A review by zinelib
Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali

hopeful 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? No

4.25

Is practicing-Muslim YA so wholesome because the characters don't drink? Or because the characters love of Allah makes them loving? idk, but this is a sweet story of a pair of teens falling mindfully in love. Protagonist Zayneb is a hothead, which gets her a week suspension from school (or her Islamophobic social studies teacher's shenanigans do), and her parents agree to send her to Doha a week ahead of them to visit her aunt, Nandy. When she meets kids from the school where her aunt teaches, Zayneb decides to keep her emotions in check, even when tried by cultural appropriation and poor behavior to service workers. At the same time, she's falling more and more for Adam, a cute guy she sort of met on the plane and who happens to be a former student of her aunt's. 

Even in Doha, Qatar, Zayneb faces religious persecution. Here's a zine from the gym swimming pool, where Zayneb dons modest swimwear. Luckily Aunt Nandy, as a resident and member of the pool can clap back.

"I'll get complaints," Marc said, stepping out from behind the front desk. "We have some members who are more vocal than others."
"You mean you have some members who are more prejudiced than others."

Here, Zayneb reckons with her anger (while Muslim) after learning that her grandmother was killed in Pakistan by a drone:

"I'm not a violent person. I'm not advocating violence. But I am an angry person. I'm advocating for more people to get angry. Get moved."

Further support on clapping back from Aunt Nandy:

"They just want to protect you from the consequences you'll get for fighting for justice. Because there will be consequences when you shake the world." She pulled out the chair closest to me and sat in it. "But here's a secret: If you plot and plan wisely, the consequences are unexpected."

In These Troubled Times, I'm glad to see people acknowledging that you can't fight for justice without making trouble. This is a conversation between Zayneb's mother and Nandy.

"Honey, I'm not saying you can't be yourself. I'm just saying that the way you go about it can get you  in trouble. And I don't want to see that."
"Leesh, I've got to interrupt her, but trouble is part of changing things."

Re: the above, someone I know what critical of an action I participated in, where several hundred people sat down on the Manhattan Bridge to call for an extension of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. The acquaintance commented that tying up traffic isn't a way to enlist people to our side. So...what is? Allowing business as usual???