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siyak_'s review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Murder, Death, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Violence, Torture, Misogyny, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Confinement
Minor: Vomit
lilatov's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Honestly and truly, a lot happens in this book, and some of it was very unexpected (maybe not all needed?). However, it all is beautifully wrapped up by the end.
There were places where the writing was repetitive in distracting ways.
Lightly addresses intergenerational trauma.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, and Homophobia
Moderate: Death
karlsmariels's review against another edition
- 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? No
3.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Hate crime, Incest, Racism, Pedophilia, and Misogyny
emilyvf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, and Homophobia
Moderate: Incest, Murder, Rape, and Sexual assault
tinana's review
- 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? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Sexism
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Incest, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Torture, and Vomit
Minor: Stalking
laurenlanz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali is unlike any contemporary I’ve read before. Going in, I expected a story of a girl searching for acceptance from her close-minded family. What I never anticipated was the amount of heartache that came along with Rukhsana’s journey. I became so attached to the protagonist and the friends she met in Bangladesh; rooting for their happiness became instinct.
~★~ What is this book about? ~★~
Rukhsana Ali is daughter to Muslim Bangladeshi parents; she knows they would never approve of her secret party life and beloved girlfriend Ariana. At home, Rukhsana has grown used to her parents’ blatant favouritism towards her younger brother, and can’t wait to move away with her university scholarship next year. This is all compromised when Rukhsana’s mom catches her kissing Ariana, and all of her plans come crashing down on her.
~★~
This book was a rollercoaster, that’s for sure. From the beginning, I felt a deep hatred for Rukhsana’s parents and the way they treated their daughter, especially considering how much she tried to please them. The author did an amazing job fleshing out her family in the sense that I was able to form strong opinions on each relative from the start.
I loved the representation of Bangladeshi culture; it’s not often that I come across YA queer contemporary that is focused partially in another country. It was also wonderful to see Sabina Khan’s inclusion of supportive family members for Rukhsana to lean on, and the commentary that not all Muslim’s are homophobic like stereotypes suggest.
This book isn’t a light romance, that’s for sure. The author tackles lots of important and potentially triggering topics which aren’t talked about enough in YA. The last third before the ending completely broke my heart: (view spoiler) I enjoyed the way things concluded, though I couldn’t forgive certain characters for what they did.
There were a few aspects I wasn’t the biggest fan of within this book. Rukhsana and her girlfriend didn’t seem to have much chemistry, though I do think they could be considered a pretty accurate representation of a high school relationship. It was frustrating to see Ariana undermine the severity of how strict (and homophobic) Rukhsana’s parents were; at times it felt like the two really didn’t understand each other / function well as a couple. I can also admit that the writing wasn’t the greatest, however, it didn’t hinder my overall enjoyment much. This was in my opinion a really great read!
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Sexual assault and Child abuse
vee's review
- 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
2.5
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexism
Minor: Islamophobia