Reviews with content warning for Islamophobia - 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.

Content Warnings

lioness20's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring slow-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

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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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buttermellow's review against another edition

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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

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annaem's review against another edition

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lighthearted 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? Yes

4.25

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aseel_reads's review against another edition

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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

this was so freaking cute!! honestly I loved the whole thing except for one small mc/friend interaction at the end, which seemed a little out of place but everything else was great, so many aw and laugh aloud moments

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booksandprosecco's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.75

Book Review • Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin • 4.75 stars
~
Thank you HarperCollins Canada for sending me this to read/review.
~
Hana Khan works at her family’s restaurant, is an intern at a radio station, and runs an anonymous podcast. Difficulties ensue when a competing restaurant pops up nearby and her coworkers’ racism becomes less subtle. The one good thing is the guy Hana’s been talking to, even though she doesn’t even know his real name. Then her aunt and cousin visit from India and shake things up even more.
~
The best characters were definitely Kawkab Khala and Rashid! Kawkab Khala is Hana’s aunt and she’s the fiery, loyal, feminist aunt everyone needs in their life. I love the wisdom she gives and the reminder that you never know what someone has been through.
~
Rashid is Hana’s cousin and he’s such a genuine and entertaining person. One of my favourite things about him is the way he challenges the “foreigner” stereotype. Someone treats Rashid like he is “less than” because he’s from India, but Rashid shows he is kind, understanding and smart.
~
Hana was a good character, as was Aydin, but I didn’t love the relationship between them. It was certainly not the only focus of the book though.
~
There are many big themes, but one of my favourites is learning to let go of things even if it’s been in your life a long time. It’s a good reminder that we can make big changes at any time, we just have to be brave enough to do it.
~
This may just be one of my favourite books of the year. Highly recommend!
~
TW/CW: Islamophobia, hate crime, brief mention of attempted suicide.

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