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A review by mmrohbock
Salaam, with Love by Sara Sharaf Beg
informative
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
4.25
4.25⭐
G for a cute young adult novel good for any teen!
As a teenager, I really didn't know much about Ramadan and learned so much more as an adult living in diverse cities with coworkers who are practicing Muslims. This is the young adult book I wish I had as a teen so I could learn more about customs different from the ones I grew up with.
Dua is a seventeen-year-old only child and the only Muslim in girl in her school who's just looking forward to summer when her parents announce they're going to spend the month of Ramadan in NYC with her uncle's very religious family of seven. The following month is so much change as Dua learns to find her place among such a large family, grow in her religious practice and meet a cute Desi boy who's a friend of the family.
This book tackled so many different topics from Islamophobia to marriage decisions to the joy of a first crush. Sara Sharaf Bag did a great job bringing her characters to life and sharing their challenges in such a short book. I did find it hard to keep all the characters straight at first and there was a lot going on to keep track of. The characters also made some major decisions extremely quickly, so the book didn't always quite flow but I think some of that may be due to cultural differences on my end.
If you're looking for a great book to learn more about the Islamic faith or Ramadan that can be shared with people of all ages, I definitely recommend this book. It was so sweet and so informative!
And I do not want to appropriate Ramadan but as a Catholic with Lent rapidly approaching, this book has put me in the right mindset to think about how I want to grow during the time period where Catholics use fasting and restrictions to bring themselves closer to God.
G for a cute young adult novel good for any teen!
As a teenager, I really didn't know much about Ramadan and learned so much more as an adult living in diverse cities with coworkers who are practicing Muslims. This is the young adult book I wish I had as a teen so I could learn more about customs different from the ones I grew up with.
Dua is a seventeen-year-old only child and the only Muslim in girl in her school who's just looking forward to summer when her parents announce they're going to spend the month of Ramadan in NYC with her uncle's very religious family of seven. The following month is so much change as Dua learns to find her place among such a large family, grow in her religious practice and meet a cute Desi boy who's a friend of the family.
This book tackled so many different topics from Islamophobia to marriage decisions to the joy of a first crush. Sara Sharaf Bag did a great job bringing her characters to life and sharing their challenges in such a short book. I did find it hard to keep all the characters straight at first and there was a lot going on to keep track of. The characters also made some major decisions extremely quickly, so the book didn't always quite flow but I think some of that may be due to cultural differences on my end.
If you're looking for a great book to learn more about the Islamic faith or Ramadan that can be shared with people of all ages, I definitely recommend this book. It was so sweet and so informative!
And I do not want to appropriate Ramadan but as a Catholic with Lent rapidly approaching, this book has put me in the right mindset to think about how I want to grow during the time period where Catholics use fasting and restrictions to bring themselves closer to God.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Islamophobia