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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
readingelli's review
emotional
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
5.0
doctormon's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? No
4.0
bethany6788's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
4.0
Really enjoyed this YA book surrounding Tiwa and Said and their history/present day situation. Said has been away at boarding school and Tiwa has stayed in their hometown. 4 years ago, they became enemies after Said left town. They also are torn apart by a tragedy in Tiwa’s family. They’re brought back together by the passing of their favorite librarian. They go to the wake and find the town Islamic center on fire, and they have to try and save it. Oh, and they take custody of the librarian’s cat… which sounds a little wild but trust me. It’s good!
Listened to the audio of this one and it was absolutely fantastic! Narrated by a full cast, it was incredible and very easy to get caught up in. I just started last night and finished tonight while laying in my bed. I loved the dual timelines happening with the present and multiple Eid celebrations. The grief was very real and the teens had big feelings as teens do. Felt super relatable and I loved that happy ending. Heart melted. Fully recommend this one!
Listened to the audio of this one and it was absolutely fantastic! Narrated by a full cast, it was incredible and very easy to get caught up in. I just started last night and finished tonight while laying in my bed. I loved the dual timelines happening with the present and multiple Eid celebrations. The grief was very real and the teens had big feelings as teens do. Felt super relatable and I loved that happy ending. Heart melted. Fully recommend this one!
bbellaxoxo's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.0
niftyreads's review against another edition
I don’t think I’ve ever regretted DNFing a book so much as I have FOUR EIDS AND A FUNERAL by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar. I made it 56% in the audiobook, and that was with me realllllllly pushing that last 6% because I was hoping something would magically pull my interest. It didn’t. I was sad.
FEAAF has been on my tbr list since it was announced. It sounded like a fresh plot and a book I could enjoy and learn from. I was even so excited to be gifted an arc when I went to Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s book signing for WHERE SLEEPING GIRLS LIE by a bookseller. I tried reading it a few times and couldn’t get pulled in. 90% of the time when I have this problem, the audiobook is my fix, so I was happy to see it on Macmillan Audio’s ALC list.
It did not fix the problem. It wasn’t a narration problem. All the narrators worked well for the book. Again, I just couldn’t get pulled in. I made no connection with the characters or story. It seemed very disjointed plot-wise, and the characters said things because they should not because of the emotional movement of the book.
Maybe I’m so used to Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s thrillers that I expected so much more plot and character development, but this does not compare in either department. So, I take my responsibility in that aspect.
But overall, I didn’t click with the book and have tried many times. I’m sad. Books by diverse authors about diverse issues are so important, so I hope this is more a me thing than an everyone thing. But I will say I can’t wait for what Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé writes next!
Thanks, Macmillan Audio, for the ALC!