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fatima_ff's review against another edition
dark
emotional
relaxing
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
3.0
I am shifting the shame. He needs to feel it
I’ve been looking forward to reading this book for years and when my book club finally decided to read it I was over the moon.
In our streak of reading authors mostly from South Asian/Muslim diaspora SK Ali’s novels are hard to skip. From Love From A to Z and Saints and Misfits there is a common factor in both: unapologetically Muslim.
Characters, writing, narrative and setting are all catered and building to give the reader the feeling that they have stepped into a world where Muslims exist the way we feel most free and happy to exist as. We wear our hijabs and niqabs proudly and run around doing silly YouTube vlogs in our abayas not caring who looks at us weird.
We also deal with our own the way we deem fit. Sometimes not so well. As any community out there we share the same traits as all human beings do: we are not perfect nor did we ever aspire to be because God already has a job.
Saints and Misfits is a story about a non traditional but not rare Muslim family. A divorced mom a dad married to a non Muslim a son dropping out of college and a daughter who was sexually assaulted by the most ‘holy’ person in the mosque group.
<>What was most interesting was the mentions of prominent non Muslim characters such as Tatyana Sandra Mr. Ram and Jeremy. Tats was a closer friend to Jannah than Fizz. Mr. Ram was more fatherly to her than her own dad sometimes. Sandra was someone Janna saw as someone who needed help outside of her immediate life. Jeremy was by far the strongest example of someone we can become so closely entwined with we may just end up hurting them.
All in all. Loved the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Sexual assault
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
readingsitaaras's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
4.0
Honestly pretty good! We get a character that makes mistakes, that has flaws, but who also learns from those mistakes and does better, gaining strength in the process.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
theblondebird's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
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
ninvninv's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Honestly, I wish we get to see what Farooq actually deserves but I’m glad Janna got to confront him. I’m not a fan of her friends though, they were pretty disrespectful of her religion - showing and posting her photos without hijab online. And that she took off her hijab to impress her crush, I got second hand embarrassment but I understand Janna’s a teen and I get what it’s like to be her. I just feel like the topic of hijab should be handled better. I also hate characters like Fizz, I just wanna scream in her face. BUT this book is actually amazing how it introduces Islam, how it explains certain rulings (through Amu) This is amazing Muslim representation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
aishallnot's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-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
3.0
A solid three stars (could be 3.5 but I'm settling on three for now).
Ultimately, this book was okay.
We have our main character Janna, who is a typical Muslim-American teenager with her issues. We see her go through troubles with family, having a crush, and someone from her mosque attempting to sexually assault her. Ali really knows how to bring tough conversations within the Muslim community into a story and I applaud her for that. After reading her other books, it's clear that her characters have a strong sense of justice and speaking up when its right which reflects Ali's beliefs. As someone who was once a teen, I deeply relate to these characters.
What fell short for me at times while reading was the plot. I felt like there were a lot of plot points and to me, there wasn't much of a clear focus of what the story could be about bc a lot happens in the book. Even with the many storylines in the book, there were some, if not all that I thought could have been explored more. For example, her family and how Janna's relationship with her parents and brother have changed since the divorce. I think that might be explored in the second book. I also had issues with the pacing, especially toward the end. The story felt rushed and I didn't feel as though the conflict was fully resolved between Janna and the community member who assaulted her.
Despite my feelings about this book, I do appreciate SK. Ali as an author (Muslim one at that) and how she handles such topics. I have been on a journey of reading Ali's books throughout the year and I've craved to read more Muslim stories, especially in YA. Something about that feeling is a bit nostalgic for some reason bc it reminds me of the beauty of Islam and why I'm Muslim. I know the phrase "I wish I had this book when I was young" is used a lot, but for a good reason. I do want to read the sequel hopefully within the new year.
Ultimately, this book was okay.
We have our main character Janna, who is a typical Muslim-American teenager with her issues. We see her go through troubles with family, having a crush, and someone from her mosque attempting to sexually assault her. Ali really knows how to bring tough conversations within the Muslim community into a story and I applaud her for that. After reading her other books, it's clear that her characters have a strong sense of justice and speaking up when its right which reflects Ali's beliefs. As someone who was once a teen, I deeply relate to these characters.
What fell short for me at times while reading was the plot. I felt like there were a lot of plot points and to me, there wasn't much of a clear focus of what the story could be about bc a lot happens in the book. Even with the many storylines in the book, there were some, if not all that I thought could have been explored more. For example, her family and how Janna's relationship with her parents and brother have changed since the divorce. I think that might be explored in the second book. I also had issues with the pacing, especially toward the end. The story felt rushed and I didn't feel as though the conflict was fully resolved between Janna and the community member who assaulted her.
Despite my feelings about this book, I do appreciate SK. Ali as an author (Muslim one at that) and how she handles such topics. I have been on a journey of reading Ali's books throughout the year and I've craved to read more Muslim stories, especially in YA. Something about that feeling is a bit nostalgic for some reason bc it reminds me of the beauty of Islam and why I'm Muslim. I know the phrase "I wish I had this book when I was young" is used a lot, but for a good reason. I do want to read the sequel hopefully within the new year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Minor: Death and Islamophobia
prasi's review
4.0
Saints and Misfits was a unique book. It fills a void in a much needed space and talks about themes that are incredibly important for young adults to be exposed to and talk openly about, particularly within religious communities.
The book follows Janna, a young muslim girl who wears hijab and is struggling with her family situation. Her parents are divorced and her brother just moved back home, putting strain on her family and leaving her feeling displaced when she's asked to give up her room to him.
In this midst of dealing with her parents divorce and her brother coming back home - a lot of change for her to process - she's almost floating and feeling lost and confused. And all of this is happening through the lens of a young girl who was recently sexually assaulted by the wonder boy of their community.Farooq is the guy who was looked up to in the Masjid and who might be coming into a leadership role soon. Everyone talks about how amazing he is and Janna is struggling with the decision to talk to anyone about it out of several concerns - ruining her community, not being believed, being viewed as creating drama, having others look down on her for it - all of these things are going through her head and we follow her along as she's processing all of these emotions in real-time.
In the same way that a depression or a death changes the way you look at things and how you process events, Janna is going through the world with this crushing experience she recently had and she's seeing the world in a new way. She's processing friendship struggles, bullies at school, her parents divorce, squabbles with her brother, and her relationship with her hijab through the lens of this other major thing that happened that she hasn't dealt with yet. In the process of this we see her sometimes taking out frustration on unrelated issues and struggling to understand not only where she fits in the world but what kind of person she wants to be.
This book was incredibly heart-breaking and brings to light a lot of issues that aren't often discussed or encouraged to be discussed in religious spaces. I think that this isn't just fiction, S.K. Ali has written a conversation starter with this book. And it's a conversation we desperately need to have.
I really liked this story. I loved Janna and I loved getting to know her. She was kind and even though she was going through all of this in her life she still went out of her way to help people in her community. She was a great role model and an example that having something bad like this happen to you doesn't mean you've done anything wrong or that you're a bad person. She held true to herself and to her values. That was really important to depict and it was done really well.
I also wanted to mention that the narrator for this particular audiobook did a fantastic job! I was engaged the whole way through and she did a great job of capturing the emotion and struggle of the character.
The book follows Janna, a young muslim girl who wears hijab and is struggling with her family situation. Her parents are divorced and her brother just moved back home, putting strain on her family and leaving her feeling displaced when she's asked to give up her room to him.
In this midst of dealing with her parents divorce and her brother coming back home - a lot of change for her to process - she's almost floating and feeling lost and confused. And all of this is happening through the lens of a young girl who was recently sexually assaulted by the wonder boy of their community.
In the same way that a depression or a death changes the way you look at things and how you process events, Janna is going through the world with this crushing experience she recently had and she's seeing the world in a new way. She's processing friendship struggles, bullies at school, her parents divorce, squabbles with her brother, and her relationship with her hijab through the lens of this other major thing that happened that she hasn't dealt with yet. In the process of this we see her sometimes taking out frustration on unrelated issues and struggling to understand not only where she fits in the world but what kind of person she wants to be.
This book was incredibly heart-breaking and brings to light a lot of issues that aren't often discussed or encouraged to be discussed in religious spaces. I think that this isn't just fiction, S.K. Ali has written a conversation starter with this book. And it's a conversation we desperately need to have.
I really liked this story. I loved Janna and I loved getting to know her. She was kind and even though she was going through all of this in her life she still went out of her way to help people in her community. She was a great role model and an example that having something bad like this happen to you doesn't mean you've done anything wrong or that you're a bad person. She held true to herself and to her values. That was really important to depict and it was done really well.
I also wanted to mention that the narrator for this particular audiobook did a fantastic job! I was engaged the whole way through and she did a great job of capturing the emotion and struggle of the character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Islamophobia
The sexual assault and harassment are not mentioned until a little later in the book, but the theme comes up quite often in a more subtle way. The main character talks extensively about her experiences with Islamophobia.kaybeehome's review
adventurous
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
4.0
The plot picked up pace after the second or third chapter.
Good ending, but I wanted to see more ofSarah's backstory. I also expected more climactic ways to kill off Jeremy and Farooq's characters. I feel like so many things are left unexplained, especially between Janna and Jeremy. With Farooq... I honestly wanted a fight to happen. I wanted him to get beat up! LOL.
Good ending, but I wanted to see more of
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Death
space_bandit's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Death