Reviews with content warning for Panic attacks/disorders - Hana Khan Carries On

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.

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iamaunicornwithyellowfeet's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-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

5.0

I wanted to hold on to that joyful laughter. I wanted to bottle the sound and play it back on demand. I wanted to listen to him laugh for the rest of my life”

my first book of 2022, read in a night, easily one of my favourite books

i loved everything about this book - the characters, the setting, the storyline

i loved hana's passion for radio, and how she stood for her morals when it came to doing the show, and how she wanted to take a nuanced look at her culture and religion, rather than the typical topics that everyone's tired of hearing

i loved rashid, i expected him to be an annoying little cousin, but he really grew on me

i loved the dynamics between family, as well as the community in general

i loved the setting of golden crescent, it reminds me exactly of a street in my own town - every time she described it, my mind jumped exactly to that road

i loved how the author didn't feel the need to over-emphasise hana's faith, everything was described very naturally as part of the daily routine of her life, rather than something extra special - i can't quite describe what i mean, but i think you understand

i loved how the author wrote in the racismm - it showed both sides: the big, in-your-face attacks that always make the news as well as the covert racism which is much more common

i loved the way the author wrote about hana's struggles compared to her parents - looking back, our generation has so much better off, yet there is still so much more to be achieved to stop us from feeling like the "other"

i loved the relationship between hana and aydin, and how it compared to their relationship as anabgr and stanleyp

WHEN AYDIN SAID "I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO FALL FOR YOU" I WAS READY TO SCREAM AAAAH I LOVE THESE TWO

this review has turned into a very repetitive list of things i loved, but those were my only thoughts during the book

i am now off to go ask my mum to make biryani goodbye

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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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readingwithkt's review against another edition

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kerrireads's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

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lettuce_read's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

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allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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

5.0

Hana Khan Carries On is a masterpiece. The love story has zippy banter and cringey rom com moments aplenty, but it's only one aspect of Hana's multifaceted tale. Her dream is to be in radio, but microaggressions at work pile on until there's not much left to love, and Hana must decide who she wants to be and where/how. Her mom's small, family-run restaurant is struggling, and that's before a fancy new establishment starts being constructed in the neighborhood under the watchful eye of a rich and laser-focused businessman (prepare for some major You've Got Mail moments). Then, the middle of the book features a hate crime that Hana experiences as a second generation Muslim Canadian Desi. A video of the incident goes viral, exposing her neighborhood to more bigotry leading up to a local street festival.

There's so much to obsess over with this book, it's hard to know where to start. Let's begin with Hana herself. I think the single POV approach in this book was perfection. I liked being in Hana's corner from the first to last page, becoming familiar with her hopes and dreams, her worries and fears. Whether she was facing a funny interpersonal problem or a harrowing conflict, I was cheering her on. Hana has such a strong voice, whether it was the general narrative or the multimedia inclusion of her podcast transcripts or text messages. By the end of the book, I felt she was my friend (if she would have me). She went through some major changes and had some important realizations throughout, and I found many of her reflections on the air to be moving and full of wisdom.

This story has it all: an adorable romance, delightful characters, high drama, and a serious examination of lived oppression of immigrant communities in general and Muslims specifically. There are moments of light, fluffy goodness and others with gritty struggle against systemic violence. At the center through it all is a poignant and nuanced focus on family and the growing pains of change that affect all our relationships. It's a rare book that makes me both laugh and cry, so this one joins a select echelon of treasured stories. I can't recommend it enough. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It's out this week on 4/13!

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