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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
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
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.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
calamitywindpetal's review
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Racism, and Islamophobia
Minor: Alcohol
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
stuckinatimeloop's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
tense
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? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racism and Bullying
sonshinelibrarian's review
4.25
I really enjoyed this. Janna is a realistic character and I was totally on her side through the whole book. I loved the secondary characters from her best friends to her brother to Mr. Ram. I also liked the way many of the other characters grew and developed and Janna grew in her relationship with them.
The main arc of this story deals with a pretty dark event - Janna is almost raped by her best friend's cousin, a boy who receives a lot of respect in the community. The book, though it deals with other issues as well, focuses around Janna coming to grips with what happened and figuring out how to deal with it. It really grapples with the idea of people who use piety as a shield or outer shell without actually following tenets of the religion they claim to belong to. I thought it handled this really well.
The main arc of this story deals with a pretty dark event - Janna is almost raped by her best friend's cousin, a boy who receives a lot of respect in the community. The book, though it deals with other issues as well, focuses around Janna coming to grips with what happened and figuring out how to deal with it. It really grapples with the idea of people who use piety as a shield or outer shell without actually following tenets of the religion they claim to belong to. I thought it handled this really well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
yasminisntmail's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Sobfest. I see so much of my younger, more immature self in Janna in a way I never have in another main character. Would love for her story to be a series so we can watch her continue to grow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
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