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taulkstoomuch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Other than the narrators butchered Urdu and Hindi pronunciation, I have no complaints. Such a fun read!
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia
Minor: Body shaming and Violence
thewildmageslibrary's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Grief
Moderate: Fatphobia, Misogyny, Racism, and Islamophobia
Minor: Abortion and Death of parent
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Alcoholism, Violence, Abortion, and Pregnancy
kelly_e's review against another edition
- 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
Author: Uzma Jalaluddin
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4
Pub Date: June 12 2018
T H R E E • W O R D S
Lighthearted • Delightful • Modern
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Ayesha at Last is a modern day retelling of the beloved classic Pride & Prejudice with Muslim protagonists. Ayesha dreams of being a poet, but she's put that dream aside for a teaching job in order to repay her uncle. Her boisterous family is constantly reminding her she's still single, but she knows she doesn't want an arranged marriage. When she meets Khalid, she's immediately off-put by his conservative and judgmental nature. His father having recently died, Khalid is focused on his career, and trusts his mother to find him a wife. When a new boss is put in place, he faces pressures to conform to different ways than what he knows. When the two are thrown together to plan event to help save an organization near and dear to them both, they're about to get to know each other a whole lot better.
💭 T H O U G H T S
What a pleasant surprise Ayesha at Last was, I still cannot wrap my head around the fact this is a debut novel. The writing follows an easy flow, offering alternating third person accounts of both Ayesha and Khalid's lives. While marketed as a romantic comedy, this story is so much more than just romance. It takes a deep dive into the complexities of family relationships, religious standards, and finding oneself. Uzma Jalauddin explores many themes including identity, family, community, faith, and of course, love. The connection between the characters is magnetic. The humour an added bonus. The culture embedded within informative. The author has done a phenomenal job portraying the many different challenges faced by immigrants in Canada, in this feel-good story. For all of these reasons, this novel was an enjoyable reading experience I won't soon forget.
I've never read Pride & Prejudice so I cannot speak to its authenticity in relation to it, but this title stands strong all on its own. It is a fun, informative enemies-to-lovers done right novel that has be looking forward to Hana Khan Carries On, this author's latest release.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Pride & Prejudice lovers
• Cultural romance readers
• those that enjoy romance without all the steam
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"We are all just cosmic players in the eternal dance of life."
Graphic: Racism, Islamophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, and Abortion
rhyaddams's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Moderate: Racism, Islamophobia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Abortion and Death of parent
aqtbenz'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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Islamophobia
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
hummyk's review against another edition
- 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
Minor: Racism and Islamophobia
ashlightgrayson's review against another edition
- 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
There were liberties taken in this retelling, but I would say they added to the story rather than take away from it. The characters were properly adapted to the context of the setting and the culture they were in. I appreciated that we got to see the diversity within the Muslim community in this book. There were differences in the way each character interpreted the faith and how they practiced it. Characters like Khalid and his mother are more traditional while you have characters like Amir and Ayesha that are more lenient with their understanding of the Muslim faith. Characters that had more traditional views like Khalid were also not changed completely by the end to be more modern just because others wanted him to be. He became more open about other's beliefs while still staying true to his own, which is both more realistic and does not stigmatize more traditional Muslims. The strong message within the story is that you are happier when you are true to yourself while also abstaining from judging others too quickly.
In addition, I realy liked the relationship between Kahlid and his sister, Zareena. I really like seeing healthy love between siblings and you definitely get it here. Zareena is also a character that exemplifies how as a Muslim woman she did not need to adopt Western traditions in order to find happiness. I cannot say more for fear of spoiling anything, but she has a very interesting character arc that I think a lot of people will find interesting.
My final praise goes to the character development for everyone in the story. Every single character is involved in a subplot that helps flesh them out. No one is treated like a one-dimensional person. Everyone is flawed and some redeem themselves better than others, but they are all interesting and compelling. It is clear that even the more unlikeable characters have personal motives. As you are reading you can understand why characters made certain decisions, but when they are wrong the decisions are not excused and have consequences. All of the characters given nuance, which was great to see. This is one of the better retellings I have read. I look forward to reading more books by Uzma Jalauddin since reading this was so enjoyable.
Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Death of parent
tfortilney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Racism, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Abortion
harperhoney's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Racism, Islamophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Grief
Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Grief