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safiyabintsaleh 's review for:
Ayesha at Last
by Uzma Jalaluddin
It's been a while since I last reviewed a book, but this book made me feel so seen that I couldn't resist talking about it.
Up until I read this book, I thought that Wattpad was the only place I could find a Muslim love story that follows the Islamic concept of marriage ft. major desi family drama. AYESHA AT LAST was all that and more. It's more than a retelling of Pride and Prejudice and it's also so underrated that I want to buy it and gift it to people and tell them, "This is what I've been trying to explain to you my whole life. This is what I mean when I say I don't date!"
We talk a lot about representation and how amazing it is to see ourselves represented in media, but this is the first time I've felt represented as a young South Asian practicing Muslim woman. Reading this book made me realize that even though I feel alone and unwanted in the western world, there are people out there like me who practice the same things I do, people who'll understand how life works for me without questioning or thinking I'm weird.
AYESHA AT LAST discusses things like Islamophobia, culture vs. religion, misogyny among desis, the pressures of being a Muslim, and the beauty in Islam and the way people choose their parents for life. As someone who keeps getting tossed in and out of the "marriage market" beyond my will just like Ayesha, I understand all of her frustration and I hope that people who aren't subject to this kind of scrutiny can read about this with an open eye and understand both the pros and cons to this system that people choose to follow despite its flaws.
Now, about the book itself. I'm gonna be honest, the first thing I wanted to do after I started reading this book was dnf it because it was so boring. Khalid bored the living daylights out of me and I've never been a fan of the Darcy types, so I put it aside. I'm not sure why I picked it up again, but by the time I was on the third chapter, I was hooked. In a way, I related to Khalid because of the way he dresses (surprisingly enough— I never expected to relate to a guy) and also because he was a programmer facing Islamophobia at work. He grew on me really fast and I came to really love Ayesha, her boldness, and her struggles. I do wish we could've seen more about the poetry she was so passionate about, but alas.
Another thing was Hafsa. She was a total Kitty from the start, though it seemed like she might've been doubling as Jane at the same time. What I didn't understand was how a 20-year-old could be as immature as she was, because as someone of the same age, I don't think I or any of my peers could do something like that, but oh well. She was a downright brat and I really wish someone had slapped some actual sense into her and made her pay for her behavior.
There was something that concerned me a lot, and that was Zareena's plotline. The parts where she went quiet and seemingly disappeared, I was terrified that maybe she'd been murdered or had hurt herself, especially because of the events that took place when Khalid inquired after her. I get that not knowing added suspense, but I was a little confused by how easily Khalid seemed to forget about her. I understand he hadn't seen or talked to her in forever and maybe it's because I have anxiety, but I would've been a lot more frantic about making sure she was okay had she been my sister.
Aside from the book being a little fast paced and predictable (it was a Pride and Prejudice retelling after all), I recommend this book to everyone! It's important for everyone to read in order for them to understand how Muslims handle getting married because sometimes it's awkward for us to explain because we're always ridiculed for the way we do things.
I'm really grateful for this book because now I feel a little better about not dating and I really really hope everyone gives it a chance. Looking forward to the author's future works!
Up until I read this book, I thought that Wattpad was the only place I could find a Muslim love story that follows the Islamic concept of marriage ft. major desi family drama. AYESHA AT LAST was all that and more. It's more than a retelling of Pride and Prejudice and it's also so underrated that I want to buy it and gift it to people and tell them, "This is what I've been trying to explain to you my whole life. This is what I mean when I say I don't date!"
We talk a lot about representation and how amazing it is to see ourselves represented in media, but this is the first time I've felt represented as a young South Asian practicing Muslim woman. Reading this book made me realize that even though I feel alone and unwanted in the western world, there are people out there like me who practice the same things I do, people who'll understand how life works for me without questioning or thinking I'm weird.
AYESHA AT LAST discusses things like Islamophobia, culture vs. religion, misogyny among desis, the pressures of being a Muslim, and the beauty in Islam and the way people choose their parents for life. As someone who keeps getting tossed in and out of the "marriage market" beyond my will just like Ayesha, I understand all of her frustration and I hope that people who aren't subject to this kind of scrutiny can read about this with an open eye and understand both the pros and cons to this system that people choose to follow despite its flaws.
Now, about the book itself. I'm gonna be honest, the first thing I wanted to do after I started reading this book was dnf it because it was so boring. Khalid bored the living daylights out of me and I've never been a fan of the Darcy types, so I put it aside. I'm not sure why I picked it up again, but by the time I was on the third chapter, I was hooked. In a way, I related to Khalid because of the way he dresses (surprisingly enough— I never expected to relate to a guy) and also because he was a programmer facing Islamophobia at work. He grew on me really fast and I came to really love Ayesha, her boldness, and her struggles. I do wish we could've seen more about the poetry she was so passionate about, but alas.
Another thing was Hafsa. She was a total Kitty from the start, though it seemed like she might've been doubling as Jane at the same time. What I didn't understand was how a 20-year-old could be as immature as she was, because as someone of the same age, I don't think I or any of my peers could do something like that, but oh well. She was a downright brat and I really wish someone had slapped some actual sense into her and made her pay for her behavior.
There was something that concerned me a lot, and that was Zareena's plotline. The parts where she went quiet and seemingly disappeared, I was terrified that maybe she'd been murdered or had hurt herself, especially because of the events that took place when Khalid inquired after her. I get that not knowing added suspense, but I was a little confused by how easily Khalid seemed to forget about her. I understand he hadn't seen or talked to her in forever and maybe it's because I have anxiety, but I would've been a lot more frantic about making sure she was okay had she been my sister.
Aside from the book being a little fast paced and predictable (it was a Pride and Prejudice retelling after all), I recommend this book to everyone! It's important for everyone to read in order for them to understand how Muslims handle getting married because sometimes it's awkward for us to explain because we're always ridiculed for the way we do things.
I'm really grateful for this book because now I feel a little better about not dating and I really really hope everyone gives it a chance. Looking forward to the author's future works!