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arjohnson5623's review against another edition
5.0
In one sitting I plowed through this book, breathless as I cried along with the main character and utterly unable to turn my gaze from a single word. Powerful in ways I could never adequately express, Saeed's work needs to be on the short list for everyone to read. Right. Now.
illusie's review against another edition
4.0
This book was not what I expected. It's about Naila who is forced into an arranged marriage. Naila is someone you can easily relate to. Her life seemed perfect until it turned into a nightmare. It's an emotional and heartbreaking story. The writing was good and I just wanted to keep reading.
nikolinaza's review against another edition
5.0
This book was a bit depressing for me, knowing that there's still a lot of Nailas outside of my own world... That's sickening.
dounia_1999's review against another edition
emotional
sad
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
5.0
anxietygirl89's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
yumnas's review against another edition
2.0
I like that this book was written at all. People think that forced marriages only happen in under developed countries, or in certain cultures. However, sometimes, girls in our own neighborhoods are being forced, whether it be implicitly or explicitly. But, since that was the goal, did it have to be done while hitting every single south Asian, Muslim, and immigrant family stereotype?? That being said, I did not like that the author did not at any point mention that, in Islam, a forced marriage is not valid at all.
marieintheraw's review against another edition
3.0
This book left me confused because while the author had an arranged marriage, the book is about how the main character Naila is having a forced one and everything seems worse case scenario and reading the author's note didn't give me much of a closure on why I felt that. Naila is also very naive when it comes to what is going on in this story prior to the marriage actually being arranged.
starrysea98's review against another edition
5.0
Let me just say that I am not a crier. Yet the final few pages of this book had me tearing up. In PUBLIC.
Naila is a girl born to immigrant parents from Pakistan. She's in love with Saif, but unfortunately her parents reserve the right to choose her husband for her. This is a really fast paced story; three hundred pages cover about a few months. It's extremely readable and Naila is the kind of character that you really want to cheer on. She's determined and ready to spit destiny in the eye.
I'm a bit disappointed that we don't get a bit of insight to Naila's and Saif's relationship though. Sure, they're in love and everything but some cynical part of my brain kept popping in saying 'high school romances, man.' I would have liked a bit of backstory to their love before she left for Pakistan.
This is a great addition to anyone's shelf because you know what, it's realistic fiction. That means when you're reading it, thinking oh god I would not want to be in this situation, there ARE girls out there stuck in this very situation. The subtle themes of gender inequality and domestic violence are equally jarring. Of course, this book isn't saying all arranged marriages are bad (the author herself got married through an arranged marriage) but what it's really saying that it should be up to choice. It should be a woman's choice if she wants to get married through arrangements by her parents or she wants to get married her way or if she doesn't want to get married at all. And I think that's really important in terms of today's society because there are tons of these forced marriages going on out there, not only in Pakistan but across all different types of nations, cultures and races.
Naila is a girl born to immigrant parents from Pakistan. She's in love with Saif, but unfortunately her parents reserve the right to choose her husband for her. This is a really fast paced story; three hundred pages cover about a few months. It's extremely readable and Naila is the kind of character that you really want to cheer on. She's determined and ready to spit destiny in the eye.
I'm a bit disappointed that we don't get a bit of insight to Naila's and Saif's relationship though. Sure, they're in love and everything but some cynical part of my brain kept popping in saying 'high school romances, man.' I would have liked a bit of backstory to their love before she left for Pakistan.
This is a great addition to anyone's shelf because you know what, it's realistic fiction. That means when you're reading it, thinking oh god I would not want to be in this situation, there ARE girls out there stuck in this very situation. The subtle themes of gender inequality and domestic violence are equally jarring. Of course, this book isn't saying all arranged marriages are bad (the author herself got married through an arranged marriage) but what it's really saying that it should be up to choice. It should be a woman's choice if she wants to get married through arrangements by her parents or she wants to get married her way or if she doesn't want to get married at all. And I think that's really important in terms of today's society because there are tons of these forced marriages going on out there, not only in Pakistan but across all different types of nations, cultures and races.