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A review by booksthroughmyveins
Once a Stranger by Zoya Patel
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
- thanks to @hachetteaus for my #gifted copy of this book
In Once a Stranger, debut author Zoya Patel explores the lives of an Indian Muslim family that immigrates to Australia searching for a better life. Here, Patel explores intergenerational trauma, death, tragedy, loss, and the life-changing intricacies of the immigrant experience, mainly through her characters and the consequences of their choices.
Unfortunately, I could not connect with this story and its characters as I would have liked to. I understand entirely what Patel tried to do here, but I believe the identifiable intentions did not translate to execution.
Although the pace is stable and the plot is easy to follow, the characterisation —the greatest asset of a novel like this one— was underdeveloped. Sisters Ayat and Laila felt two-dimensional and stereotypical: the rebel and the good girl. There is nothing new about this trope, yet novelty is not the problem: the absence of nuance that trumps the characters' potential is.
In general, the dialogues felt disingenuous and forced, which only contributed to the overall lack of depth. It is hard to believe in the humanity of made-up humans when their interactions with others feel structured and stilted. There were pivotal moments in the novel —like when Ayat speaks with Laila for the first time in six years, both over the phone and in person— that were reduced to a few mere pages with functional dialogue that were not enough to convey the impact and importance of those moments. Something similar also happens when Ayat is reunited with her mother, Khadija, reiterating the incredible missed opportunity to add layers of meaning to the story.
I also struggled a lot with the overuse of similes and metaphors. This creative choice is personal and inherent to the author's writing. Still, too many similes and metaphors become distracting and interrupt the natural flow of the narrative.
Overall, Once a Stranger was not my cup of tea. Nevertheless, I will most definitely read whatever Patel writes next. Debuts are usually just the beginning of the road.
In Once a Stranger, debut author Zoya Patel explores the lives of an Indian Muslim family that immigrates to Australia searching for a better life. Here, Patel explores intergenerational trauma, death, tragedy, loss, and the life-changing intricacies of the immigrant experience, mainly through her characters and the consequences of their choices.
Unfortunately, I could not connect with this story and its characters as I would have liked to. I understand entirely what Patel tried to do here, but I believe the identifiable intentions did not translate to execution.
Although the pace is stable and the plot is easy to follow, the characterisation —the greatest asset of a novel like this one— was underdeveloped. Sisters Ayat and Laila felt two-dimensional and stereotypical: the rebel and the good girl. There is nothing new about this trope, yet novelty is not the problem: the absence of nuance that trumps the characters' potential is.
In general, the dialogues felt disingenuous and forced, which only contributed to the overall lack of depth. It is hard to believe in the humanity of made-up humans when their interactions with others feel structured and stilted. There were pivotal moments in the novel —like when Ayat speaks with Laila for the first time in six years, both over the phone and in person— that were reduced to a few mere pages with functional dialogue that were not enough to convey the impact and importance of those moments. Something similar also happens when Ayat is reunited with her mother, Khadija, reiterating the incredible missed opportunity to add layers of meaning to the story.
I also struggled a lot with the overuse of similes and metaphors. This creative choice is personal and inherent to the author's writing. Still, too many similes and metaphors become distracting and interrupt the natural flow of the narrative.
Overall, Once a Stranger was not my cup of tea. Nevertheless, I will most definitely read whatever Patel writes next. Debuts are usually just the beginning of the road.