omg this was so cute!! I can't wait for Paloma's book! 4.5 stars rounded upomg this was so cute!! I can't wait for Paloma's book! 4.5 stars rounded up...more
What a beautiful story! My actual rating for this book is 3.5 stars. I completely understand why so many people love this book. Adam and Zayneb’s storWhat a beautiful story! My actual rating for this book is 3.5 stars. I completely understand why so many people love this book. Adam and Zayneb’s stories have so much depth and I really enjoyed getting to know both of them. I had a hard time connecting with the writing style throughout the book because it’s written in this beautifully poetic way, but I know that many people wouldn’t have a problem with this, and do love books that have more poetic writing. I felt like the story felt quite drawn out because it really honed in on Adam and Zayneb as individuals. (view spoiler)[I also found it strange that these two characters fell in love in just two short weeks, but I think that kind of tied into the whimsical aspect of the story. (hide spoiler)] Nevertheless, I think everyone should read this book if they have the chance! It tackled some really serious topics in such a sophisticated way and as many of the OwnVoices reviews have recommended this book as a great example of proper Muslim representation!
Also this book really makes me want to travel to Doha now lol
Merged review:
What a beautiful story! My actual rating for this book is 3.5 stars. I completely understand why so many people love this book. Adam and Zayneb’s stories have so much depth and I really enjoyed getting to know both of them. I had a hard time connecting with the writing style throughout the book because it’s written in this beautifully poetic way, but I know that many people wouldn’t have a problem with this, and do love books that have more poetic writing. I felt like the story felt quite drawn out because it really honed in on Adam and Zayneb as individuals. (view spoiler)[I also found it strange that these two characters fell in love in just two short weeks, but I think that kind of tied into the whimsical aspect of the story. (hide spoiler)] Nevertheless, I think everyone should read this book if they have the chance! It tackled some really serious topics in such a sophisticated way and as many of the OwnVoices reviews have recommended this book as a great example of proper Muslim representation!
Also this book really makes me want to travel to Doha now lol...more
Thank you so much to HarperCollins Children's Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
If You're Not the One is another beaThank you so much to HarperCollins Children's Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
If You're Not the One is another beautiful YA novel from Farah Naz Rishi! I've enjoyed her previous works so far, and as a fan of their humorous dialogue, relatable second-gen immigrant themes, and swoon-worthy romance, I was super excited to read this book. If you have read Farah's memoir, Sorry for the Inconvenience, some of the themes of this story will seem familiar with you, but this book honestly felt like a warm hug after reading her memoir!
I loved Anisa and Marlow's friendship first and foremost. It was so special seeing Marlow care for Anisa as a friend through all of her hardships with Isaac, her family, and more. It was also very cute seeing their relationship progress into something more. The trope of the extroverted MMC giving dating and relationship advice to the more "inexperienced" FMC will always hit in teen romance, The jealousy and confrontation scenes with Marlow, Anisa, and Isaac were also soooo juicy and I lived for the drama LOL. I was also a huge fan of all the ski trip scenes, and it gave me so many throwbacks to To All The Boys I Loved Before.
Some of my favorite themes in this book definitely include the idea that many brown girls are often an afterthought among men when it comes to beauty standards, dating, and desirability. I found myself relating to Anisa as she often compared herself to her white peers. The exploration of parental expectations and the often unrealistic standards first-gen immigrant parents hold their children too was also very relatable. I really appreciated all of Anisa's thoughts on these topics in her inner monologue and footnotes, as I really could have used this validation as a teenager.
I can't wait to see what incredible stories Farah creates next! I'd rate this book 4.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you so much to Roseanne E. Brown and Epic Reads for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Y’ALL omg. I feel like the world hThank you so much to Roseanne E. Brown and Epic Reads for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Y’ALL omg. I feel like the world has been waiting for A Psalm of Storms and Silence since A Song of Wraiths and Ruin came out in June 2020 and the original release date of APOSAS was pushed back. While I did have some issues with the pacing of ASOWAR, I was immediately drawn to Karina and Malik in Book 1, and I can definitively say that I enjoyed APOSAS much more than I did ASOWAR.
It was super interesting to see how Karina and Malik’s dynamics had changed after the explosive ending of ASOWAR. You can really tell that this duology is both Malik and Karina’s story through the way that we follow each individual character much more than we follow both these characters together. This sequel contains the “seeing/communicating with each other in our dreams” trope, which is such an underrated trope in fantasy, imo. Both Karina and Malik are such great characters individually. Of course, Karina is so incredibly strong and unapologetically herself--she’s truly such an amazing role model for young female readers. And Malik’s character arc from making some horrible decisions to working his way to earn the respect of others around him was really great to see. I also think that in general, the enemies-to-lovers trope is also really well done in this duology. The “do I kiss them or kill them” theme was so prevalent LOL.
There were also so many other aspects of this novel that I loved, like Idir’s relationship with Malik; the disability and mental health representation, and the harrowing action sequences. I also loved the “storytelling” aspect of the story in which the chapters were interrupted by a narrator speaking as if they were retelling Malik and Karina’s story for a play or book. The epilogue was also so bittersweet :( No spoilers about what happened, but I think I’m just gonna go ahead and reinvent a new epilogue for my own well-being :)
Be sure to pick up A Psalm of Storms and Silence on November 2! If you were a fan of ASOWAR, you’ll definitely love this one....more
Thank you so much to Harlequin for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was a decent second-chance romance story. I’ve neverThank you so much to Harlequin for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was a decent second-chance romance story. I’ve never read a second chance romance in which the main couple was already divorced, and it was pretty interesting to see Anita and Nikhil navigating the aftermath of their marriage and divorce--the gravity of the situation was definitely much higher. That being said, I feel like there was a lot we weren’t told about their relationship and marriage prior to when the story started and it made me confused about how their relationship had progressed. The moments in which the two fondly reminisce about their pasts as husband and wife also felt a little repetitive. It seemed like there were 5 recurring things that the two of them would keep bringing up about their past, and that was it, which made it hard to believe in their relationship. I also found the pacing of the novel to be off? The timeline of the “five day reunion” felt disconnected, and I think I would have appreciated a clearer timeline of events. Otherwise, I really liked the themes of family, especially the sibling dynamic between Nikhil and Tina, and Anita and Amar, and I’m excited for Amar and Divya’s story next!...more
Thank you to Putnam for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The Folklore of Forever is an interesting follow up to Old Flames anThank you to Putnam for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The Folklore of Forever is an interesting follow up to Old Flames and New Fortunes. OFANF was one of my top romances in the past year, and I was a huge fan of how romantic Alex and Romina's story was. In my opinion, The Folklore of Forever is not necessarily as romantic. I would honestly categorize this book more as a comedy with fantasy elements rather than an enemies to lovers romantasy, as the publisher pitches it. However, I did really enjoy the comedy in this book. There were so many moments that had me busting out in laughter, especially during the scenes where Sarah writes over-the-top, ridiculous slapstick comedy and dialogue. Morgan was a hilarious MMC to follow, and I loved the banter he had with Zelda. I also loved reuniting with the characters we met in OFANF, including Luna, Trevor, Alex, and Aisling.
Where this book fell short for me was some of the fantastical elements. I found myself getting confused at how the magic operates in this book and how certain characters ended up in certain settings and situations. The magic in OFANF felt more straightforward and easier to comprehend. Morgan as a romantic love interest also turned me off at some times due to his immature and manchild behavior. He didn't seem very appealing to me, and I found myself surprised that Zelda was catching feelings for him given the (often rude) ways he was acting towards her.
Overall, I don't think I enjoyed this book as a romance, but as a comedy, it was pretty fun. I'd rate this somewhere around 3.75 stars.
This might be my favorite Farah Heron book yet? Ignore all the racist reviews from white readers and pick this up! I’d rate this around 4 or 4.25 starThis might be my favorite Farah Heron book yet? Ignore all the racist reviews from white readers and pick this up! I’d rate this around 4 or 4.25 stars. I need to read the rest of her YA works! ...more
Loading...
