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fafabookcorner's reviews
1037 reviews
Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, Vol. 13 by Izumi Tsubaki
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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? No
5.0
Love from Mecca to Medina by S.K. Ali
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Disclaimer: I received this E-ARC via the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and this blog tour post.
Trigger Warning(s): Islamophobia and cyberbullying.
Rep: Zayneb is West Indian, Caribbean-American. Adam is Chinese Canadian-Finnish. There are several new characters introduced, all coming from different backgrounds.
My Thoughts Before Reading: I was so excited to read this book! I absolutely loved Love from A to Z!
I am happy to say that I really liked this instalment!
What I Liked: I loved reading about the setting! I was at peace while reading about Umrah. As a Muslim there was something so special about this book. Umrah plays a big part in Islam. Even Muslim’s who have never experienced Umrah will feel at peace and love the rep.
Love from Mecca to Medina stayed true to the first instalment. In terms of plot and characterization.
I loved the writing style! The writing style is different compared to the first book. There aren’t any journal entries but lets just say Bertha Fatima plays a very big role.
Zayneb’s storyline in this instalment was heartbreaking to read about. She had some struggles with school and her peers. You do see her break, stress, and heal through her connection to Islam while performing Umrah.
Adam’s job situation is one many people will relate to. His insecurities in regards to his relationship with Zayneb stems from his struggles from finding work. Through performing Umrah he feels at peace and manages to work through his insecurities.
Adam and Zayneb are drifting apart in this instalment due to their own issues. They struggle to understand each other and communicate throughout the novel. It was painful to read about. As a reader you always want the fictional couple to be happy forever. I will say that when they do make up it was magical! They come back to each other stronger and happier.
My Criticism(s): There was a particular storyline that dragged out and I did not enjoy reading about. That being said I understood why it was written.
Conclusion: Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Love from Mecca to Medina! I highly recommend this series.
Trigger Warning(s): Islamophobia and cyberbullying.
Rep: Zayneb is West Indian, Caribbean-American. Adam is Chinese Canadian-Finnish. There are several new characters introduced, all coming from different backgrounds.
My Thoughts Before Reading: I was so excited to read this book! I absolutely loved Love from A to Z!
I am happy to say that I really liked this instalment!
What I Liked: I loved reading about the setting! I was at peace while reading about Umrah. As a Muslim there was something so special about this book. Umrah plays a big part in Islam. Even Muslim’s who have never experienced Umrah will feel at peace and love the rep.
Love from Mecca to Medina stayed true to the first instalment. In terms of plot and characterization.
I loved the writing style! The writing style is different compared to the first book. There aren’t any journal entries but lets just say Bertha Fatima plays a very big role.
Zayneb’s storyline in this instalment was heartbreaking to read about. She had some struggles with school and her peers. You do see her break, stress, and heal through her connection to Islam while performing Umrah.
Adam’s job situation is one many people will relate to. His insecurities in regards to his relationship with Zayneb stems from his struggles from finding work. Through performing Umrah he feels at peace and manages to work through his insecurities.
Adam and Zayneb are drifting apart in this instalment due to their own issues. They struggle to understand each other and communicate throughout the novel. It was painful to read about. As a reader you always want the fictional couple to be happy forever. I will say that when they do make up it was magical! They come back to each other stronger and happier.
My Criticism(s): There was a particular storyline that dragged out and I did not enjoy reading about. That being said I understood why it was written.
Conclusion: Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Love from Mecca to Medina! I highly recommend this series.
The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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? No
4.5
Three Kisses, One Midnight by Roshani Chokshi, Evelyn Skye, Sandhya Menon
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
Nura and the Immortal Palace by M.T. Khan
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Disclaimer: I received this E-ARC via the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and this blog tour post.
Trigger Warning(s): Death of a parent, child labor, grief, and exploitation.
Rep: Pakistani Muslim characters.
My Thoughts Before Reading: When I first heard about this book I was excited! But I at the time had no intention to read it. I knew it was going to be dealing with a heavy subject matter and I wasn’t sure that I was prepared to read that.
I changed my mind on the urging of my sister. I am happy to say that I adored this book!
What I Liked: The plot was fantastic! It was fast paced, there was never a dull moment. I was at the edge of my bed anticipating all the high stakes.
The world building was superb! I loved reading about the imagery and magic of the Sijj palace. The dijjn’s and their powers were so cool to read about.
I loved that child labor and exploitation was explained in an accessible way! Of course it was a heavy subject matter and such matters should be published for every age group. That being said I truly believe middle grade authors have some sort of secret power in how they write their novels. They truly can write anything and it just turns out to make perfect sense and is done so well.
I really liked how the Sijj palace mirrored our own world. I won’t get into spoilers so the only thing I will say is that a lot of the circumstances are very similar to our world.
Nura’s relationship with her family was so lovely to read about! I loved how close she was to her mother, how she treated her siblings, and how much she cared about her family. The devotion and love she had for her family is something that readers will love reading about.
Nura’s relationship with Faisal was so cute! They were such good friends always having each others back, bringing out the best in each other whilst also calling out the other ones faults.
I loved the role Islam played! Whenever Nura would feel helpless she always thought about her religion. Ayat al-Kursi was actually written in the novel and it made my day when I read it.
Nura’s character development was fantastic! I loved how she grew and learned from her mistakes. She did make some rash decisions as well as assumptions (but who doesn’t) and she learns to acknowledge that.
My Criticism(s): Absolutely nothing!
What I’m Looking Forward To: I’m really looking forward to the sequel!
Conclusion: Overall I loved Nura and the Immortal Palace! I highly recommend this book to everyone.
Trigger Warning(s): Death of a parent, child labor, grief, and exploitation.
Rep: Pakistani Muslim characters.
My Thoughts Before Reading: When I first heard about this book I was excited! But I at the time had no intention to read it. I knew it was going to be dealing with a heavy subject matter and I wasn’t sure that I was prepared to read that.
I changed my mind on the urging of my sister. I am happy to say that I adored this book!
What I Liked: The plot was fantastic! It was fast paced, there was never a dull moment. I was at the edge of my bed anticipating all the high stakes.
The world building was superb! I loved reading about the imagery and magic of the Sijj palace. The dijjn’s and their powers were so cool to read about.
I loved that child labor and exploitation was explained in an accessible way! Of course it was a heavy subject matter and such matters should be published for every age group. That being said I truly believe middle grade authors have some sort of secret power in how they write their novels. They truly can write anything and it just turns out to make perfect sense and is done so well.
I really liked how the Sijj palace mirrored our own world. I won’t get into spoilers so the only thing I will say is that a lot of the circumstances are very similar to our world.
Nura’s relationship with her family was so lovely to read about! I loved how close she was to her mother, how she treated her siblings, and how much she cared about her family. The devotion and love she had for her family is something that readers will love reading about.
Nura’s relationship with Faisal was so cute! They were such good friends always having each others back, bringing out the best in each other whilst also calling out the other ones faults.
I loved the role Islam played! Whenever Nura would feel helpless she always thought about her religion. Ayat al-Kursi was actually written in the novel and it made my day when I read it.
Nura’s character development was fantastic! I loved how she grew and learned from her mistakes. She did make some rash decisions as well as assumptions (but who doesn’t) and she learns to acknowledge that.
My Criticism(s): Absolutely nothing!
What I’m Looking Forward To: I’m really looking forward to the sequel!
Conclusion: Overall I loved Nura and the Immortal Palace! I highly recommend this book to everyone.