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charink 's review for:
These Impossible Things
by Salma El-Wardany
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was so moved by this book, deadass had me holding back tears while shopping in Costco and fully crying when I got back to my car.
Muslim rep in books that isnt horrible is hard to come by - so i genuinely enjoyed the world building of everyone in this book, especially the trio and how real it was in that despite distance, conflict and time - this type of friendship that is so deeply rooted in love and the honor of knowing one another can and will last. The last scene of them praying fajr together (in their own ways) will stay with me forever i think.
The struggles of juggling faith, culture, responsibility to your family vs yourself was all so really well portrayed, I felt like I knew these girls and at the same time I was them.
Only docking .25 bc of the disappointing trope of muslim men who although often do fail and disappoint us, often also do not (as so tenderly shown by Kees’ Baba - the tea, car rides, bringing her the wedding jewelry all reminded me of mine and how Baba’s can both intensely struggle and excel at showing us love — wow crying again), so anyway I wish we saw more of that instead of the young mens shitty behavior being conflated with their islamic/cultural identities :/ (major theme felt coming across was: he’s brown so ofc he’s going to treat u that way, but dont worry ur white boyf will save and cherish u — thumbs down).
Muslim rep in books that isnt horrible is hard to come by - so i genuinely enjoyed the world building of everyone in this book, especially the trio and how real it was in that despite distance, conflict and time - this type of friendship that is so deeply rooted in love and the honor of knowing one another can and will last. The last scene of them praying fajr together (in their own ways) will stay with me forever i think.
The struggles of juggling faith, culture, responsibility to your family vs yourself was all so really well portrayed, I felt like I knew these girls and at the same time I was them.
Only docking .25 bc of the disappointing trope of muslim men who although often do fail and disappoint us, often also do not (as so tenderly shown by Kees’ Baba - the tea, car rides, bringing her the wedding jewelry all reminded me of mine and how Baba’s can both intensely struggle and excel at showing us love — wow crying again), so anyway I wish we saw more of that instead of the young mens shitty behavior being conflated with their islamic/cultural identities :/ (major theme felt coming across was: he’s brown so ofc he’s going to treat u that way, but dont worry ur white boyf will save and cherish u — thumbs down).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Rape, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry
Minor: Abortion