Scan barcode
A review by katiemack
Salaam, with Love by Sara Sharaf Beg
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The #ownvoices rep is strong in this one. As far as halal romance goes, this book does a decent job illustrating that and the positive aspects of Islam (though it got a little preachy at times). The ending is very cute too. Overall, it's great that this book was written and will be widely circulated so more YA readers will see themselves in mainstream literature--I'm a huge proponent of that.
Unfortunately, it was tough to enjoy the story because the writing feels clunky and overly explanatory. I also read parts out loud to my husband (who is Pakistani) because sometimes it sounds like a South Asian drama. (I love watching those dramas, but it doesn't translate well to the written word.) There were also some strange inconsistencies and errors that will hopefully be resolves when the book is published.
I was conflicted with what to rate this because, again, just the fact that this was written is excellent; however, the writing could use some polish.
The #ownvoices rep is strong in this one. As far as halal romance goes, this book does a decent job illustrating that and the positive aspects of Islam (though it got a little preachy at times). The ending is very cute too. Overall, it's great that this book was written and will be widely circulated so more YA readers will see themselves in mainstream literature--I'm a huge proponent of that.
Unfortunately, it was tough to enjoy the story because the writing feels clunky and overly explanatory. I also read parts out loud to my husband (who is Pakistani) because sometimes it sounds like a South Asian drama. (I love watching those dramas, but it doesn't translate well to the written word.) There were also some strange inconsistencies and errors that will hopefully be resolves when the book is published.
I was conflicted with what to rate this because, again, just the fact that this was written is excellent; however, the writing could use some polish.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Islamophobia and Gun violence