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findingfiction_ 's review for:
Love from A to Z
by S.K. Ali
Let’s get right into it. I want to talk about this from two view points. While some of you may agree or disagree this is simply my opinion.
As a Muslim female who does wear a headscarf I was happy to see the focus on hurdles Zayneb, the main character, faces due to islamophobia. This isn’t the main plot of the story, but a subplot. The main plot focuses on Zayneb and Adam’s friendship/relationship through the hurdles that come up in their own lives as well as obstacles they face as a young Muslims looking for more than just a relationship. The story was heartfelt, adorable and at times somber.
Now here is where I want to talk about certain moments in this book, that someone who hasn’t grown up practicing Islam or who hasn’t been in an environment with cultural diversity, may find a bit confusing. Some terms and customs make sense to me because I just know it to be, while others may not understand. One instance that stands out was when Zayneb and Adam called each other brother and sister. I know it sounds weird but they mean in faith and not literally. It’s often used as a term of respect when addressing someone outside of your family. These are just nuances within the story that aren’t clarified and I wish they were. Of course you cannot fill a book with the do’s and don’ts of Islam, then there is the fact that everyone practices the same faith but there are always differences in the way it’s practiced. A lot of the time culture is misinterpreted as religion.
As a Muslim female who does wear a headscarf I was happy to see the focus on hurdles Zayneb, the main character, faces due to islamophobia. This isn’t the main plot of the story, but a subplot. The main plot focuses on Zayneb and Adam’s friendship/relationship through the hurdles that come up in their own lives as well as obstacles they face as a young Muslims looking for more than just a relationship. The story was heartfelt, adorable and at times somber.
Now here is where I want to talk about certain moments in this book, that someone who hasn’t grown up practicing Islam or who hasn’t been in an environment with cultural diversity, may find a bit confusing. Some terms and customs make sense to me because I just know it to be, while others may not understand. One instance that stands out was when Zayneb and Adam called each other brother and sister. I know it sounds weird but they mean in faith and not literally. It’s often used as a term of respect when addressing someone outside of your family. These are just nuances within the story that aren’t clarified and I wish they were. Of course you cannot fill a book with the do’s and don’ts of Islam, then there is the fact that everyone practices the same faith but there are always differences in the way it’s practiced. A lot of the time culture is misinterpreted as religion.