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alainajreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Zara is a headstrong and dedicated heroine and I liked that she was unapologetic about being a bisexual Pakistani Muslim, and that her parents were supportive of her sexuality. While romance is not the main focus of the book, there is a romantic sideplot, and I thought Zara’s relationship with Chloe was cute but seemed a bit too insta-lovey and underdeveloped for me. The pacing in this book was another thing I was a little underwhelmed by, as it slowed around the middle then resolved itself very quickly and the resolution seemed to brush over some issues. The writing style at times felt a little choppy.
I did like the close and accepting relationship between Zara and her parents and the conflict she faces with them on whether to stay in the US or return to Pakistan was well-handled. I listened to the audiobook and found the narrator did a great job bringing the story to life. This was my first book by this author and I am interested in reading more of her work.
Graphic: Bullying, Islamophobia, Gun violence, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Homophobia
immaculori's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Biphobia, Misogyny, Racism, Hate crime, Homophobia, and Bullying
queerafictionado's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Gun violence, Medical trauma, Racism, Xenophobia, Bullying, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
courtknee__vn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Islamophobia, Violence, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Biphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, and Racism
zombiezami's review against another edition
3.75
As far as my critiques, most of the characters did not feel especially developed. What activities does Priya enjoy? Why does Zara like Claire other than that Zara finds her pretty and they are both queer? At the end of the book, I didn't have a clear idea of how to answer those questions. Even with Zara, we open the book with her training in martial arts, but that barely gets brought up again after that first scene, despite the fact that she's been involved with it for most of her life.
Moreover, there were some plot points that were introduced but never really went anywhere. For example,
There were also several instances where the characters acted as mouthpieces for the author's beliefs, sounding like they were reading Wikipedia pages about the DREAM Act and immigration reform. Although I agreed with what they were saying (fuck borders), I imagine there could have been a more organic way to present these ideas in the characters' own voices.
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Grief, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Islamophobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Homophobia, and Biphobia
Moderate: Gun violence, Vomit, Death, and Outing
Minor: Death of parent, Cursing, Deportation, Colonisation, and Car accident
columbina's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia
susanknights's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Deportation, Violence, War, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, and Biphobia
bitterseason's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Racism, Islamophobia, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Gun violence, Bullying, and Hate crime
Minor: Lesbophobia, Transphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Homophobia, and Blood
sarah984's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Homophobia, Medical content, Xenophobia, and Racism
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, and Death of parent
libscote's review against another edition
- 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
I loved learning about Zara and her family and friends, how accepting they all are. I think it shows how hard immigration to the United States can be, and how easy it is to have the system not accept you.
Moderate: Islamophobia, Homophobia, Racism, and Xenophobia