A review by andrea_author
The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim

4.0

This is the story of American Desi teen Noreen's gap year trip to New Delhi with her mother. There, Noreen meets handsome Kabir, who acts as sort of a travel guide.. They soon become lovers, and he helps her connect with parts of herself that she lost in her grief over her aunt's death.

This book is best approached as a travel adventure and spiritual journey. It doesn't have a structured plot. It's not for everyone, and it's definitely not for anyone under 17. It deals with serious issues in a cursory way, and as a woman, it felt like one microaggression after another. (Which I think is the point.) I think it would be a lot for sensitive teen female readers.

Yet there's also a lot of beauty in this book, in the search for joy and meaning. The author does a wonderful job of immersing readers in the richly detailed setting. Noreen is both an outsider and an insider, and her unique perspective informs the story.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.