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A review by kingrosereads
Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A modern, Muslim “You’ve Got Mail” inspired clean romcom!
Hana Khan’s got big dreams for her life. She wants to tell stories and has pursued a degree in broadcasting. Now she works as an unpaid intern at Radio Toronto while working at her mother’s restaurant, Three Sisters Biryani Poutine. She also has an anonymous podcast, Ana’s Brown Girl Rambles. It’s through the podcast that she meets StanleyP another lover of radio and her number one fan. They agree to stay anonymous and don’t get into specifics about each other’s lives, and carry on a months long online friendship. Hana’s family restaurant is struggling, especially when her pregnant sister is put on bed rest and can’t help out. Things get worse when a new restaurant starts construction and threatens to put them out of business. The problem? The restaurant’s owner is Aydin, a young man that Hana might continuously get into arguments with, but is growing more attracted to him by the day. She also has to deal with her cousin and mysterious aunt and a family secret. Hana is dealing with so many changes at once between her friends, family, career, and love life that it’s all turned her life upside down.
I LOVED this book. It was so funny and charming and corny. I loved that it handle so many different topics and was still very entertaining. I think it handled Islamaphobia, xenophobia, and racism rather well. It went through the everyday microagressions that brown and Muslim people face, while incorporating the more rare, but violent acts of bigotry.
Hana and Aydin’s romance was iffy for me. Sometimes I loved where it was heading, and other times I hated it. I especially hated that Aydin was okay with putting a family-owned establishment out of business. I know he changed and stood up to his dad, but would he have done the same if Hana wasn’t a factor? He was also incredibly rude and mean in the beginning and sure it could be a front he’s putting on for his dad, but it’s still such an ick. The fact he threw Hana’s war tactics in her face when he knew he was planning to put her out of business the whole time really irritated me.
But I did love their banter and I love a guy that falls in love first. I could definitely see the chemistry and the foundation of a relationship by the end.
This book is very different from Ayesha at Last. For starters, it’s in first person and is a singular POV. Though the romance is very clean (there’s no kissing either), it’s much more relaxed in the dating rituals. They do have more innocent touches here and there but it’s all above board. Hana’s family is different, they don’t have extended family that live in Canada. Her mother is more progressive and independent. Her parents and aunt don’t pressure her to get married, and Hana didn’t have the desire to date anyone until she met Aydin. Their relationship also seemed more easygoing. I will say read Ayesha first, though this isn’t a series you get a little cameo and shoutouts from some of the characters since both books take place in the same (or at least, neighboring) community. It’s very much a different brown Muslim first-gen experience from Ayesha, but I think together, and with other books, you get a chance to see a bigger picture of this specific community.
Lots of laughs in this book. The side characters are well-rounded and interesting. Rashid and Hana were hilarious and Kawkab Khala is my hero. I love the familial relationships and how Hana is with her parents. She’s balancing this pressure that her parents help her carry. Heartwarming is the word.
Hana Khan’s got big dreams for her life. She wants to tell stories and has pursued a degree in broadcasting. Now she works as an unpaid intern at Radio Toronto while working at her mother’s restaurant, Three Sisters Biryani Poutine. She also has an anonymous podcast, Ana’s Brown Girl Rambles. It’s through the podcast that she meets StanleyP another lover of radio and her number one fan. They agree to stay anonymous and don’t get into specifics about each other’s lives, and carry on a months long online friendship. Hana’s family restaurant is struggling, especially when her pregnant sister is put on bed rest and can’t help out. Things get worse when a new restaurant starts construction and threatens to put them out of business. The problem? The restaurant’s owner is Aydin, a young man that Hana might continuously get into arguments with, but is growing more attracted to him by the day. She also has to deal with her cousin and mysterious aunt and a family secret. Hana is dealing with so many changes at once between her friends, family, career, and love life that it’s all turned her life upside down.
I LOVED this book. It was so funny and charming and corny. I loved that it handle so many different topics and was still very entertaining. I think it handled Islamaphobia, xenophobia, and racism rather well. It went through the everyday microagressions that brown and Muslim people face, while incorporating the more rare, but violent acts of bigotry.
Hana and Aydin’s romance was iffy for me. Sometimes I loved where it was heading, and other times I hated it. I especially hated that Aydin was okay with putting a family-owned establishment out of business. I know he changed and stood up to his dad, but would he have done the same if Hana wasn’t a factor? He was also incredibly rude and mean in the beginning and sure it could be a front he’s putting on for his dad, but it’s still such an ick. The fact he threw Hana’s war tactics in her face when he knew he was planning to put her out of business the whole time really irritated me.
But I did love their banter and I love a guy that falls in love first. I could definitely see the chemistry and the foundation of a relationship by the end.
This book is very different from Ayesha at Last. For starters, it’s in first person and is a singular POV. Though the romance is very clean (there’s no kissing either), it’s much more relaxed in the dating rituals. They do have more innocent touches here and there but it’s all above board. Hana’s family is different, they don’t have extended family that live in Canada. Her mother is more progressive and independent. Her parents and aunt don’t pressure her to get married, and Hana didn’t have the desire to date anyone until she met Aydin. Their relationship also seemed more easygoing. I will say read Ayesha first, though this isn’t a series you get a little cameo and shoutouts from some of the characters since both books take place in the same (or at least, neighboring) community. It’s very much a different brown Muslim first-gen experience from Ayesha, but I think together, and with other books, you get a chance to see a bigger picture of this specific community.
Lots of laughs in this book. The side characters are well-rounded and interesting. Rashid and Hana were hilarious and Kawkab Khala is my hero. I love the familial relationships and how Hana is with her parents. She’s balancing this pressure that her parents help her carry. Heartwarming is the word.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Xenophobia, Violence, and Racism