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mels_karsh's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
freyouse's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
slsj_'s review against another edition
5.0
Incredibly, I’m knocked right off my feet. More Than Just a Pretty Face started out a bit rocky for me. I didn’t dislike it, but it felt mediocre.
I was quickly taken back after the first few chapters. The depth that this book goes into with race, religion, intelligence and gender roles is subtle but very, very well done.
The characters were fantastic, the writing (especially the dialogue) phenomenal and the romance was very very sweet. This is what I look for when searching for contemporary. It goes down in the books as one of my favourites.
I was quickly taken back after the first few chapters. The depth that this book goes into with race, religion, intelligence and gender roles is subtle but very, very well done.
The characters were fantastic, the writing (especially the dialogue) phenomenal and the romance was very very sweet. This is what I look for when searching for contemporary. It goes down in the books as one of my favourites.
simplyv375's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
First I want to say that I am not Muslim so I can't speak on the representation used in this book. Bisma is a really well written character and I loved her a lot. I love Bismas relationship with her sister as well she was really funny and loved how fast she talked (i listened to the audiobook which made it even better). As for Danyal I have mixed feelings about him. Personally I could relate a lot about his behavior towards school and just curiosity for life asking questions a lot. I also admired his passion for cooking, however it just didn't feel like enough. I liked how the book discussed colonialism and Churchill's history which I definitely want to look into. The speech Danyal gave at the end was *chef's kiss* but the ending felt really fast and would have liked to see Danyal and Bismas relationship progress after his family found out about her past.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual violence
yeontan's review against another edition
5.0
very enjoyable and cute! totally unrealistic but it’s a romcom LOL
nadia_star11's review against another edition
5.0
I don't normally write reviews about books, but to me, this one was just special.
Could it have been longer or more fleshed out? Absolutely.
Could the Muslim representation have been better? Of course.
But flaws aside, this book had a lot of heart, Danyal was an extremely likeable main character (possibly the most likeable male lead I've read about in a while), and the romance was so sweet and touching. Maybe it's because I can relate to Bisma as someone whose mistakes keep haunting them no matter how much they want to move forward. Maybe it's because, like her, I'm just so used to being mistreated. But the way Danyal treated her with so much kindness and respect, the way he kept wishing for her happiness, the way he fought for her, how pure his love for her was with the references to Islam...
Manifesting a Danyal into my life right now, to be honest.
Could it have been longer or more fleshed out? Absolutely.
Could the Muslim representation have been better? Of course.
But flaws aside, this book had a lot of heart, Danyal was an extremely likeable main character (possibly the most likeable male lead I've read about in a while), and the romance was so sweet and touching. Maybe it's because I can relate to Bisma as someone whose mistakes keep haunting them no matter how much they want to move forward. Maybe it's because, like her, I'm just so used to being mistreated. But the way Danyal treated her with so much kindness and respect, the way he kept wishing for her happiness, the way he fought for her, how pure his love for her was with the references to Islam...
Manifesting a Danyal into my life right now, to be honest.
distant_ships's review against another edition
5.0
I want to hug this book. It made me laugh out loud several times. Easy to root for characters. And an awesome Mom.
mierke's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
slow-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
I picked this one up on a whim. I saw it at the library, liked the title, liked the cover and was too tired to really think things through any more than that. Oh my, am I glad I did.
For a book that I sped through in just over 2 hours, it contains a multitude of things, all seamlessly sown together in one story. It's about food and the power of making it; it's about being desi; it's about colonialism, and how it still influences our world today; it's about forging your own path; it's about being muslim. And also, aside and together and through all of those things, it's about love. About real love, beyond the superficial first attraction, beyond what people think you should do or feel or want. The quiet type of love, that burrows deep inside and doesn't let go.
For a book that I sped through in just over 2 hours, it contains a multitude of things, all seamlessly sown together in one story. It's about food and the power of making it; it's about being desi; it's about colonialism, and how it still influences our world today; it's about forging your own path; it's about being muslim. And also, aside and together and through all of those things, it's about love. About real love, beyond the superficial first attraction, beyond what people think you should do or feel or want. The quiet type of love, that burrows deep inside and doesn't let go.
cchangoor's review against another edition
4.0
This story revolves around a main character, Danyal, who is caught in a sort-of love triangle with two girls - his crush and an arranged marriage prospect. Both of these girls play an important role in the way Danyal’s life unfolds while he prepares for an academic school-wide competition, and gains a better understanding of his family and of himself.
I was very impressed with this book and everything that it was able to accomplish. It was a cute romance that developed at a pace I would expect for students this age, and it infused a history lesson about the Bengal Famine throughout that considered multiple viewpoints. The cultural references that were scattered throughout the book were refreshing, and it felt like they were a natural fit that contributed to the overall flow of the story. It was wonderful to be able to relate and connect to the character’s everyday lives in such a familiar way, and I can think of a number of students who would also appreciate this.
I would have liked to see a more balanced portrayal of the characters with respect to their religion. The Muslim adults were very serious, strict, and lacked understanding, and the teenager who was the most religious came across as someone boring who didn’t enjoy anything in life. More than anything, I felt this was a missed opportunity to show how people of all ages incorporate strong Muslim beliefs into their everyday life in a balanced and positive way. Hopefully this will open up some dialogue between readers and be the starting point for some meaningful discussions.
Thank you to NetGalley for the complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was very impressed with this book and everything that it was able to accomplish. It was a cute romance that developed at a pace I would expect for students this age, and it infused a history lesson about the Bengal Famine throughout that considered multiple viewpoints. The cultural references that were scattered throughout the book were refreshing, and it felt like they were a natural fit that contributed to the overall flow of the story. It was wonderful to be able to relate and connect to the character’s everyday lives in such a familiar way, and I can think of a number of students who would also appreciate this.
I would have liked to see a more balanced portrayal of the characters with respect to their religion. The Muslim adults were very serious, strict, and lacked understanding, and the teenager who was the most religious came across as someone boring who didn’t enjoy anything in life. More than anything, I felt this was a missed opportunity to show how people of all ages incorporate strong Muslim beliefs into their everyday life in a balanced and positive way. Hopefully this will open up some dialogue between readers and be the starting point for some meaningful discussions.
Thank you to NetGalley for the complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review.