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sofiamarielg's review against another edition
3.0
Cheesy teenage romance, but a very interesting look at growing up in Saudi Arabia as a girl.
giulay's review
2.0
"When people say you’re wrong so many times over so many years, when they call you a bad person, you begin to believe them. You begin to hide your face again – to anyone – you will be judged. Sometimes, it gets so bad that you begin to wonder if life is worth living."
TW: rape, sexual assault, abusive parents, bullying.
Unpopular Opinion Time
TW: rape, sexual assault, abusive parents, bullying.
Unpopular Opinion Time
essja7's review against another edition
3.0
A dark story told from multiple POV with very few positive or uplifting moments. I enjoyed the journey into different cultures, religions and lifestyles and felt deeply for Zarin as she struggled to find her place in an unforgiving and incredibly harsh life (some of which was reinforced through the decisions and actions she chose as her way of escape).
To strengthen this story I felt that it needed a counter balance other than Porus. All men and women were portrayed as either weak and neurotic or nasty and depraved but without someone in there representing strength and empathy it tended to feel very stereotypical.
It is also quite different to read a story knowing that your main characters are already dead, clever approach though.
To strengthen this story I felt that it needed a counter balance other than Porus. All men and women were portrayed as either weak and neurotic or nasty and depraved but without someone in there representing strength and empathy it tended to feel very stereotypical.
It is also quite different to read a story knowing that your main characters are already dead, clever approach though.
sbelasco40's review against another edition
5.0
This was a painful but incredibly good read. The tension was so strong throughout, and the way that the personalities and motivations and histories of the characters were revealed little by little was so skillful. I’m also always glad to see a YA novel set outside of North America, and the story felt both completely specific to its Saudi Arabian setting and also universal to the teenage/coming-of-age experience.
daffz's review against another edition
4.0
Trigger Warnings: Sexual Abuse, Domestic Abuse
This was not an easy read, but definitely a profound one. I'm having trouble thinking of what to write about this book, but I think it's a very well-written and important novel. The story is about a sixteen year old girl named Zarin being raised by her aunt and uncle in Saudi Arabia. Zarin has managed to build up a reputation as a 'bad girl', a troublemaker who spends time with boys and smokes cigarettes. But there is a lot more to her, more that a lot of her peers and adults around her are unable to see. The story begins with her death, then moves back in time to build up what happened to lead up to it. It was a sad story, as I grew invested in both Zarin and the sweet romance in the book, while knowing the entire time how the book would end. The plot highlighted how restricting the culture Zarin grew up in was, and I was happily surprised by the multiple perspectives that showed how this society affected different people.
All in all, not an easy book and not one I would recommend for everyone. But if it looks interesting to you, and if you heed the trigger warnings, it's definitely a story that will stick with you.
This was not an easy read, but definitely a profound one. I'm having trouble thinking of what to write about this book, but I think it's a very well-written and important novel. The story is about a sixteen year old girl named Zarin being raised by her aunt and uncle in Saudi Arabia. Zarin has managed to build up a reputation as a 'bad girl', a troublemaker who spends time with boys and smokes cigarettes. But there is a lot more to her, more that a lot of her peers and adults around her are unable to see. The story begins with her death, then moves back in time to build up what happened to lead up to it. It was a sad story, as I grew invested in both Zarin and the sweet romance in the book, while knowing the entire time how the book would end. The plot highlighted how restricting the culture Zarin grew up in was, and I was happily surprised by the multiple perspectives that showed how this society affected different people.
All in all, not an easy book and not one I would recommend for everyone. But if it looks interesting to you, and if you heed the trigger warnings, it's definitely a story that will stick with you.
mbellsamantha's review against another edition
4.0
Spoiler
Obviously I knew she would end up dead, but FUCK that SUCKS!! She didn't deserve that! Or anything!!kelseysej's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed A Girl Like That. The story has a somewhat unique structure, starting with the deaths of the two main characters (Zarin and Porus), and moving fluidly through time and space throughout the remainder of the novel. While it is clear that Bhathena uses A Girl Like That as a vehicle to discuss serious topics (sexual assault, gender inequality, bullying, etc.), her novel rarely feels like an "issue" book. Unlike some books dealing with complex societal issues, A Girl Like That does an excellent job of weaving together multiple story lines and creating complex, multidimensional characters who have clear motivations for their actions throughout the text.
msmahlon's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book, don’t get me wrong! But I feel like there was something missing in the narrative to make the story resonate with me. I'm not sure what that is at that moment, but I will update this post once I have reflected upon it a bit.
sassylynne's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0