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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:
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Chronic illness and Pregnancy
Minor: Suicide attempt, Car accident, and Toxic relationship
kelly_e's review against another edition
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."
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."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Violence, Xenophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Pregnancy, Death, Death of parent, Sexism, Misogyny, Bullying, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Suicide attempt, Chronic illness, and Car accident
kdailyreads's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Hate crime, Racism, Religious bigotry, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Death, and Islamophobia
linesiunderline's review against another edition
challenging
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
4.25
I went into this book with high expectations because I was delighted by the author’s debut, Ayesha at Last.
While it took me a little longer to fall for Hana Khan Carries On, in the end I can say this book is entirely a worthy sophomore outing for Uzma Jalaluddin. Read it. Read her first book. They are wonderful.
Best bits
• The family dynamic - as in Ayesha at Last, you can feel the realism of the relationships in this book.
• TORONTO! It’s always fun when the city you call home comes to life on the page. We’ve got the CN Tower, a Jay’s game, Tim’s, Kawartha Dairy ice cream, vibrant local neighborhoods.
• Mouthwatering food mentions - so many!
• The structure that interspersed clips from Hana’s podcast was clever, and brought us deeper into the heart of her character.
• Adept, unflinching exploration of hard realities around micro aggressions and anti-Muslim hate crimes.
Howevers
• I saw the central twist coming very early on, but I think we were supposed to? And it didn’t really interfere with my enjoyment.
• I think more could have been made of the romance, given this is classified as romance. I do love that Hana is fully developed in her own right, and that takes work and time on the page to accomplish. I wouldn’t want that to be sacrificed. She isn’t waiting for a guy, or even looking for one. I remember Ayesha at Last was very PG too, but I felt like there was more simmering in the central relationship there. I wanted more of that simmering feeling in this book too. There were moments, but more would have added to the romantic tension.
Hana Khan has settled it for me: Uzma Jalaluddin is an autobuy author for me. You’re in for a treat if you haven’t read her books yet!
(Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the copy of this in exchange for an honest review).
While it took me a little longer to fall for Hana Khan Carries On, in the end I can say this book is entirely a worthy sophomore outing for Uzma Jalaluddin. Read it. Read her first book. They are wonderful.
Best bits
• The family dynamic - as in Ayesha at Last, you can feel the realism of the relationships in this book.
• TORONTO! It’s always fun when the city you call home comes to life on the page. We’ve got the CN Tower, a Jay’s game, Tim’s, Kawartha Dairy ice cream, vibrant local neighborhoods.
• Mouthwatering food mentions - so many!
• The structure that interspersed clips from Hana’s podcast was clever, and brought us deeper into the heart of her character.
• Adept, unflinching exploration of hard realities around micro aggressions and anti-Muslim hate crimes.
Howevers
• I saw the central twist coming very early on, but I think we were supposed to? And it didn’t really interfere with my enjoyment.
• I think more could have been made of the romance, given this is classified as romance. I do love that Hana is fully developed in her own right, and that takes work and time on the page to accomplish. I wouldn’t want that to be sacrificed. She isn’t waiting for a guy, or even looking for one. I remember Ayesha at Last was very PG too, but I felt like there was more simmering in the central relationship there. I wanted more of that simmering feeling in this book too. There were moments, but more would have added to the romantic tension.
Hana Khan has settled it for me: Uzma Jalaluddin is an autobuy author for me. You’re in for a treat if you haven’t read her books yet!
(Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the copy of this in exchange for an honest review).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Hate crime, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
themixedpages's review against another edition
hopeful
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia and Hate crime
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Suicide and Homophobia
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