A review by kenzieburns
It Won't Always Be Like This by Malaka Gharib

reflective fast-paced

5.0

Such a touching memoir. I don't frequently give 5 stars, but this was so relatable for me and I absolutely devoured it in an hour and a half. First off, I really liked the artistic style of this graphic novel! So colorful and cute, yet detailed and nuanced at the same time. Regarding the narrative: anyone who has divorced, remarried parents HAS TO read this. I love the way Gharib puts words to that "out of place" feeling I assume we all have at one point or another when you don't live full-time with half your family. Pages 123-125 specifically are so relatable. This idea of "I don't fit here/I'm not a part of this family" is so hard to grapple with, and to see Malaka come to terms with her family's structure  (and as she realizes and I have realized too, yes, you DO fit and you ARE a part of this family) as she gets older is so validating. Although our stories diverge at the end, as my dad and step-mom have probably the happiest, healthiest relationship I know of, I still relate to the author in this feeling that, no matter what, you want the best for your family (even in Hala/Malaka's case where they're not married into you immediate family, but are still very much your family). I also have to reflect on how this book put words to cultural struggles/experiences that I am not familiar with, which helped me to further appreciate and understand immigrants' compounded struggles and triumphs. It's interesting to me how relatable and also unrelatable this memoir is, because our family situations are similar, but there is also a whole cultural aspect that I will never fully understand as a White person. So, on one hand, it's cool to not be alone in two-family situations even across cultures, but it's also humbling to realize that there are so many other layers to family dynamics.
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