Reviews with content warning for Chronic illness - Hana Khan Carries On

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Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin

10 reviews

matmatmatty's review against another edition

emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Okay, got a lot to say on this.

Summary:
If you want to read about a realistic experience as a Muslim and daughter of immigrants, and that's not your lived experience, you might really enjoy this and get a lot out of it.

Things I liked:

I loved Rashid and Kawkab Khala - easily best characters.
I did like the representation - it's good to hear stories about Muslims like this so I do applaud that.
Loved Hana standing up to Marissa and putting her foot down on the show. It's important that we understand that we should not be tokenised and to refuse participation if we think that we are

Other thoughts:

I don't understand Hana's character. She's 24 but spent a fair amount of time acting like a teenager (being petty and vindictive).
I don't understand how she could phone in a false complaint and then immediately feel bad about it, but then a few days later make a bunch of accounts to spread rumours and on general make Aydin seem bad, and again feel bad about it! Just don't do it!
I did enjoy her relationship with her family, especially her father and seeing her with her father showed her mature side but sometimes she acted like she was 10 years younger and I don't get it
The twist/mystery was too obvious imo.
I guessed that Aydin was Stanley P as soon as I met him and I honestly don't know if I was supposed to know or if I was supposed to find out when Hana did but it just seemed so obvious and was kinda annoying that neither of them realised until much later. I also guessed Afsana was Aydin's mum as soon as we met her - Hana literally says she reminds her of him and I was like "oh is that his mum?" It just felt a little too obvious again and felt like I was just waiting for characters to figure out what I had already pieced together.
I am not sure who this story is for - I love the representation but I don't think this is written with brown girls in mind. The messages were a little too on the nose (like I know racism exists and I know what it's like and this just felt too exaggerated for me to enjoy it). I think this is written for white/non-Muslims to read to learn and understand the experience and I do not fit into either of those categories. I also think this read too YA than adult, partly because of Hana's actions.
Should add, I am not Canadian, I have never been to Canada. I am Muslim and not white, but I don't wear hijab so I do not know what someone like Hana feels and experiences. That bring said, that actual discrimination that Hana experienced was way too over the top.
It went from 0 to 100 on the city centre with the fight and just felt almost cartoonish. Same with what happened at the festival - I've experienced similar shit to things I've organised but it was just way too unrealistic. Overall I think the issue is that it came out of nowhere - she had never spoken about racism before and suddenly this happens and it's an assault. Yes that can happen of course but normally you hear comments first. You have side glances. People following you on the shop etc. Not straight to hate crime. She ran a podcast that was about being brown and never mentioned racist comments on it - they should've started here at least.
That being said, i do think that for those not used to having those conversations, it would be very useful to read something like that and is a good thing to address.

Not a bad book but I think not for me.

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mariamj's review

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adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

This book was so good!!! I couldn't stop listening to the audiobook once I got started. I would be constantly looking forward to what happens next the more I listened to the story.

Most of the characters are loveable in their own ways Her Aunt Kawkub Khala is a badass! Something I loved because, as a member of the Muslim community, the type of woman she does not bode well. Her cousin Rashid was hilarious! His naivety was charming and made me burst out laughing so many times. Most importantly, I loved Hanan! She was very relatable in so many ways and it was amazing to see how much she grew as a character

10/10! Loved every moment!

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loquitacass's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

4.75

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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

3.75

Title: Hana Khan Carries On
Author: Uzma Jalaluddin
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: April 13, 2021

T H R E E • W O R D S

Joyous • Refreshing • Cluttered

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Hana grew up helping at her family's halal restaurant, which is looking to be on its last leg. When it's announced that another halal restaurant will be opening nearby, the closure seems inevitable. With a passion for sharing meaningful stories on the radio, Hana turns to her anonymously-hosted podcast and one longtime listener for advice.

When a hate-motivated attack on their neighbourhood occurs it complicates matters even more. As does Hana's growing attraction for Aydin, owner of the rival restaurant. Now more than ever, Hana will need to use her voice.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I went into Hana Khan Carries On with quite high expectations after reading this author's debut, Ayesha At Last. This one is a modern retelling of you've got You've Got Mail, and I didn't enjoy it as much.

It must be said that Uzma Jalaluddin writes family dynamics so incredibly well. I thought this part of the book was one of the best. The vibrant characters brought the joy and life to the plot, as did the the irresistible banter. I also appreciated all of the delicious references to good, and of course the shout out to Kawartha Diary ice cream (I could easily go for some Black Raspberry Thunder right about now) was a nice little bonus. Their ice cream is so good!

I also think the exploration of micro aggressions and Islamophobia was a strength of this book. It was so hard and sad to read, but is the reality of what people go through on a daily basis while simply trying to live their lives.

While I enjoyed each of the storylines, unfortunately, this one tried to do too much. The competing storylines made it difficult for me to become fully invested. And I think the author would have been better off sticking to one storyline or the other. While I liked the idea of competing restaurants/ enemies-to-lover, the romance aspect just didn't seem like it fit.

At the end of the day, Hana Khan Carries On tackles serious topics, yet it's done in way as to still make the narrative light and fast-paced. It was an enjoyable read, it just didn't live up to my expectations.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of You've Got Mail
• readers looking for a diverse rom-com

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Books are like people, you have to give them room to breathe."

"If the people are changing, that means we're still alive. Only living changes things."

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eve81's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

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kdailyreads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-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? No

5.0

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emfass's review against another edition

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I picked this one up because it is the most recent Fated Mates podcast read along, and I will say that I LOVE the Muslim and family and community representation, but I just canNOT bring myself to care about this story right now, it is moving SO slowly. There are also tons of characters to keep track of, and I'm having a bit of difficulty doing so via the audiobook.

I think also because it was on Fated Mates I was expecting it to be more of a romance, but honestly it is way more about Hana and her life than about her budding relationship, so my experience with it is also suffering from unmet expectations.

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internationalreads's review against another edition

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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

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sidbookreviews's review against another edition

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hopeful 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

4.0

Hana Khan Carries On was everything I was hoping for and more! I love You've Got Mail, and Ayesha at Last, so I knew this would be a great read, but nonetheless, it still surprised me! Family drama, secrets, romance, and of course delicious food, are all combined to make for an amazing book about family, finding your voice and being who you are. I loved Hana as a main character, and her relationships and ponderings were so well done. All the characters have rich and well-fleshed-out conflicts and storylines, which was amazing and made the themes of family, relationships and community stand out. The twists and secrets revealed at the ending totally surprised me as well, and I could not put this book down in the second half. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I especially loved all the characters (my favourites are Hana, Rashid and Kawkab Khala). Also I really, really want to try biryani poutine. Would it be good? I'm skeptical, but I am more than willing to give it a try.

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fromjuliereads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

**Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for an advanced copy of this book**
I really enjoyed this book! This is such a unique, fun, and enticing retelling of You've Got Mail.

I adored the characters. Kawkab Khala is by far the best character in this book - she is such a feminist badass and when we get to hear her whole story, it is such a defining moment in the book! Closely followed by Rashid, who is such a fun character and honestly you just want to know more about him. He continually steals scenes with his witty lines and subtle hints at his parents jobs...! So much fun. I also really liked Aydin and Zulfa, and basically all of Hana's family. Uzma Jalaluddin writes family dynamics to incredibly well. I liked Hana's character, but some of the actions that she took just read far younger than the age she is written as. I struggled a couple of times with her character. BUT the portrayal of amazing woman in this book was so well done and I absolutely loved it.
Also, side note, I LOVED the scenes and conversations with the DJ that Hana had. He was such a great addition to the cast of characters.

This book deals with so many serious topics, but is somehow still a light and fast paced read. It touches on very difficult scenes and experiences but not in an overwhelming way. The microaggressions and the explicit Islamophobia were difficult to read. It's a reminder that people are experiencing these things every single day. I would highly recommend looking to own voices reviewers for speaking on this piece.

I loved the kind of competition and animosity that starts out between Aydin and Hana. It's so well done for how people would react in these situations. However, this is where I struggled with Hana's actions.

Kathleen Kelly would NEVER had spread malicious rumours, and it honestly made Hana seem so incredibly childish... I really struggled with her character and decisions that she would immediately decide to go after the other person maliciously instead of trying to help or even speak to her family - specifically her mom.

There were so many fantastic scenes between them. And the few twists - I actually didn't see them coming! They were so wonderfully done.
I really loved this novel. I think I still liked Ayesha at Last more - although I loved the little mention and that the Imam was central to this story as well - but Jalaluddin does retellings so well! I cannot wait to see what she delivers next.

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