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itsmeyseniab's review
emotional
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was provided an ARC by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review - all thoughts are my own.
This was such a fun read, while also being very informative, emotional and thought-provoking!
At first glance, this debut looks like a light and "fluffy" YA romance, but much like our main character Danyal, it had tons of layers, which included discussions centered around political, social, racial and religious issues. At some points the romance aspect was put on the back burner, but I was not complaining!
I absolutely fell in love with Danyal and really enjoyed reading about how passionate he was about being a chef and forging his own path - his character growth was *<b>chef's kiss</b>* (pun intended). I also loved Bisma as well and thought that her character added so much more depth to the story, especially in regards to the subplots of familial expectations and sexism. The romance felt very realistic and not at all cheesy (which is a problem I tend to have with the YA contemporary romance genre). I felt like these characters could be my friends in real life, and I loved seeing them grow both as individuals and with each other!
I absolutely plan on reading more from Syed M. Masood in the future and would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a contemporary romance with some hard-hitting topics thrown in :)
This was such a fun read, while also being very informative, emotional and thought-provoking!
At first glance, this debut looks like a light and "fluffy" YA romance, but much like our main character Danyal, it had tons of layers, which included discussions centered around political, social, racial and religious issues. At some points the romance aspect was put on the back burner, but I was not complaining!
I absolutely fell in love with Danyal and really enjoyed reading about how passionate he was about being a chef and forging his own path - his character growth was *<b>chef's kiss</b>* (pun intended). I also loved Bisma as well and thought that her character added so much more depth to the story, especially in regards to the subplots of familial expectations and sexism. The romance felt very realistic and not at all cheesy (which is a problem I tend to have with the YA contemporary romance genre). I felt like these characters could be my friends in real life, and I loved seeing them grow both as individuals and with each other!
I absolutely plan on reading more from Syed M. Masood in the future and would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a contemporary romance with some hard-hitting topics thrown in :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Racism
Minor: Car accident, Death, and Gun violence
content warning:
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