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popthebutterfly's review against another edition
2.0
Disclaimer: I received this e-book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Beauty of the Moment
Author: Tanaz Bhathena
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 2/5
Publication Date: February 26, 2019
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf-ed
Publisher: Farrer, Straus, and Giroux
Pages: 354
Synopsis: Susan is the new girl—she’s sharp and driven, and strives to meet her parents’ expectations of excellence. Malcolm is the bad boy—he started raising hell at age fifteen, after his mom died of cancer, and has had a reputation ever since.
Susan’s parents are on the verge of divorce. Malcolm’s dad is a known adulterer.
Susan hasn’t told anyone, but she wants to be an artist. Malcolm doesn’t know what he wants—until he meets her.
Love is messy and families are messier, but in spite of their burdens, Susan and Malcolm fall for each other. The ways they drift apart and come back together are testaments to family, culture, and being true to who you are.
Review: Had to DNF at 23%. The story is great and so fun, but the trope-y plot is not interesting to me and I don't really like bad boy/good girl stories.
Verdict: It was good, but trope-y
Book: The Beauty of the Moment
Author: Tanaz Bhathena
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 2/5
Publication Date: February 26, 2019
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf-ed
Publisher: Farrer, Straus, and Giroux
Pages: 354
Synopsis: Susan is the new girl—she’s sharp and driven, and strives to meet her parents’ expectations of excellence. Malcolm is the bad boy—he started raising hell at age fifteen, after his mom died of cancer, and has had a reputation ever since.
Susan’s parents are on the verge of divorce. Malcolm’s dad is a known adulterer.
Susan hasn’t told anyone, but she wants to be an artist. Malcolm doesn’t know what he wants—until he meets her.
Love is messy and families are messier, but in spite of their burdens, Susan and Malcolm fall for each other. The ways they drift apart and come back together are testaments to family, culture, and being true to who you are.
Review: Had to DNF at 23%. The story is great and so fun, but the trope-y plot is not interesting to me and I don't really like bad boy/good girl stories.
Verdict: It was good, but trope-y
sc104906's review against another edition
4.0
Find my original review on my blog: https://wp.me/p8jcuj-2p8
Susan and her family move from Saudi Arabi to Canada seeking better opportunities. Susan's mother is overbearing, constantly pushing her to become the perfect daughter. Susan's father is more lenient and the one she can turn to for comfort, however, he has returned to Saudi Arabi without them and hasn't returned in months. There are cracks in her parent's marriage, which ultimately lead in Susan taking the brunt of their anger with each other. Susan uses her art as an outlet and wants to make it a career, however, her parents insist that it is only a hobby and can't even understand why she would want to take an art class in school.
When Susan shows up to her new school in Canada, she finds that priorities are different. While she was popular enough at her old school, now she struggles with the culture shock of being in Canada. Susan quickly catches the notice of bad boy, Malcolm, and his vengeful ex girlfriend.
Malcolm is a terror in the classroom and at home. After being dealt a raw hand, he assumes that everyone is out to get him, though really some are trying to help him. Malcolm loves his sister, but can't stand his father and stepmother. Malcolm can't believe that his father quickly replaced his dead mother with a new woman. While these beliefs direct his actions, they may not be entirely true.
Together Malcolm and Susan push each other to take a hard look at their life and be open to new experiences.
I really liked the characters of this book, they were strong. I found the discussion of culture/culture shock to be interesting and layered. The romance was exactly what I was looking for. It was a fluffy book with some meat on its bones.
Susan and her family move from Saudi Arabi to Canada seeking better opportunities. Susan's mother is overbearing, constantly pushing her to become the perfect daughter. Susan's father is more lenient and the one she can turn to for comfort, however, he has returned to Saudi Arabi without them and hasn't returned in months. There are cracks in her parent's marriage, which ultimately lead in Susan taking the brunt of their anger with each other. Susan uses her art as an outlet and wants to make it a career, however, her parents insist that it is only a hobby and can't even understand why she would want to take an art class in school.
When Susan shows up to her new school in Canada, she finds that priorities are different. While she was popular enough at her old school, now she struggles with the culture shock of being in Canada. Susan quickly catches the notice of bad boy, Malcolm, and his vengeful ex girlfriend.
Malcolm is a terror in the classroom and at home. After being dealt a raw hand, he assumes that everyone is out to get him, though really some are trying to help him. Malcolm loves his sister, but can't stand his father and stepmother. Malcolm can't believe that his father quickly replaced his dead mother with a new woman. While these beliefs direct his actions, they may not be entirely true.
Together Malcolm and Susan push each other to take a hard look at their life and be open to new experiences.
I really liked the characters of this book, they were strong. I found the discussion of culture/culture shock to be interesting and layered. The romance was exactly what I was looking for. It was a fluffy book with some meat on its bones.
missprint_'s review against another edition
4.0
"Nothing lasts forever. Not this snowflake. Not our homes, not our families. But it doesn’t mean you can’t live in the beauty of the moment."
Susan Thomas doesn't cause trouble. She does well in school and she always meets her parents exacting expectations. Maybe that's why she goes along with her family's move to Canada without much fuss. Now, instead of spending her senior year with her friends in the familiar surroundings of Saudi Arabia, Susan is in Canada dealing with winter, a school that-- while less demanding--is co-ed, not to mention her mother's depression while they both wonder if Susan's father will actually make the move to join them in this new country.
According to almost everyone in his life, Malcolm Vakil is trouble. He remembers when he used to care about things like school and making his parents proud but it was a while ago. Before his mother died, before Malcolm found out about his father's affair, and long before his father finally stopped hitting him and his younger sister. He knows what people see when they look at him. He doesn't care enough to prove them wrong.
Susan and Malcolm have nothing in common except for wanting desperately to run away from their lives and, maybe, finding a welcome distraction in each other. But the problem with running away is that eventually you have to figure out somewhere--and maybe someone--to run to in The Beauty of the Moment (2019) by Tanaz Bhatena.
Bhatena's sophomore novel is a contemporary romance set in the same world as her critically acclaimed debut novel A Girl Like That.
The Beauty of the Moment is a light story but don't make the mistake of thinking that means it is slight. Bhatena effectively contrasts Susan and Malcolm's points of view to highlight their differences as well as the common threads that draw them to each other in this story about perceptions and expectations.
This novel is as self-aware as its two main characters. Bhatena artfully explores typical conventions found in romantic comedies while subverting the familiar trope of the smart girl meets bad boy to move the story in unexpected directions. Like all of the best comedies, The Beauty of the Moment isn't afraid to make fun of itself even drawing its title from a line that Malcolm himself recognizes as being incredibly corny seconds after he shares it.
The Beauty of the Moment is everything you could want in a romantic comedy. As with many things, it's easy to ignore the work--the strength of Bhatena's writing-- because so much of it is hidden behind well-drawn characters and an engrossing plot. Not to mention beautiful sentence level writing that is sure to immediately draw readers into Susan and Malcolm's world.
The Beauty of the Moment is a breezy, sweet story about an unlikely romance, complicated families, changed circumstances, and perception. Highly recommended for fans of the genre, readers looking for a new take on some familiar tropes, and anyone looking for a genuine story with authentic, intersectional characters.
Possible Pairings: Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo, Emergency Contact by Mary HK Choi, The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert, 96 Words for Love by Ava Dash and Rachel Roy, 29 Dates by Melissa de la Cruz, To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han, There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon, The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon, Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff
*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
beckylewis82's review against another edition
4.0
Probably a 3.5 or 3.75, not sure I like the ending but really enjoyed the story overall!
alexblackreads's review against another edition
3.0
There was so much I feel like I should have liked about this book, but it just fell flat in almost every area. Like it wasn't bad. I would never call this book bad. Honestly, if it sounds interesting to you, I'd recommend giving it a go. I just couldn't ever bring myself to care the way I really want to when I'm reading. Especially when it's such a character focused book, like this one.
Susan is an Indian immigrant who moved from Saudi Arabia, where she lived most of her life, with her mother to Canada. She meets a cute boy with a troubled past and also deals with her father's continued absence as he still lives in Saudi Arabia. Also, she wants to be an artist, but both her parents plan for her to pursue engineering or medicine. By that description it really sounds like there ought to have been something for me to connect to. I love reading about family drama, and I quite enjoy romance and teens finding themselves in spite of their parents' expectations.
But for whatever reason, I felt bored throughout this book. Perhaps there was too much going on or it was too cutesy or maybe I'd just burned myself out on YA contemporaries after reading too many. It also took me two months to read, so I'm sure that added to the disconnect I felt. Although, if I'd been enjoying it, I probably would have picked it up more than twice a month.
Ironically, the author's previous book sounds way more up my alley, so I'll have to give that one a go and hopefully enjoy it more.
Susan is an Indian immigrant who moved from Saudi Arabia, where she lived most of her life, with her mother to Canada. She meets a cute boy with a troubled past and also deals with her father's continued absence as he still lives in Saudi Arabia. Also, she wants to be an artist, but both her parents plan for her to pursue engineering or medicine. By that description it really sounds like there ought to have been something for me to connect to. I love reading about family drama, and I quite enjoy romance and teens finding themselves in spite of their parents' expectations.
But for whatever reason, I felt bored throughout this book. Perhaps there was too much going on or it was too cutesy or maybe I'd just burned myself out on YA contemporaries after reading too many. It also took me two months to read, so I'm sure that added to the disconnect I felt. Although, if I'd been enjoying it, I probably would have picked it up more than twice a month.
Ironically, the author's previous book sounds way more up my alley, so I'll have to give that one a go and hopefully enjoy it more.
krob41288's review against another edition
Such a sweet story, loved the characters and the themes. Cannot recommend this book enough! Bhathena's prior book was one of my favorites from last year and this book might be my favorite contemporary books of this year.
emilykatereads's review against another edition
4.0
This has become one of my new favourite contemporary romances.
It has so many elements that make it a great, complex romance, and I'm so here for Susan and Malcolm. Susan is the new kid in school, having just moved from Saudi Arabia, and Malcolm is the bad boy as he's acting out while dealing with family drama. Susan is under pressure from family to put school first and become an engineer or doctor, but what she really loves is art. Malcolm doesn't know what he wants, until he meets Susan and starts cleaning up his act.
What made this great was how much went on besides the romance. The story bounces back and forth from Susan to Malcolm and each are their own characters with their own problems. Throughout the story we see each develop as they go through their own struggles.
The romance was slow-burn and well done. It's not the kind of instant-love where Susan is swept off her feet and into her happily ever after, though. It's a slow to start romance with it's ups and downs, and Susan and Malcolm have to learn that a relationship isn't easy, and it's not about being head over heels, but more about loving someone so much and fighting to make it work and how you overcome obstacles in a relationship.
This story is also incredibly diverse with a lot of unique identities. It's really relevant and accurately depicts the culture of the GTA with its mix of different people from all over the world. It's 2019 and we need more books to accurately reflect all the diversity that exists in real life.
The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 was just that I wanted more resolution with a lot of the issues going on. It seems each thing was briefly wrapped up, but I was hoping for a more thorough resolution to each character's story. I also understand not wanting the book to be too long, but I just wish there was a bit more to wrap it up.
Thanks to Penguin Teen CA for providing me with a copy for review!
It has so many elements that make it a great, complex romance, and I'm so here for Susan and Malcolm. Susan is the new kid in school, having just moved from Saudi Arabia, and Malcolm is the bad boy as he's acting out while dealing with family drama. Susan is under pressure from family to put school first and become an engineer or doctor, but what she really loves is art. Malcolm doesn't know what he wants, until he meets Susan and starts cleaning up his act.
What made this great was how much went on besides the romance. The story bounces back and forth from Susan to Malcolm and each are their own characters with their own problems. Throughout the story we see each develop as they go through their own struggles.
The romance was slow-burn and well done. It's not the kind of instant-love where Susan is swept off her feet and into her happily ever after, though. It's a slow to start romance with it's ups and downs, and Susan and Malcolm have to learn that a relationship isn't easy, and it's not about being head over heels, but more about loving someone so much and fighting to make it work and how you overcome obstacles in a relationship.
This story is also incredibly diverse with a lot of unique identities. It's really relevant and accurately depicts the culture of the GTA with its mix of different people from all over the world. It's 2019 and we need more books to accurately reflect all the diversity that exists in real life.
The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 was just that I wanted more resolution with a lot of the issues going on. It seems each thing was briefly wrapped up, but I was hoping for a more thorough resolution to each character's story. I also understand not wanting the book to be too long, but I just wish there was a bit more to wrap it up.
Thanks to Penguin Teen CA for providing me with a copy for review!
kaitbailer's review against another edition
3.0
More like 3.5! I did enjoy this, I just didn’t love it.
samlo28's review against another edition
3.0
actual rating: 3.5 stars
a bit longer than it needed to be and afrin felt like a cutout of a ~villain~ at times, but susan and malcolm are fully realized characters that not only have an interesting dynamic between the two of them but have interesting family dynamics as well. i appreciate how bhathena doesn't make things easy for her characters so every moment of beauty feels earned.
trigger warnings:
a bit longer than it needed to be and afrin felt like a cutout of a ~villain~ at times, but susan and malcolm are fully realized characters that not only have an interesting dynamic between the two of them but have interesting family dynamics as well. i appreciate how bhathena doesn't make things easy for her characters so every moment of beauty feels earned.
trigger warnings:
Spoiler
child abuse, death of a parent (cancer), suicide attempt, sexual assault, xenophobia, adulteryflaviathebibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
Like I mentioned in the introduction for this post, the moment I heard about The Beauty of the Moment, I knew that I had to read it. There are so many things that I was excited about (like the author and the location). And once I started reading, there were a few other things that I really liked that I didn’t know about beforehand. As is the case with all books before reading them, I didn’t know if I’d like the characters (no matter how awesome they may sound in the synopsis).
And while it took me a bit to warm up to Susan and Malcolm, I really really liked them! I really felt for Susan and how she’s an immigrant to Canada (as I experienced some of what she went through myself when I first moved to this country as a child…though I will say that I moved here while I was in grade school and had some time to adjust to things before having to face high school).
And Malcolm. Where do I begin? He’s definitely the kind of bad boy that would have stolen my heart in high school! Especially once I would have gotten to know him better. I also really liked Susan and Malcolm’s interactions, as well as some of the more minor characters. Another thing that I loved (as I mentioned) was the location! The story of The Beauty of the Moment takes place in Toronto, which I have visited quite often in the past.
So, I recognized a lot of the spots/landmarks that were mentioned (which is quite awesome). I also loved learning about the other city that both Susan and the author lived in; Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. I had never read about Saudi Arabia before, so that was definitely a new experience. I recommend this book to all fans of contemporary YA romances (especially ones that have some depth to them)!
And while it took me a bit to warm up to Susan and Malcolm, I really really liked them! I really felt for Susan and how she’s an immigrant to Canada (as I experienced some of what she went through myself when I first moved to this country as a child…though I will say that I moved here while I was in grade school and had some time to adjust to things before having to face high school).
And Malcolm. Where do I begin? He’s definitely the kind of bad boy that would have stolen my heart in high school! Especially once I would have gotten to know him better. I also really liked Susan and Malcolm’s interactions, as well as some of the more minor characters. Another thing that I loved (as I mentioned) was the location! The story of The Beauty of the Moment takes place in Toronto, which I have visited quite often in the past.
So, I recognized a lot of the spots/landmarks that were mentioned (which is quite awesome). I also loved learning about the other city that both Susan and the author lived in; Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. I had never read about Saudi Arabia before, so that was definitely a new experience. I recommend this book to all fans of contemporary YA romances (especially ones that have some depth to them)!