A review by intonewrealms
The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar

fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I’m so disappointed to say that I did not enjoy this book ANYWHERE NEAR as much as I did Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating. That book was genuinely sweet, but this one was painful to read because the protagonist is the most horrible, selfish person ever. The best part of the book, apart from the sisterly relationship, was how painful it is to see how her family rejects her coming out and chooses to deal with it by ignoring her, then learning why they feel that way and seeing hints that they are coming around. But both that and the awful racism she has faced does not mean that she should be so horrible insensitive to other people’s cultures. It’s downright hilarious that she gets so upset about her friends turning down her henna business idea and being offended by that when she hasn’t even read her Korean friend Chaewon’s previous idea about a business around her own culture.

The romance itself was just icky to me. How am I meant to ship Nishat and Flávia after all of the cultural appropriation. Granted, Flávia EVENTUALLY realised she was wrong but even after that she seems so manipulative at points. I don’t think I would have finished this if I had borrowed, rather than bought it.
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