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keitacolada's review against another edition
emotional
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? It's complicated
3.75
tishywishy's review
4.0
Rukhsana is a Bengali-American teen, who has to hide her sexuality and girlfriend from her family and community. When her mother catches them kissing, it sets off the catalyst that sees Rukhsana going to Bangladesh with her parents and being confronted with arranged marriages, hostility, and homophobia. She also find love, friendship and acceptance in unexpected places.
Sabina does not shy away from the pertinent issues such as:
-Valuing male children more than female children.
-Classism and how it affects marriageability.
-Domestic abuse by partners and in laws.
-Assumptions made about Muslims.
The book is a good read and the author fills it with food, customs and cultures from Bangladesh, giving the reader a rich experience.
This is one of my Pride Reads
Sabina does not shy away from the pertinent issues such as:
-Valuing male children more than female children.
-Classism and how it affects marriageability.
-Domestic abuse by partners and in laws.
-Assumptions made about Muslims.
The book is a good read and the author fills it with food, customs and cultures from Bangladesh, giving the reader a rich experience.
This is one of my Pride Reads
sheilareads_'s review
3.0
The ending in true YA fashion is a happy ending. Something I don’t really like. I know it’s fake/fiction but it’s just too cookie-cutter for me. I digress.
The book touches on a lot of issues. A LOT. I would’ve liked to have a more in depth character analysis on some of the characters. Like the matriarchs of the Ali family and their own traumas and how it relates back to the main protagonist’s own conflict with those around her. Some characters felt like footnotes in Rukhsana’s life. I wanted to know more about them.
Nonetheless, it’s a good book overall! I think a YA audience will really appreciate Rukhsana’s journey/ growth.
The book touches on a lot of issues. A LOT. I would’ve liked to have a more in depth character analysis on some of the characters. Like the matriarchs of the Ali family and their own traumas and how it relates back to the main protagonist’s own conflict with those around her. Some characters felt like footnotes in Rukhsana’s life. I wanted to know more about them.
Nonetheless, it’s a good book overall! I think a YA audience will really appreciate Rukhsana’s journey/ growth.
joana_stormblessed's review
3.0
Actual rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This story made me feel uncomfortable and angry and it was the purpose. I felt sad and happy and all emotions. But in the end, everything wrapped up to quickly for me. We follow Rukhsana, a lesbian Bengali teen, whose parents completely lose it when they find out she's gay. Its about love, family, friendship and, more than anything, about acceptance and understanding .
This story made me feel uncomfortable and angry and it was the purpose. I felt sad and happy and all emotions. But in the end, everything wrapped up to quickly for me. We follow Rukhsana, a lesbian Bengali teen, whose parents completely lose it when they find out she's gay. Its about love, family, friendship and, more than anything, about acceptance and understanding .
blee98's review
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
specificity's review
5.0
I talk about how I sobbed or I cried at certain scenes in books or movies but usually those are just times when I've felt a phantom knife in my heart. I'm not a crier for media. In fact, I've only ever cried for three pieces of media before: The Bridge to Terabithia, Dead Poets Society, and The Book Thief.
This book made me cry harder, and burst into tears more times, than all three of those put together. I'm usually embarrassed to cry in front of my roommate, but this time I just burst into tears in my dorm room, shaking as I took in what happened.
It's an exceptional and very difficult read, but it's so, so worth it.
This book made me cry harder, and burst into tears more times, than all three of those put together. I'm usually embarrassed to cry in front of my roommate, but this time I just burst into tears in my dorm room, shaking as I took in what happened.
It's an exceptional and very difficult read, but it's so, so worth it.
lsparrow's review
4.0
YA novel about a young girl navigating through faith, tradition, systemic racism and homophobia
and trying to find a way to reconcile all the parts of herself.
and trying to find a way to reconcile all the parts of herself.
madeeznuts's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
dhishfish's review
4.0
WOW this book was good. It was very powerful and emotional and took me through a part of South Asian culture that I have never experienced before. Rukhsana's parents were very, very traditional parents, but what I loved about this book was that (mild spoiler):
This book was so heart-wrenching and great and a really good read.
Spoiler
her parents were able to grow and learn, and while they were villainized for quite a lot of the book, they became better people which is a hopeful message that many queer brown people probably needed to hearThis book was so heart-wrenching and great and a really good read.