• A Muslim love story! So this is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice (it’s been so many years since I read p&p that I can’t draw any comparison) set in modern day Toronto.
• Some likeable characters with certain relationships that were developed really well.
• I liked reading about the South Asian culture that was prominent in the community this story was based on - from the food, language, relationships and expectations.
• An image of a hijabi on the front cover felt great to see!
Negatives:
• I felt like this book was written for the white/non-Muslim gaze which is a shame because most books are and this was an opportunity to do the opposite. For example the constant translation of Urdu words used felt jarring and unnecessary.
• Certain negative stereotypes about Muslims were perpetuated in quite a derogatory way in my opinion. For example one character who was a conservative Muslim was continuously made fun of/put down because of his views. The ending for this character was so disappointing and I felt sent a dangerous message.
Overall this was a light, easygoing read. I got through it quite quickly and always wanted to know what would happen next. I always like to see more Muslim authors and/or books about Muslim characters but I’m personally invested in these portrayals and representations so maybe I overanalyse. Despite any issues I had with this book I still want to see it do well on the whole because it is really important for young Muslims/young south Asians to see themselves represented in literature... to see themselves as the heroes and heroines of the story - not always the villains as let’s be honest, is usually the case with Muslim characters in mainstream media.
• Some likeable characters with certain relationships that were developed really well.
• I liked reading about the South Asian culture that was prominent in the community this story was based on - from the food, language, relationships and expectations.
• An image of a hijabi on the front cover felt great to see!
Negatives:
• I felt like this book was written for the white/non-Muslim gaze which is a shame because most books are and this was an opportunity to do the opposite. For example the constant translation of Urdu words used felt jarring and unnecessary.
• Certain negative stereotypes about Muslims were perpetuated in quite a derogatory way in my opinion. For example one character who was a conservative Muslim was continuously made fun of/put down because of his views. The ending for this character was so disappointing and I felt sent a dangerous message.
Overall this was a light, easygoing read. I got through it quite quickly and always wanted to know what would happen next. I always like to see more Muslim authors and/or books about Muslim characters but I’m personally invested in these portrayals and representations so maybe I overanalyse. Despite any issues I had with this book I still want to see it do well on the whole because it is really important for young Muslims/young south Asians to see themselves represented in literature... to see themselves as the heroes and heroines of the story - not always the villains as let’s be honest, is usually the case with Muslim characters in mainstream media.