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charmingreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
4.0
this book is really awesome! i love the characters so much, they’re all so vivid and real. the romance is so sweet and adorable. along with the story being great, the book actually informs a lot about islam which is very nice. definitely recommend!!
age rating: 13+
age rating: 13+
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Islamophobia
courtnoodles's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
Cute, but romance is way too high in the genres in my opinion. Almost nonexistent. Reads kind of young, but could probably be super meaningful to young Muslim readers. Happy Ramadan!
"Feeling 22 in 2022": A Taylor Swift Book Challenge - A book with "love" in the title
"Feeling 22 in 2022": A Taylor Swift Book Challenge - A book with "love" in the title
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Islamophobia, and Racism
Minor: Medical content
bookishbasma's review against another edition
4.0
First of all, the TITLE. I will never stop getting a thrill from seeing Arabic/Islamic words on mainstream books (you should have seen my face when the title of Love from Mecca to Medina dropped).
This was such a cute and heartwarming book! While I do think it’s slightly inaccurate to call it a romance, the romance that was there was adorable and I loved it! But this book was really about finding your faith and your family amidst struggle, especially in the month of Ramadan. Honestly this book just really made me miss Ramadan and had me checking my countdown to it
As far as Muslim rep goes, I really enjoyed this one, aside from some minor things. I really liked the emphasis on our holidays and the core of our faith, that Allah never burdens us beyond that we can bear.
TW: intense Islamophobia, gun violence
This was such a cute and heartwarming book! While I do think it’s slightly inaccurate to call it a romance, the romance that was there was adorable and I loved it! But this book was really about finding your faith and your family amidst struggle, especially in the month of Ramadan. Honestly this book just really made me miss Ramadan and had me checking my countdown to it
As far as Muslim rep goes, I really enjoyed this one, aside from some minor things. I really liked the emphasis on our holidays and the core of our faith, that Allah never burdens us beyond that we can bear.
TW: intense Islamophobia, gun violence
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Islamophobia
stephsbooktalk's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Audiobook: I want to thank the Bad Bitch Book Club for putting this book on my radar that I normally would not have picked out myself. I have very limited knowledge of Ramadan so that was refreshing to read about a holiday that isn't normally spotlighted.
This was such a quick listen & the book isn't too long if you are looking for a quick, cute YA read. Dua is visiting her family for a month in New York City during the holy month. I had to chuckle with Dua when she talks about her struggle during fasting at the start of the holiday. I would feel those same struggles.
Dua gets to meet other Muslims while visiting which is overwhelming as she is from a smaller town and doesn't know any other in her school. She becomes smitten with a young man who is brother of her cousin's fiancee. He helps Dua learns the text of Quran at which during this time they become close. Along with Dua we also follow her cousin Mahnoor and her dilemma with being in an arranged marriage.
There is a moment that happens to her younger cousin as a result of Islamophobia.
I was surprised at the ending which I will not ruin but my gosh it seemed so rushed!!!!
I will admit that I rushed through the audio to make sure that I got through it before a discussion so my memory of everything is a bit foggy. And now its been days since I listened, which makes writing this review a bit tougher.
This was such a quick listen & the book isn't too long if you are looking for a quick, cute YA read. Dua is visiting her family for a month in New York City during the holy month. I had to chuckle with Dua when she talks about her struggle during fasting at the start of the holiday. I would feel those same struggles.
Dua gets to meet other Muslims while visiting which is overwhelming as she is from a smaller town and doesn't know any other in her school. She becomes smitten with a young man who is brother of her cousin's fiancee. He helps Dua learns the text of Quran at which during this time they become close. Along with Dua we also follow her cousin Mahnoor and her dilemma with being in an arranged marriage.
There is a moment that happens to her younger cousin as a result of Islamophobia.
I was surprised at the ending which I will not ruin but my gosh it seemed so rushed!!!!
I will admit that I rushed through the audio to make sure that I got through it before a discussion so my memory of everything is a bit foggy. And now its been days since I listened, which makes writing this review a bit tougher.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Islamophobia
this_momma_is_booked's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
YA Lit has come so far from when I was a young adult myself and I am so happy to see the quality and diversity of works young people have access to today. This book was beautifully written, filled with diversity and growth and heart. I loved learning about the Muslim culture, a culture so different from my own. I loved exploring their customs, their beliefs, their relationships to religion and each other.
I enjoyed almost every single aspect of this book except for two. First off, I did feel that the book came off as a bit preachy in terms of what it meant to be a "good" Muslim. The way Dua's parents raised her was put into stark contrast with the way her cousins were raised and the dialogue surrounding that (and Dua's Ramadan checklist) made it seem as if that was the "wrong" way and Dua would now be learning how to do it all properly. I can respect that she wanted to learn more about the origins of the holiday and how it looks for different people, but I feel like the language surrounding it was charged in such a way as to insinuate that there is only one "right" way to be a Muslim (and, by extension, a Catholic, Christian, Jew, etc.). The other aspect of the book I didn't enjoy was Dua and Hassan's engagement at the very end. I understand that it is not uncommon for young Muslim people to become engaged, and my issue with it wasn't the age at all. It was the fact that it was so unlike Dua and the way she was raised. In her conversation with her parents, they even told her that they would put feelers out in a few years. To have her become engaged to Hassan after only knowing him for a couple months felt disingenuous to the character .
During our discussion of the book (over at Bad Bitch Book Club - check them out!), there was also talk about whether the shooting that occurred in the book was necessary or whether it broke with the idea of a romance novel. While I agree that having a shooting come out of nowhere is shocking, I feel like it is an accurate portrayal of how this trauma impacts everyday life. We, as a society, have become so accustomed to racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, discrimination, etc., that we are desensitized to how these things affect people in very real ways. The shooting symbolized the very sudden way these issues come into clear focus when they lead to harm of someone we love. And while it's not often we see this subject matter in romance, particularly YA romance, it does still fall within the scope of the romance formula because there is a happy ending.
All in all I highly enjoyed this book and I suggest you all read it! The audiobook is excellent and really helped with the pronunciation of words that were foreign to me.
I enjoyed almost every single aspect of this book except for two. First off, I did feel that the book came off as a bit preachy in terms of what it meant to be a "good" Muslim. The way Dua's parents raised her was put into stark contrast with the way her cousins were raised and the dialogue surrounding that (and Dua's Ramadan checklist) made it seem as if that was the "wrong" way and Dua would now be learning how to do it all properly. I can respect that she wanted to learn more about the origins of the holiday and how it looks for different people, but I feel like the language surrounding it was charged in such a way as to insinuate that there is only one "right" way to be a Muslim (and, by extension, a Catholic, Christian, Jew, etc.). The other aspect of the book I didn't enjoy was
During our discussion of the book (over at Bad Bitch Book Club - check them out!), there was also talk about whether the shooting that occurred in the book was necessary or whether it broke with the idea of a romance novel. While I agree that having a shooting come out of nowhere is shocking, I feel like it is an accurate portrayal of how this trauma impacts everyday life. We, as a society, have become so accustomed to racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, discrimination, etc., that we are desensitized to how these things affect people in very real ways. The shooting symbolized the very sudden way these issues come into clear focus when they lead to harm of someone we love. And while it's not often we see this subject matter in romance, particularly YA romance, it does still fall within the scope of the romance formula because there is a happy ending.
All in all I highly enjoyed this book and I suggest you all read it! The audiobook is excellent and really helped with the pronunciation of words that were foreign to me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Xenophobia, Hate crime, and Islamophobia
sanj's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
reflective
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? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Religious bigotry
sarahfortin's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence
mmrohbock's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
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
4.25
4.25⭐
G for a cute young adult novel good for any teen!
As a teenager, I really didn't know much about Ramadan and learned so much more as an adult living in diverse cities with coworkers who are practicing Muslims. This is the young adult book I wish I had as a teen so I could learn more about customs different from the ones I grew up with.
Dua is a seventeen-year-old only child and the only Muslim in girl in her school who's just looking forward to summer when her parents announce they're going to spend the month of Ramadan in NYC with her uncle's very religious family of seven. The following month is so much change as Dua learns to find her place among such a large family, grow in her religious practice and meet a cute Desi boy who's a friend of the family.
This book tackled so many different topics from Islamophobia to marriage decisions to the joy of a first crush. Sara Sharaf Bag did a great job bringing her characters to life and sharing their challenges in such a short book. I did find it hard to keep all the characters straight at first and there was a lot going on to keep track of. The characters also made some major decisions extremely quickly, so the book didn't always quite flow but I think some of that may be due to cultural differences on my end.
If you're looking for a great book to learn more about the Islamic faith or Ramadan that can be shared with people of all ages, I definitely recommend this book. It was so sweet and so informative!
And I do not want to appropriate Ramadan but as a Catholic with Lent rapidly approaching, this book has put me in the right mindset to think about how I want to grow during the time period where Catholics use fasting and restrictions to bring themselves closer to God.
G for a cute young adult novel good for any teen!
As a teenager, I really didn't know much about Ramadan and learned so much more as an adult living in diverse cities with coworkers who are practicing Muslims. This is the young adult book I wish I had as a teen so I could learn more about customs different from the ones I grew up with.
Dua is a seventeen-year-old only child and the only Muslim in girl in her school who's just looking forward to summer when her parents announce they're going to spend the month of Ramadan in NYC with her uncle's very religious family of seven. The following month is so much change as Dua learns to find her place among such a large family, grow in her religious practice and meet a cute Desi boy who's a friend of the family.
This book tackled so many different topics from Islamophobia to marriage decisions to the joy of a first crush. Sara Sharaf Bag did a great job bringing her characters to life and sharing their challenges in such a short book. I did find it hard to keep all the characters straight at first and there was a lot going on to keep track of. The characters also made some major decisions extremely quickly, so the book didn't always quite flow but I think some of that may be due to cultural differences on my end.
If you're looking for a great book to learn more about the Islamic faith or Ramadan that can be shared with people of all ages, I definitely recommend this book. It was so sweet and so informative!
And I do not want to appropriate Ramadan but as a Catholic with Lent rapidly approaching, this book has put me in the right mindset to think about how I want to grow during the time period where Catholics use fasting and restrictions to bring themselves closer to God.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Islamophobia
gabbyblayden's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, and Xenophobia
onkenzisshelf's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
What I Liked:
- I learned so much about the Muslim faith in this book! I loved the narrator and I'm really glad I listened to this, as I never would have been able to pronounce half the words. I also felt like this was a really good, modern look at Islam.
- I really loved Dua's character arc - both within her faith and within her family. It felt genuine and I felt like I was on this journey with her.
- I went into this thinking it was going to be a lighthearted romance novel, but WOW it dove deep into Islamophobia, something that we tend to overlook a lot. It dealt with this topic in incredibly moving ways too. I honestly am not sure I would even classify this book as a romance, as it dealt more with Dua and her faith.
What I Didn't Like/Wanted More Of:
- I wish the romances had been a little more fleshed out.
- Parts felt a little preachy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia and Gun violence