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bookcaptivated's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Hate crime, Medical content, Murder, War, and Cultural appropriation
dalmavatai's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Ah, this book. The first half worked for me just fine, but it kind of lost me in the second half. I thought there was just way too much telling and not enough showing, which meant we didn't really get to know any of the side characters and their relationships with the main characters. It also meant that I often felt disconnected from what was happening as well as from our main characters' emotions.
Basically, I enjoyed Adam's storyline because his struggle with MS was something I've never read about and his internal conflict about telling his father definitely made me feel for him. I even teared up at the end of one chapter when he recounted the french fries story about his mom, which was honestly so beautiful and touching.
Unfortunately I had a harder time connecting with Zeyneb because her main struggle was with this Islamophobic teacher at school, and I just didn't feel there was enough internal conflict or complexity involved for me to feel invested. Basically she and her friends are trying to hold this teacher accountable for his Islamophobic comments, but nothing interesting really happens, like there's no deeper conversation about why someone might be Islamophobic, or exploring the structural and systemic dimensions, etc. There were so many things I would've enjoyed reading about if the author had explored it. That said, Zeyneb's story is a very important one and I'm sure it reflects so many people's lived experience which is awesome and very needed, especially because Muslims are a marginalized and deeply stigmatized community in 'Western' countries.
The romance was very slow-burn, we don't get much dialogue between these two and we don't really understand why they're even falling for each other. For this reason, I didn't even get to enjoy Adam's chapters in the second half of the book.
Overall, I thought the concept and the emotional and social dimensions explored were super interesting, but there was so much telling without showing that made me disconnect from the characters, and I felt that there was no growth/direction in Zeyneb's storyline.
Basically, I enjoyed Adam's storyline because his struggle with MS was something I've never read about and his internal conflict about telling his father definitely made me feel for him. I even teared up at the end of one chapter when he recounted the french fries story about his mom, which was honestly so beautiful and touching.
Unfortunately I had a harder time connecting with Zeyneb because her main struggle was with this Islamophobic teacher at school, and I just didn't feel there was enough internal conflict or complexity involved for me to feel invested. Basically she and her friends are trying to hold this teacher accountable for his Islamophobic comments, but nothing interesting really happens, like there's no deeper conversation about why someone might be Islamophobic, or exploring the structural and systemic dimensions, etc. There were so many things I would've enjoyed reading about if the author had explored it. That said, Zeyneb's story is a very important one and I'm sure it reflects so many people's lived experience which is awesome and very needed, especially because Muslims are a marginalized and deeply stigmatized community in 'Western' countries.
The romance was very slow-burn, we don't get much dialogue between these two and we don't really understand why they're even falling for each other. For this reason, I didn't even get to enjoy Adam's chapters in the second half of the book.
Overall, I thought the concept and the emotional and social dimensions explored were super interesting, but there was so much telling without showing that made me disconnect from the characters, and I felt that there was no growth/direction in Zeyneb's storyline.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Islamophobia, and Grief
Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Death, Medical content, Racism, and War
annalisaely's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
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
I absolutely loved this book! It is so sweet and happy sappy while still addressing racism, Islamophobia, appropriation, and more. The relationship between these two was so sweet and as I said in an earlier post I really enjoyed reading about how the main characters experienced and practiced their faith and seeing how much I had in common with them. It also inspired me to buy my own burqini, which should be arriving any day now, despite public pools not being something I anticipate using until vaccines are widely available (I did look into it and found that the creator is happy for non-Muslims to use them). I've had bad anxiety about people being able to see my body for years and it has kept me from swimming, something I enjoy a great deal. It made me feel so free to realise there was a solution.
Other reasons to read this book include really sweet familial relationships and a male love interest who likes to make crafts!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Grief, and Islamophobia
Minor: Death, Mass/school shootings, Racism, and Sexism
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