressions and straight up attitude about the situations she's a byproduct of. This book reminded me a lot of Girls Burn Brighter but a YA version. It's heavy, heartbreaking, emotional, and full of change at the end. It's easy to root for Rukhsana the whole time. The relationships she has with her Nani, Shaila, and Sohail was so sweet. The writing wasn't the strongest in my opinon but the story itself was great!
kieraisreading's review against another edition
5.0
5 stars.
This book shattered my heart, and then picked up the pieces and put it back together
Summary from Goodreads
Seventeen-year-old Rukhsana Ali tries her hardest to live up to her conservative Muslim parents’ expectations, but lately she’s finding that harder and harder to do. She rolls her eyes instead of screaming when they blatantly favor her brother and she dresses conservatively at home, saving her crop tops and makeup for parties her parents don’t know about. Luckily, only a few more months stand between her carefully monitored life in Seattle and her new life at Caltech, where she can pursue her dream of becoming an engineer.
But when her parents catch her kissing her girlfriend Ariana, all of Rukhsana’s plans fall apart. Her parents are devastated; being gay may as well be a death sentence in the Bengali community. They immediately whisk Rukhsana off to Bangladesh, where she is thrown headfirst into a world of arranged marriages and tradition. Only through reading her grandmother’s old diary is Rukhsana able to gain some much needed perspective.
Rukhsana realizes she must find the courage to fight for her love, but can she do so without losing everyone and everything in her life
Wow. The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali was amazing. I flew through this book.
Things I didn't love
Some parts of the book were a bit unrealistic
Things I loved
The diverse characters. This book follows a Muslim lesbian teen.
The characters were great and they were all very well developed.
The writing was so beautiful.
While this read was definitely a bit heavier on substance than a regular contemporaries usually are it wasn't long or boring.
I liked how it was short and sweet.This book deals with some really serious issues that are present to today's teens and I thought that all of these issues were shown well in the book.
I liked how you got to see a glimpse into Bengali culture and learn about their food and their customs.
The dialogue and the interaction between the characters was well written.
The book was very well paced and relatively easy to follow.
"You must never let anyone take your happiness from you. You are young and strong and you must fight."
"Do you know why I have kept this veil all these years?" she said.
"Because our wore it at your wedding."
She shook her head. "No ammu. I kept it as a reminder to never let anyone force me into a life I didn't want."
Age Recommendation
Ages 14 up
Very little swearing (if any)
Romance, but just kissing
Only a few explicit scenes involving sex, but not super detailed.
Overall
I really enjoyed The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali it was a great book. While some parts were a bit unrealistic I loved how the story was written. This is definitely one of my favorites of 2019.
5 stars.
This book shattered my heart, and then picked up the pieces and put it back together
Summary from Goodreads
Seventeen-year-old Rukhsana Ali tries her hardest to live up to her conservative Muslim parents’ expectations, but lately she’s finding that harder and harder to do. She rolls her eyes instead of screaming when they blatantly favor her brother and she dresses conservatively at home, saving her crop tops and makeup for parties her parents don’t know about. Luckily, only a few more months stand between her carefully monitored life in Seattle and her new life at Caltech, where she can pursue her dream of becoming an engineer.
But when her parents catch her kissing her girlfriend Ariana, all of Rukhsana’s plans fall apart. Her parents are devastated; being gay may as well be a death sentence in the Bengali community. They immediately whisk Rukhsana off to Bangladesh, where she is thrown headfirst into a world of arranged marriages and tradition. Only through reading her grandmother’s old diary is Rukhsana able to gain some much needed perspective.
Rukhsana realizes she must find the courage to fight for her love, but can she do so without losing everyone and everything in her life
Wow. The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali was amazing. I flew through this book.
Things I didn't love
Some parts of the book were a bit unrealistic
Things I loved
The diverse characters. This book follows a Muslim lesbian teen.
The characters were great and they were all very well developed.
The writing was so beautiful.
While this read was definitely a bit heavier on substance than a regular contemporaries usually are it wasn't long or boring.
I liked how it was short and sweet.This book deals with some really serious issues that are present to today's teens and I thought that all of these issues were shown well in the book.
I liked how you got to see a glimpse into Bengali culture and learn about their food and their customs.
The dialogue and the interaction between the characters was well written.
The book was very well paced and relatively easy to follow.
"You must never let anyone take your happiness from you. You are young and strong and you must fight."
"Do you know why I have kept this veil all these years?" she said.
"Because our wore it at your wedding."
She shook her head. "No ammu. I kept it as a reminder to never let anyone force me into a life I didn't want."
Age Recommendation
Ages 14 up
Very little swearing (if any)
Romance, but just kissing
Only a few explicit scenes involving sex, but not super detailed.
Overall
I really enjoyed The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali it was a great book. While some parts were a bit unrealistic I loved how the story was written. This is definitely one of my favorites of 2019.
5 stars.
katyb24's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to love this book. The premise was original and I liked Rukhsana's character. However, the plot plodded along and I found, for a relatively lengthy book, more development was needed. After reading, I was left wanting to know how Rukhsana had even met her girlfriend and how she came to be so confident in her sexuality - with such strict parents and a rather sheltered life, I imagined it took her some time to be comfortable with it, but the book never even mentioned any conflict in that regard. Dialogue was awkward and many of the relationships seemed superficial. Finally, (and here I acknowledge I am being too critical) the story was set in my hometown of Seattle, but there was never any description/specific locations mentioned beyond the name of the city that made me feel like the book even took place there. It made me wonder why the author even bothered to choose a fairly well known city (or maybe that's my own bias
megatsunami's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. There was a lot to like in this story about a Bengali-American lesbian teenager and her family's reaction to her coming out. There was a range of interesting characters and a lot of good cultural descriptions. However, the relationship between Rukhsana and her girlfriend just never quite felt real to me. Also,