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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A light-hearted novel about the deradicalization of ISIS brides in Iraq - it doesn't sound like it would work but it did for me! This book has a strong contemporary feel, influenced by young (ish) British culture, which made this book very easy to relate to and digest. The writing style worked well for this, and delivered on the humour for me! Nadia and Sara felt very real to me, and I loved their dynamic, but also the direction we ultimately take in this book of our tendency to not imagine people complexly enough and project onto others. The others at the UN felt a little more like caricatures, but the ineptitude of the team helped bring the levity to this book that I enjoyed, and did fit within the satirical style. There is some interesting exploration of religion and family, with a contrast drawn between Nadia and Sara. Nadia is also queer, which added a nice background note to the story - I appreciate when queer identities are included even when they aren't necessarily the focus of the story. I listened to this on audio and enjoyed the accents and acting, but I did find the flashbacks could have been signposted a little more clearly for my taste - at nearly every one I had to go back and work out what the jump was.
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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:
Yes
Darkly humorous and so smart.
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Islamophobia
Moderate: Trafficking, Kidnapping, War
challenging
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
medium-paced
Read as longlisted (and then shortlisted) for the women's prize for fiction 2025. This book was great! Innately funny whilst diving into radicalisation and the tedious bureaucracy of charities and aid organisations in war torn countries.
The voice of Sara was incredibly strong, finding her humour and banter refreshing. In parts towards the end I did find it a little grating but I was intrigued throughout.
Will definetly keep my eye out on what the author writes in the future. Highly recommend!
The voice of Sara was incredibly strong, finding her humour and banter refreshing. In parts towards the end I did find it a little grating but I was intrigued throughout.
Will definetly keep my eye out on what the author writes in the future. Highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, War
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
medium-paced
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
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:
Complicated
Such a fun read. Witty narration and beautiful, vivid imagery.
An exploration of faith and religion, Younis delicately interweaves themes of belonging and family.
It was such an interesting read - because she draws parallels between the 2 female main protagonists, Nadia and Sara - they are mirrors of each other, yet so different. They are both victims of trauma, and find salvation through each other. I love strong, female protagonists.
There is a small focus on conditional love - the effect it has on how young female PoC perceive and accept love later on in their lives. I always like it when authors include this - makes me feel seen, but is also a pervasive "?rite of passage" experience that young women go through.
By far, my favourite book of the year. An amazing debut novel rich in contemporary context.
An exploration of faith and religion, Younis delicately interweaves themes of belonging and family.
It was such an interesting read - because she draws parallels between the 2 female main protagonists, Nadia and Sara - they are mirrors of each other, yet so different. They are both victims of trauma, and find salvation through each other. I love strong, female protagonists.
There is a small focus on conditional love - the effect it has on how young female PoC perceive and accept love later on in their lives. I always like it when authors include this - makes me feel seen, but is also a pervasive "?rite of passage" experience that young women go through.
By far, my favourite book of the year. An amazing debut novel rich in contemporary context.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated