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A review by rorikae
Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-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
4.5
'Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating' by Adiba Jaigirdar is a cute story of two Bengali girls who start to fake date only to find that they are starting to fall for each other for real.
Humaira 'Hani' Khan is popular at her all girl's school but her friends invalidate her identity when she comes out to them as bisexual. In an attempt to prove to them that she really is bisexual, she tells them that she is dating Ishita 'Ishu' Dey, an overachieving girl in their class. When Humaira admits to Ishita what she has done, Ishita agrees to pretend to date Hani if Hani will help her become more popular so she can become Head Girl. But as they spend more time together, each girl starts to have real feelings for the other, which complicate their plan.
This is such a wonderful queer YA romance. The use of alternating perspectives worked really well because it not only gives the reader insight into the two main characters but also how they see each other. When misunderstandings and assumptions naturally occur, these perspectives do a great job of making the reader understand what each character is thinking. Jaigirdar's writing and characterization meant that I instantly cared for these characters and was rooting for them. On top of dealing with bi-erasure, Jaigirdar also explores the racism that Hani and Ishu face in Ireland as two Bengali girls. This story is the perfect balance of cute queer romance and investigating deeper issues that the characters face in their lives. The audiobook was wonderful and I can't wait to delve into Jaigirdar's backlist.
Humaira 'Hani' Khan is popular at her all girl's school but her friends invalidate her identity when she comes out to them as bisexual. In an attempt to prove to them that she really is bisexual, she tells them that she is dating Ishita 'Ishu' Dey, an overachieving girl in their class. When Humaira admits to Ishita what she has done, Ishita agrees to pretend to date Hani if Hani will help her become more popular so she can become Head Girl. But as they spend more time together, each girl starts to have real feelings for the other, which complicate their plan.
This is such a wonderful queer YA romance. The use of alternating perspectives worked really well because it not only gives the reader insight into the two main characters but also how they see each other. When misunderstandings and assumptions naturally occur, these perspectives do a great job of making the reader understand what each character is thinking. Jaigirdar's writing and characterization meant that I instantly cared for these characters and was rooting for them. On top of dealing with bi-erasure, Jaigirdar also explores the racism that Hani and Ishu face in Ireland as two Bengali girls. This story is the perfect balance of cute queer romance and investigating deeper issues that the characters face in their lives. The audiobook was wonderful and I can't wait to delve into Jaigirdar's backlist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Toxic friendship, and Racism
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting