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A review by starblossomstella
The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
4.0
I listened to this on audiobook via my local library so some things may feel better in print than in spoken form.
I’m rating this 4/5 based on this scale but if there was an option, I’d give 7/10. There’s a good amount I loved and probably as much that I didn’t love. If you want critical analyses or spoilers there’s plenty of that already in this review section, I won’t rehash it.
Major pluses are the cultural representation (holy hell, a Brazilian girl and Portuguese language in a book as a secondary thing is incredible, can’t remember the last time I’ve seen that but also major representation for Bangladesh which you never hear almost any of in the mainstream) along with LGBTQ love in a genuine way without relying too heavily on the suffering aspect and extremely likable characters. There’s a lot to be happy about there.
That being said, many of the situations feel circumstantial and convenient. There are entire “I guess that just happened” moments that feel forced, for better or worse. In addition, a bunch of characters are occasionally just in their own heads and locked out of what seems like any rational/irrational thought. It does feel not great to read through when you see it happening.
Overall, I’d recommend it as a read if you want something light that won’t take too much time to read. It’s good and I’m happy I read it but it’s not going to be a top 10 read for me for the year.
I’m rating this 4/5 based on this scale but if there was an option, I’d give 7/10. There’s a good amount I loved and probably as much that I didn’t love. If you want critical analyses or spoilers there’s plenty of that already in this review section, I won’t rehash it.
Major pluses are the cultural representation (holy hell, a Brazilian girl and Portuguese language in a book as a secondary thing is incredible, can’t remember the last time I’ve seen that but also major representation for Bangladesh which you never hear almost any of in the mainstream) along with LGBTQ love in a genuine way without relying too heavily on the suffering aspect and extremely likable characters. There’s a lot to be happy about there.
That being said, many of the situations feel circumstantial and convenient. There are entire “I guess that just happened” moments that feel forced, for better or worse. In addition, a bunch of characters are occasionally just in their own heads and locked out of what seems like any rational/irrational thought. It does feel not great to read through when you see it happening.
Overall, I’d recommend it as a read if you want something light that won’t take too much time to read. It’s good and I’m happy I read it but it’s not going to be a top 10 read for me for the year.