A review by heresyourletter
Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea

challenging emotional funny reflective 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

3.5

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I liked getting to know the characters and I liked the narrative structure of a weekly “Lady Whistledown”-esque newsletter.

I didn’t find the ending quite satisfying though, because I still wanted to know who the writer is and wanted to know what happens to Michelle and Gamrah

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Abandonment

Moderate: Confinement, Homophobia, Infidelity, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy

Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Fatphobia, Infertility, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Death of parent

The double standard between men and women in Saudi society is a theme throughout the book. A character is disparaged by her community for having an “effeminate” son. A Shi’ite minority family is shunned by their Sunni community. Suspicion is raised against a character by her love interest’s family because her last name doesn’t clearly indelicate where her family is from. A character secretly makes fun of a full-figured bride in her wedding dress. Some pejorative comments made by some characters about certain ethnic groups in Saudi Arabia. Several mentions of shisha. A couple uses of “wh*re” and similar words. Mention of a character’s mother dying before the book takes place. A minor character and her husband secretly adopt a child, because she is infertile.

A character tries to save her marriage through pregnancy. One character is slapped by her husband after she discovers his affair and insults his mistress. Two characters are abandoned by their husbands (one of whom is pregnant). One character is manipulated by a love interest into correcting her behaviour in order to please him. A character rekindles a relationship with an ex days before he marries another woman. A divorcee is (mostly) kept at home by her family so she won’t bring shame on them by being in public. She mourns the loss of her marriage prospects.