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dovesnook's review against another edition
4.0
Something I can always count on is that YA books by bipoc authors are gonna leave me in shambles with the deeper topics they touch on. This was such a great example of how someone can have a deep love and understanding of their culture, break down stereotypes, and work towards being fully themselves without losing a sense of their heritage.
Full review to come!
- Lesbian Bengali Muslim x Bisexual Afro Brazilian and Irish
Full review to come!
- Lesbian Bengali Muslim x Bisexual Afro Brazilian and Irish
laoise_obrien's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
marisnini's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-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? Yes
2.75
raquel_05's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
cassieroisman's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.0
i enjoyed this book, it was really cute, and i LOVED the sibling dynamic so much
hownovelle's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
maisiewrites247's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warning: Racism, Homophobia, Bullying, Character being outed. The Henna Wars follows Nishat, who is Bengali, Muslim, and a lesbian. The story revolves around her coming out to her parents and taking part in a school business competition, where she competes with two classmates who also open a henna business. As a romance book, I wasn’t completely on board with the love interest because I think her views on henna were problematic, and because they were rivals for so much of the book, you couldn’t see any good qualities in her until towards the end, and she did have good qualities but I didn’t see enough of that. I also didn’t expect the racism and homophobia to be so rampant, mainly because I read Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating first and it wasn’t that extreme, but that’s my fault for assuming. My favourite character was Nishat and my least favourite character was Chyna. I recommend this book because it’s sapphic, it has an enemies to lovers vibe, and it’s a coming of age story. However I do not recommend it if you are triggered by racism or homophobia. I love Nishat and how she stands up for herself and the things she believes in. ‘What I want more than anything else in the world is to feel like being myself isn’t something that should be hidden and a secret.’