Reviews

Four Eids and a Funeral by Adiba Jaigirdar, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

teyn's review against another edition

lighthearted fast-paced

3.0

anagrace18's review against another edition

3.0

I went into this book with high expectations, having loved previous works from both of these authors.  However, this story didn’t end up completely working for me for a number of reasons. Most notably, many parts of the plot felt forced or underdeveloped. For instance, the funeral that sets the story into action doesn’t really come up again, and the characters barely exhibit any grief about the death of their mentor. Both Tiwa and Said have an aspect of their lives that they explore and deal with throughout the story, with Tiwa grappling with the loss of her brother and Said considering a future in the arts. While compelling in theory, neither of these backstories generate any poignancy and they both feel so dry. Even the plotline with saving the Islamic center felt so one note after a while, ending in a truly unsatisfying resolution. Also, the situation keeping Said and Tiwa apart over the years turned out to be quite bizarre and not something that made sense from any of the involved characters given their personalities. However, I did appreciate the book’s portrayal of the growth that Said and Tiwa exhibited, both with each other and in their relationships with friends and family. The frequent presence of a cat in the story was another bonus.  Overall, this story wasn’t as strong as I hoped it would be, but I would still recommend it to YA readers and fans of both authors.

dracksp's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

utopiastateofmind's review against another edition

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.) 

I absolutely breezed through Four Eids and a Funeral. What starts off as a bond between two unlikely teens about a mentor figure turns into a love story. We all have a mentor figure, a teacher who impacted our lives. And I adore that it's what bonds Said and Tiwa. From the beginning, it tells us about who they are, the impact someone can make on our lives. In Four Eids and a Funeral, it explores family and love. About how we can feel left behind by the ones who love us and how we don't know if they will support us.

wordsandcyphers_'s review against another edition

hopeful reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

anna_wa's review against another edition

• 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

4.75

majkentheginger's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

shane_the_reading_rat's review against another edition

2.0

their beef was NOT big enough to justify how much they talked about hating each other
also if they were so close with mrs barnes why is she so rarely mentioned?? why is the conflict so easily resolved in the end?? why

is the death of Timi

only mentioned in the third act when that should be such an important shaping event for Tiwa?? why does Said lie about having a strawberry allergy when he could’ve just told the waiter that he and Tiwa aren’t in a relationship??
idk dude im so sad that so many books this year that i’ve anticipated have just crashed and burned
ive been hyped for this since DECEMBER
GODDAMN DECEMBER

avacole2005's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

emlyy_who's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

4.0