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coltonmray 's review for:
Sonora
by Hannah Lillith Assadi
I'm a bit conflicted on this book. On the one hand, it's written quite well for a debut and has an interesting premise and setting. However, I don't feel the full potential was realized. The beginning starts off in the interesting setting of the Arizona desert with a Middle Eastern family, and there was so much room to explore the culture clash, but it was mostly surface-level reminiscing on how the main character Ahlam grew up with her friend Laura.
Almost half of the book takes place in New York, where the two girls go to become full-on drug addicts and party girls, and I found this much less interesting. I guess at this point in my life, I don't want to read about people who continually make the worst decisions possible and make no effort to repair their lives. I kept wondering why the main character was staying with this friend who was so clearly toxic, even if they did grow up together. Though her parents are difficult, they are clearly wanting the best for Ahlam, and she mostly gives them a middle finger to go snort coke and sleep with strangers in NYC with her friend.
For most of the novel, Laura is an awful and repulsive person, and Ahlam is a passive doormat who just seems to drift around in other characters' orbits. It was frustrating to read. I wanted this to be more memorable than it was. I guess I'm just not that into drug stories. Love that cover, though.
Almost half of the book takes place in New York, where the two girls go to become full-on drug addicts and party girls, and I found this much less interesting. I guess at this point in my life, I don't want to read about people who continually make the worst decisions possible and make no effort to repair their lives. I kept wondering why the main character was staying with this friend who was so clearly toxic, even if they did grow up together. Though her parents are difficult, they are clearly wanting the best for Ahlam, and she mostly gives them a middle finger to go snort coke and sleep with strangers in NYC with her friend.
For most of the novel, Laura is an awful and repulsive person, and Ahlam is a passive doormat who just seems to drift around in other characters' orbits. It was frustrating to read. I wanted this to be more memorable than it was. I guess I'm just not that into drug stories. Love that cover, though.