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A review by nina_reads_books
Once a Stranger by Zoya Patel
2.0
Zoya Patel is a local Canberra based journalist and writer and I was so keen to read her first novel Once a Stranger.
This is a book about an Indian family and their Muslim traditions and the grief of watching a family member slowly dying. The key character is Ayat who has been estranged from her mother Khadija and sister Laila for six years after she baulked at the prospect of an arranged marriage. Instead she meets and falls in love with Harry a white Catholic and her mother gives her an ultimatum. Ayat chooses Harry and leaves Canberra for Melbourne. When her mother becomes gravely ill Laila reaches out and Ayat finds herself back in Canberra tentatively trying to restore her family relationships.
I really, really wanted to love this book but sadly I did not. While the storyline showed lots of promise it was the writing that let the experience down. It was very obviously a debut that to me was not well edited. The writing felt immature. There was too much repetitive language and so many similies! The author also committed the cardinal sin (in my eyes) of using the phrase “a breath she wasn't aware she was holding”. Unfortunately this book was just not for me.
Thank you @hachetteaus for my #gifted copy.
This is a book about an Indian family and their Muslim traditions and the grief of watching a family member slowly dying. The key character is Ayat who has been estranged from her mother Khadija and sister Laila for six years after she baulked at the prospect of an arranged marriage. Instead she meets and falls in love with Harry a white Catholic and her mother gives her an ultimatum. Ayat chooses Harry and leaves Canberra for Melbourne. When her mother becomes gravely ill Laila reaches out and Ayat finds herself back in Canberra tentatively trying to restore her family relationships.
I really, really wanted to love this book but sadly I did not. While the storyline showed lots of promise it was the writing that let the experience down. It was very obviously a debut that to me was not well edited. The writing felt immature. There was too much repetitive language and so many similies! The author also committed the cardinal sin (in my eyes) of using the phrase “a breath she wasn't aware she was holding”. Unfortunately this book was just not for me.
Thank you @hachetteaus for my #gifted copy.