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aargot1's review against another edition
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Islamophobia, Xenophobia, Violence, Hate crime, Abandonment, and Death of parent
emilineopines's review
hopeful
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
3.5
I enjoyed Jalaluddin's debut, Ayesha at Last, but I was seriously impressed by the growth she showed as an author in her sophomore outing. Where Ayesha gave me exactly what I wanted, Hana Khan kept surprising me with its nuanced characters and relationships. I loved the idea of a reimagined You've Got Mail, but while Hana Khan wears its Ephron-inspiration proudly (with some nice little on-the-nose references, especially near its denouement), it updates the story to better reflect the culture of its characters as well as 21st century mores writ large. (Beloved though they may be, 90s rom-coms leave much to be desired in the way it handles gender and just full-on criminal behavior.) While I agree with classifying this novel as a lighthearted rom-com, I was surprised at how deeply the novel digs into tackling Islamaphobia. (To be clear, I thought the topic was appropriate and handled with both great candor and great sensitivity, but in a world where readers have bemoaned the lack of content warnings around Beach Read, which I took to be a frothy delight of a novel, I feel it worthwhile to note that this novel looks hate squarely in the face in many of its various forms, from internet trolling to workplace microaggressions to literal assault.) Nonetheless, this novel reads like a warm cup of chai and a hug from a loved one. I'm excited to read whatever novel comes from Jalaluddin next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Violence, Religious bigotry, Racism, Racial slurs, and Hate crime
Moderate: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, and Panic attacks/disorders
buttermellow's review
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Hate crime, Sexism, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Car accident, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
internationalreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Cancer, Car accident, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Violence, Xenophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
myblackbookish_life's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
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
4.5
I truly loved this book. It made me laugh out loud in some parts, weepy in others, and mostly reflective and somber throughout the story. I love the movie You’ve Got Mail, and this book was so much more than a remix on that tale. I relate very much to Hana’s feeling adrift, her innate need and draw to storytelling and importance of family. There’s a romanctic plot line but surprisingly that’s not what I find myself taking away from this book. Anyway, loved this book!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia
Moderate: Racial slurs and Violence
Minor: Emotional abuse
ananko's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, and Hate crime
Moderate: Violence, Death, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, and Medical trauma
Minor: Death of parent, Infertility, and Grief
librariangeorgia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Hate crime
willowy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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
4.0
Hana Khan Carries On
Length: 368 Pages
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
"My parents had raised me to be honest, to accept that everything would work out if only I had faith. But they had also taught me stories from the life of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. One time the Prophet witnessed a Bedouin man leaving his camel untethered in the desert. When he asked the Bedouin why, the man replied that he trusted God to take care of his animal. The Prophet's advice? 'Trust in God, but tie your camel.'"
24-year-old Hana Khan is -- somehow -- balancing shifts at her Mother's restaurant, Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, working on a hard won internship at a Toronto Radio Station, and running an anonymous podcast called Ana's Brown Girl Ramblings. Oh, and I did I mention her blossoming online romance with a commenter on her podcast known only as StanleyP?
Just when she thinks things can't possibly get more complicated, a new restaurant moves into the close-knit neighborhood of Golden Crescent, a new halal restaurant, which threatens the struggling Three Sisters Biryani Poutine. The owner of the hip new restaurant, Aydin, is cold, frustrating, and, most aggravating of all, totally hot. Hana and him instantly butt heads, but could there be something more to his hard exterior?
With a colorful cast of characters, like Hana's Machiavellian cousin Rashid, her bestfriends, the Doctor Lily and the ullu Yusuf, and her mysterious tree-climbing aunt, Kawkab Khala, Hana Khan Carries On is a heart-warming story of family and community. It has plenty of cozy, fluffy and romantic moments, but doesn't shy away from harder topics, like Racism and Islamphobia.
It took me a while to warm up to Aydin, who for the majority of the book aggravated me as much as he did Hana! But by the end I liked him well enough, and thought he was a good choice for headstrong Hana. I guessed all of the twists early in the book, though it didn't take away from the enjoyment of seeing their conclusions.
A perfect choice for if you're looking for something a little more on the light-hearted side, and need a guaranteed happy ending!
For more reviews visit my blog!
Length: 368 Pages
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
"My parents had raised me to be honest, to accept that everything would work out if only I had faith. But they had also taught me stories from the life of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. One time the Prophet witnessed a Bedouin man leaving his camel untethered in the desert. When he asked the Bedouin why, the man replied that he trusted God to take care of his animal. The Prophet's advice? 'Trust in God, but tie your camel.'"
24-year-old Hana Khan is -- somehow -- balancing shifts at her Mother's restaurant, Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, working on a hard won internship at a Toronto Radio Station, and running an anonymous podcast called Ana's Brown Girl Ramblings. Oh, and I did I mention her blossoming online romance with a commenter on her podcast known only as StanleyP?
Just when she thinks things can't possibly get more complicated, a new restaurant moves into the close-knit neighborhood of Golden Crescent, a new halal restaurant, which threatens the struggling Three Sisters Biryani Poutine. The owner of the hip new restaurant, Aydin, is cold, frustrating, and, most aggravating of all, totally hot. Hana and him instantly butt heads, but could there be something more to his hard exterior?
With a colorful cast of characters, like Hana's Machiavellian cousin Rashid, her bestfriends, the Doctor Lily and the ullu Yusuf, and her mysterious tree-climbing aunt, Kawkab Khala, Hana Khan Carries On is a heart-warming story of family and community. It has plenty of cozy, fluffy and romantic moments, but doesn't shy away from harder topics, like Racism and Islamphobia.
It took me a while to warm up to Aydin, who for the majority of the book aggravated me as much as he did Hana! But by the end I liked him well enough, and thought he was a good choice for headstrong Hana. I guessed all of the twists early in the book, though it didn't take away from the enjoyment of seeing their conclusions.
A perfect choice for if you're looking for something a little more on the light-hearted side, and need a guaranteed happy ending!
For more reviews visit my blog!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
readingwithkt's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Grief, Violence, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, and Hate crime
amachattie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
I loved that this was set in Scarborough. It's such a great part of Toronto. Also, the book managed to surprise me even when I thought I knew all of its secrets! Less light than most romance, since it dives pretty deep into islamophobia and white supremacist hate groups, but a great read nonetheless.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Islamophobia and Hate crime
Minor: Violence