Reviews

*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.”

Content Warnings

chloelwest's review

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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

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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

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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

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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!

bbellaxoxo's review

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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

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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!

itsccreads's review

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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