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jazairia's review against another edition
4.25
TW: sexual assault // attempted rape
4.5
an absolute delight! i cannot believe this is sk ali's debut novel and i cannot wait to get my hands on my own physical copy.
the story follows janna a young american hijabi in the wake of her sexual assault. janna is a teen going through different kind of ordeals; the aftermath of her parents' divorce, a muslim egyptian mother and a non religious indian father, her non muslim friends not understanding her faith or why she's wearing the hijab, her muslim friends not being open to her hanging out with (or have a crush on) non muslims, all the while dealing with her friend's cousin farooq who's oh so pious and yet tried to rape her.
4.5
an absolute delight! i cannot believe this is sk ali's debut novel and i cannot wait to get my hands on my own physical copy.
the story follows janna a young american hijabi in the wake of her sexual assault. janna is a teen going through different kind of ordeals; the aftermath of her parents' divorce, a muslim egyptian mother and a non religious indian father, her non muslim friends not understanding her faith or why she's wearing the hijab, her muslim friends not being open to her hanging out with (or have a crush on) non muslims, all the while dealing with her friend's cousin farooq who's oh so pious and yet tried to rape her.
“it's only me to face everyone. just me, janna yusuf, insignificant nobody, whose sole redeeming feature is being friends with fidda noor, aka fizz, of the famously pious noor family. a family that boasts about fizz's only male cousin: a quran memorizer, a beacon of light for all youth.”
while faith is an important part of who she is, it doesn't define janna's whole person. she's a teen like everyone else, worrying about her appearence, falling in love and how her muslim identity falls into all of that.
in spite of dark themes being some major topic addressed, ali managed to narrate a story brimming with hope, love, friendship, wit, faith and overcoming assault. it's a book that speaks to muslim readers but also those who have very little (or zero) knowledge of islam, sk ali effortlessly conveys bits and pieces of insight which won't leave you feeling overwhelmed but still help you grasp the general dogma of islam.
i do felt like the ending was a bit rushed or cut short, i wish we had a few more chapters to depict how everything went down for farooq and how her story unfolds
all in all, a beautifully empowering and authentic story, i am overjoyed i finally picked it up my tbr <3
“i shake off allthe feeling of ickiness he creates in me, every bit, and it rolls off like it's oily gunk. and then i stop. [...] i stop because it's gone.
the disgust i feel at me is gone. the gunk of self-blame dissolves to leave just me standing there.”
and i hope, for anyone going through any kind of assault or harassment, to know that you're not alone and just like janna, will have friends, family or professionals you can count on to talk to and eventually manage to overcome the situation you're in.
...
(haven't proofread my review please bear with any grammatical errors or typos and keep in mind english is not my first language)
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
softgalaxy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was a good story overall, but for me, it felt disjointed. I feel like it was rushed overall. I think I would have enjoyed this more if it was longer.
I really liked Sausun as a character. She really shook things up for Janna. Tatiyana was kinda frustrating at times, but I remember being a teenager and being kinda obsessed with romance, so in case she was well written.
I’m really glad Janna got the justice she wanted.
I really liked Sausun as a character. She really shook things up for Janna. Tatiyana was kinda frustrating at times, but I remember being a teenager and being kinda obsessed with romance, so in case she was well written.
I’m really glad Janna got the justice she wanted.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Stalking, Body shaming, Death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Islamophobia, Sexism, and Grief
Minor: Car accident
tien's review
Didn't expect it to have a dark side and I'm just not in the mood for this.
Do check CW before starting!
Do check CW before starting!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Didn't love this one but didn't hate it. Loved the diversity in showing Muslims that aren't just Arab- Janna and her brother are ethnically Egyptian and Indian, which is nice as a fellow mixed kid who grew up Muslim. Also liked seeing Janna's growth and her reclaiming her power. It does mention sexual assault and instances of seeing the abuser/being constantly in the same community events/gatherings/spaces. It also mentions the abuser following Janna and taking pictures of her to use against her so be aware of that.
My main thing is I wish there were consequences for the abuser mentioned in the book. It felt like a rushed conclusion.
My main thing is I wish there were consequences for the abuser mentioned in the book. It felt like a rushed conclusion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual assault, Death, Sexual harassment, Islamophobia, Bullying, Rape, and Misogyny
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Alcohol and Infidelity
bookmarkedbylauren's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Death
unana's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
thebankofbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Sexual assault
emmykyhil's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Islamophobia
Minor: Death and Gaslighting
anita86dk's review
challenging
dark
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
taliabasma's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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? Yes
4.0
I would give this a three as a contemporary romance but a five as a YA contemporary fiction with a hijabi main character that doesn’t hate being Muslim so it averages to a 4 star but the MC makes me want to make it a 3.75 lmao that’s just a lot of good things in this book and a lot of sucky but important topics had too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Death, Body shaming, and Rape