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coziebookclub's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
I’m a bit late but thank you to NetGalley and Faridah & Adiba for the opportunity to read this ARC that was published on June 4th! This was such a pleasure to read, and I appreciated learning and seeing representation of the Muslim community including different ethnic cultures and backgrounds. I found the characters lovable and especially the push and pull personalities between Said and Tiwa were a joy, especially while they were bantering.
The relationships between the characters and their families also made me happy and is one of my favorite things about this book. I enjoyed seeing how even after Tiwa and Said’s relationship at the start was distant and tense, it blossomed over time through their shared love for the Muslim community and family. I appreciate how sensitive topics were also discussed such as dealing with grief after death, discrimination, divorce. Every part and piece went into the development of the characters perfectly and built the story beautifully. Overall, this is a fun YA enemies-to-lovers whilst including realistic topics that Muslims and POC face often. Thank you again to NetGalley, Macmillan Publishing Group, and Faridah & Adiba for this charming book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Fire/Fire injury, and Islamophobia
Minor: Death and Child death
macandpaperbacks's review
adventurous
hopeful
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? Yes
4.0
This was SUCH a sweet read that incorporated
a lot of deep issues dealing with religion and ethnicity. The narrators voice was very appealing and differentiated characters well, making it easy to keep track of who was speaking.
The relationships within this story were well written and I loved seeing them mend in the current day as well as see where they originated from in the flashbacks. I love a tragedy bringing people together story and this one really delivered. The dialogue was written very well, which I point out because there was a lot of it and this can sometimes be done poorly and feel fake and overdone, but that was not the case at all here. I loved the incorporation of art and baking, and communities coming together even with the lines in the sand that were drawn between families.
I also really loved the brother & sister dynamic, I don’t feel like I read that dynamic much and this was really well done in this story and reminded me of the complicated (hot and cold, love and hate) way you feel about your siblings as you’re growing up - then one day you look at them and they’re your best friend. And, being the younger sister who always adopted my older sisters friends, I also really connected to the dynamic between Tiwa, Said, and his sister.
Overall this was a heartwarming read about grief, family, friendships, and the complicated act of coming home and seeing how much not only you have changed, but your home has as well. And, how much has stayed the same.
a lot of deep issues dealing with religion and ethnicity. The narrators voice was very appealing and differentiated characters well, making it easy to keep track of who was speaking.
The relationships within this story were well written and I loved seeing them mend in the current day as well as see where they originated from in the flashbacks. I love a tragedy bringing people together story and this one really delivered. The dialogue was written very well, which I point out because there was a lot of it and this can sometimes be done poorly and feel fake and overdone, but that was not the case at all here. I loved the incorporation of art and baking, and communities coming together even with the lines in the sand that were drawn between families.
I also really loved the brother & sister dynamic, I don’t feel like I read that dynamic much and this was really well done in this story and reminded me of the complicated (hot and cold, love and hate) way you feel about your siblings as you’re growing up - then one day you look at them and they’re your best friend. And, being the younger sister who always adopted my older sisters friends, I also really connected to the dynamic between Tiwa, Said, and his sister.
Overall this was a heartwarming read about grief, family, friendships, and the complicated act of coming home and seeing how much not only you have changed, but your home has as well. And, how much has stayed the same.
keepcalmblogon's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
5.0
Four Eids and a Funeral was an anticipated release of mine, so when I had the chance to choose it as a Macmillan Audio Influencer, I jumped! So many things brought me to want to read this book–first there’s the title, I love the riff on a classic romcom. Then there was the synopsis: ex-friends to lovers (read: enemies to lovers!), yes please!
Immediately, I was endeared by the narrative style of a third person POV grecian chorus style introduction to the acts; it felt very fourth-wall breaking, which is something I love in books and film. The narrator then switches to first person for Said’s and Tiwa’s POVs, and I loved that all three POVs have their own audio narrators. I particularly enjoyed the vocals of Sandra Okuboyejo as Tiwa, her voice has a soothing quality while also expressing the teenage angst and grief Tiwa feels.
This book set romance and banter against a backdrop of grief, disaster, and racism, and I love setting heavy stuff against a lighter plotline. I also feel the relationship that reforms between Said and Tiwa grows naturally, and watching that progress was the reason I read (or watch) romance. The little dramatic twist at the end was also so unexpected, but a lot of fun!
I give this book five stars, and definitely recommend the audio as well!
cloreadsbooks1364's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I've read all of Adiba and Faridah's past novels, and every single one has been a 5⭐️ read. I'm delighted to say that this collaboration was no outlier.
Four Eids and a Funeral
By Adiba Jaigirdar and Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
5/5⭐️
This YA contemporary romance stars Said and Tuwa, former best friends who now hate each other. Reunited after the death of their friend, a local librarian, they work together to save the town's Islamic Centre after it goes up in flames.
My first impression of Said was that he's considerate. Of Tiwa, it was that she was probably going to be a very lovable character. As like most protagonists, they had challenges of their own to face alongside the main concern of saving the Centre. Tiwa struggled with losing the Centre that she spent so much time volunteering in, alongside missing her father abroad. There was also the never ending issue that a lot of people assumed she wasn't Muslim because she was Black and chose not to wear a hijab.
Said, who spent his time at a fancy boarding school, faced his parents' ambitious assumptions about his future, and how to tell them that what he wants (art) is not what they dream of for him (medicine).
The side characters Julian (Said's buddy from school) and Safiyah (Said's sister, and Tiwa's best friend) were both entertaining, especially watching Safiyah's relationship with Ishra (a very nice girl) develop.
The three past Eids were told in third person, while the chapters set in the present were told from first person, switching between Said and Tiwa. I found the story moved extremely smoothly, it didn't feel anywhere near as long as it was.
I absolutely devoured this funny, sweet, heartfelt book, and highly recommend it!
(The best character was obviously Laddoo, the affectionate sweet-loving ginger cat co-parented by Said and Tiwa 🐈)
Queer rep: Lesbian sc (Safiyah)
TWs: fire, racism, child death, grief, death, animal death 🐟, car accident
Four Eids and a Funeral
By Adiba Jaigirdar and Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
5/5⭐️
This YA contemporary romance stars Said and Tuwa, former best friends who now hate each other. Reunited after the death of their friend, a local librarian, they work together to save the town's Islamic Centre after it goes up in flames.
My first impression of Said was that he's considerate. Of Tiwa, it was that she was probably going to be a very lovable character. As like most protagonists, they had challenges of their own to face alongside the main concern of saving the Centre. Tiwa struggled with losing the Centre that she spent so much time volunteering in, alongside missing her father abroad. There was also the never ending issue that a lot of people assumed she wasn't Muslim because she was Black and chose not to wear a hijab.
Said, who spent his time at a fancy boarding school, faced his parents' ambitious assumptions about his future, and how to tell them that what he wants (art) is not what they dream of for him (medicine).
The side characters Julian (Said's buddy from school) and Safiyah (Said's sister, and Tiwa's best friend) were both entertaining, especially watching Safiyah's relationship with Ishra (a very nice girl) develop.
The three past Eids were told in third person, while the chapters set in the present were told from first person, switching between Said and Tiwa. I found the story moved extremely smoothly, it didn't feel anywhere near as long as it was.
I absolutely devoured this funny, sweet, heartfelt book, and highly recommend it!
(The best character was obviously Laddoo, the affectionate sweet-loving ginger cat co-parented by Said and Tiwa 🐈)
Queer rep: Lesbian sc (Safiyah)
TWs: fire, racism, child death, grief, death, animal death 🐟, car accident
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Racism, and Death
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Animal death
sdematos1443's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
coffeekitaab's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
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
3.5
Ex-best friends, Tiwa and Said, must work together to save their Islamic Center from demolition, in this romantic story of rekindling and rebuilding by award-winning authors Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé & Adiba Jaigirdar! These days, Said Hossain spends most of his time away at boarding school. But when his favourite hometown librarian Ms. Barnes dies, he must return home to New Crosshaven for her funeral and for the summer. Too bad being home makes it a lot harder to avoid facing his ex-best friend, Tiwa Olatunji, or facing the daunting task of telling his Bangladeshi parents that he would rather be an artist than a doctor. Tiwa doesn’t understand what made Said start ignoring her, but it’s probably that fancy boarding school of his. Though he’s unexpectedly staying through the summer, she’s determined to take a page from him and pretend he doesn’t exist. Besides, she has more than enough going on, between grieving her broken family and helping her mother throw the upcoming Eid celebration at the Islamic Centre—a place that means so much to Tiwa. But when the Islamic Centre accidentally catches fire, it turns out the Mayor plans to demolish the centre entirely. Things are still tense between the ex-friends but Tiwa needs Said’s help if there’s any hope of changing the mayor’s mind, and Said needs a project to submit to art school (unbeknownst to anyone). Will all their efforts be enough to save the Islamic Centre, save Eid, and maybe save their relationship?
I adored the brown/Muslim representation in this book - within the cultural/religious references, dialogue and atmosphere and build up towards Eid celebrations and the union of the community/bringing people together to mark the occasion was wonderful - everything felt alive and really resonated with me personally as a reader. Within that, as a British woman of Indian descent, I definitely could also relate to Said's worries that his choice for pursuing/prioritising Art in his life over academics would disappoint his parents. Similarly, there were many microaggressions surrounding gender - the mention of (TW) Timi and the importance of a son over a daughter, by the aunt towards the end of the book was particularly well handled. I loved queer representation and Safiyah and Ishra's romance was cute - The banter and fun/friendships portrayed by Saf and Julian generally was fun and generally was a breath of fresh air - this was a sloooowburn in terms of Said and Tiwa's story with the strangers to friends to enemies to lovers trope, and brought together by a common objective- also miscommunication trope is BIG here so if you are not a fan, you might not enjoy this. Said is calm, controlled and generally composed all the time which is charming, he expresses more through his art/heart and it really packed an emotional punch in the gut with his quiet gestures and understanding. Put him before Tiwa who is a complete polar opposite and you have the perfect equation - Tiwa who is confident, opinionated, sarcastic and fearless - lots of oneliners/inner monologue from her had me chuckling away and I really did enjoy reading Tiwa's POV in the book, there are just so many shades to this character and so many mature emotions/situations she has to deal with - strong FMC for sure.
The plot was fast paced and the story was well developed - the gradual build up was pleasant, with some flashback scenes to show the before and after of how pivotal moments in the lives of the protagonists led them to where they are today - I was consumed by this book, there was not a single moment that dragged for me. The only points to note for me was - I wish more had been done to explore the acceptance of Tiwa as a Black Muslim (as opposed to Said who is a South Asian/Bangladeshi Muslim) I laud that this was touched on in the start of the book but it was not revisited again/with no conclusion which was a shame. Also, the situation with the letters felt abrupt - and could have been dealt with/edited into the story better. It wasn't as "shock/horror" as it was meant to be as a plot twist/and kind of felt anti climatic. Otherwise though, highly recommend this book and for the target audience it is perfect. Definitely was one of my favourite YA books this year - I have not read anything by these authors yet but I can tell that is soon to change!
Thank you Netgalley and Usborne Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest, unedited review!
I adored the brown/Muslim representation in this book - within the cultural/religious references, dialogue and atmosphere and build up towards Eid celebrations and the union of the community/bringing people together to mark the occasion was wonderful - everything felt alive and really resonated with me personally as a reader. Within that, as a British woman of Indian descent, I definitely could also relate to Said's worries that his choice for pursuing/prioritising Art in his life over academics would disappoint his parents. Similarly, there were many microaggressions surrounding gender - the mention of (TW) Timi and the importance of a son over a daughter, by the aunt towards the end of the book was particularly well handled. I loved queer representation and Safiyah and Ishra's romance was cute - The banter and fun/friendships portrayed by Saf and Julian generally was fun and generally was a breath of fresh air - this was a sloooowburn in terms of Said and Tiwa's story with the strangers to friends to enemies to lovers trope, and brought together by a common objective- also miscommunication trope is BIG here so if you are not a fan, you might not enjoy this. Said is calm, controlled and generally composed all the time which is charming, he expresses more through his art/heart and it really packed an emotional punch in the gut with his quiet gestures and understanding. Put him before Tiwa who is a complete polar opposite and you have the perfect equation - Tiwa who is confident, opinionated, sarcastic and fearless - lots of oneliners/inner monologue from her had me chuckling away and I really did enjoy reading Tiwa's POV in the book, there are just so many shades to this character and so many mature emotions/situations she has to deal with - strong FMC for sure.
The plot was fast paced and the story was well developed - the gradual build up was pleasant, with some flashback scenes to show the before and after of how pivotal moments in the lives of the protagonists led them to where they are today - I was consumed by this book, there was not a single moment that dragged for me. The only points to note for me was - I wish more had been done to explore the acceptance of Tiwa as a Black Muslim (as opposed to Said who is a South Asian/Bangladeshi Muslim) I laud that this was touched on in the start of the book but it was not revisited again/with no conclusion which was a shame. Also, the situation with the letters felt abrupt - and could have been dealt with/edited into the story better. It wasn't as "shock/horror" as it was meant to be as a plot twist/and kind of felt anti climatic. Otherwise though, highly recommend this book and for the target audience it is perfect. Definitely was one of my favourite YA books this year - I have not read anything by these authors yet but I can tell that is soon to change!
Thank you Netgalley and Usborne Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest, unedited review!
Content Warnings
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Child death, and Death
emialexa's review against another edition
funny
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
3.0
ihatefantasy_carebear's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
There wasn't much of a plot that would keep you entertained but it's pretty good
mishale1's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
*The cat does not die in this book. I wish someone had told me that. I saw content warnings saying an animal died and I worried about Laddoo so now you don’t have to worry*
Said and Tiwa used to be best friends. You might say they are enemies now but I’m not sure they see enough of each other to feel that way. It’s mostly awkward when they see each other after Said goes home from school for a funeral.
Their favorite librarian died. She meant a lot to both of them. She even entrusts her cat Laddoo to them when she passes.
Said abd Tiwa are also pulled together because their town’s Islamic center burnt down during Said’s visit and there are no plans to rebuild.
Despite the two barely spending any time together in years, they band together to save the Islamic center.
They’re both lovable characters. Thea’s back story has sadness in it but I seriously appreciate the fact that whilst this book dealt with several heavy, serious issues (including the death of a child) it was never overly sad.
Trust the cover. “This is a love story.”
Said and Tiwa used to be best friends. You might say they are enemies now but I’m not sure they see enough of each other to feel that way. It’s mostly awkward when they see each other after Said goes home from school for a funeral.
Their favorite librarian died. She meant a lot to both of them. She even entrusts her cat Laddoo to them when she passes.
Said abd Tiwa are also pulled together because their town’s Islamic center burnt down during Said’s visit and there are no plans to rebuild.
Despite the two barely spending any time together in years, they band together to save the Islamic center.
They’re both lovable characters. Thea’s back story has sadness in it but I seriously appreciate the fact that whilst this book dealt with several heavy, serious issues (including the death of a child) it was never overly sad.
Trust the cover. “This is a love story.”
Content Warnings
Minor: Grief, Islamophobia, and Child death
chloelwest's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0