A review by roseanswers
A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena

4.0

“In this world, no one cares if you are starving to death. No one even looks at you. They only care when you start doing things they don't approve of - like dancing with your clothes off.”

This is everything a contemporary should be!

This is not your typical fluffy, mushy YA-contemporary romance and Zarin is not a quirky, happy-go-lucky heroine. She’s controversial, she speaks her mind and she doesn’t take anyone’s shit. Yet, still, she’s kind, she gets scared and insecure and she is so real.
Set in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the story follows Zarin and Porus (but also Mishal, Farhan and many others) which is refreshing because it brings something new to the contemporary-table (if I have to read one. more. Fucking book. about quirky people set in America I will choke someone).
The book deals with a wide variety of difficult themes. Rape. Religion. Death. Abuse. Bullying. Social expectations, etc., which I think Bhathena handled very well. All in all, a great book to read if you – too- feel like the contemporary genre is lacking diversity.