delijha711's reviews
941 reviews

The Queue by Basma Abdel Aziz

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challenging dark informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative sad 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

2.75

***** SPOILERS *****

This is another book I picked up due to it being Arab Heritage month and I love romance books as is so I was looking forward to reading it and how it showed romance in regards to the characters. How in the beginning I am supposed to be rooting for Nada, you got me. Like I totally empathize with her in the regard her work was stolen from her by someone she regarded as a mentor, that's hella messed up. But after that, like you want me to root for you? When she came face to face with Baz she was just prodding him and calling him a coward! Bold coming from you girly. Haleema is cool but I totally get why Nada was mad cause I would've been furious if my best friend went into details about myself with her partner without my permission, let alone a man she's only known a few months! Nah, that's like crossing a huge line. Then Nada constantly messes with Baz, like leave that man alone! Have you not tortured him enough? Then we get the flashback to when they were fourteen and Bisma pulls that jerk move on Nada by pulling her hijab? I liked that her brother Waqas took accountability when it came to Nada asking him about his divorce and the failing of his relationship-UNLIKE NADA-he takes accountability of his actions and does not blame anyone but himself. I needed Haleema to stand up, like miss girl clearly had some issues with Zayn acting up and she needed to address that. I genuinely do not understand how I was supposed to be rooting for Nada as a character. When they meet up again in college and Nada crosses that huge line by reading his private poems, I lost it. Like girl! And then when we FINALLY learn what happened between them to make Baz be so cold and aloof toward Nada, I was like, you deserve that and to be punched. There's no way that SHE proposed to them and then SHE decided to leave him! Like don't get me wrong, as a POC I completely understand the difficulties of navigating being your own person and trying to create your own life but also trying to live the life your parents think is the best for you. It is a tough line to navigate and yeah she was young but to be persuaded so easily was what did it for me. She had one phone call with Sister Rusal and that was it? No conversation with your husband at all? And then in the present day she had the nerve to tell him he broke her heart? Come on now, every falling out they have ever had has been her doing. She takes no accountability and doesn't even apologize for literally causing this man so much emotional turmoil! Everyone in this book was so forgiving and didn't really have any in-depth conversation about how their partner's actions really affected them.I get why Haleema still went through with the wedding because of all the money that went into it but I would have made that man work for my forgiveness. Baz should've done that with Nada. Like he just said yeah imma forgive the bullying, the invasion of privacy AND you leaving me after we get married? He's better than me. I just feel like she had no real consequences to her actions and if it was the other way around the friends around her wouldve been like, "are you sure you want to be with him after everything he did" or something along those lines. The book was genuinely funny and I loved Jamal and Waqas and i thought it did a great job of showing the dynamics and complications of how the Muslim family works but as a romance novel, this isnt for me. 2.75/5

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

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adventurous emotional funny informative lighthearted 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

5.0

Fencing with the King by Diana Abu-Jaber

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challenging informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This was my second book that I read in honor of Arab Heritage month and it's definitely out of my genre comfort range but I'm glad that I read it. I really didn't know anything going into the book and I found that I had a vast LACK of knowledge when it comes to Jordanian culture and customs and really anything. I did enjoy the great explanations of the world around Amani and how even she was struggling to know things but I felt at times the descriptions were too long, to the point where it was taking away from the story rather than adding to it. I also have to say the beginning of this book. my god was it slow, like I was 40% in and felt like it was still building up to the more interesting part of the story. And even when it did get there, I felt like it would get really good and we would change POVs and it started slacking off again. The last like 30% of the book was for sure the best part. I found the characters incredibly complex and all of them definitely had their own struggles with their self identity and it was interesting to see that unfold. I enjoyed the story but just wish it didnt take so long to get there. 2.75/5 but I might do a reread to get a better understanding of the culture surrounding the story.

Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Volume II by Matthew Broderick, Eve Beglarian, Kathy Bates, Jerry Garcia, David Cronenberg, Stephen King, Tim Curry, Lindsay Crouse

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced