A review by dctalks
The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan

3.0

As a fellow queer desi, I absolutely loved the representation in this story. Some of the storylines and relationships were really strong, and I liked the depiction of a Bengali family and community. Ultimately, though, it fell a little flat for me. The romance felt very generic and didn't really land. The writing and characterization were mostly fine, but not strong enough to properly handle the darker elements of the plot. As a result, the heavy moments felt a little sensational and didn't carry the weight that they should have. I'm glad this book exists, and I know it would have made a huge difference to me when I was a teenager - but as an adult, it was just okay.