This was a quick light read and I would say more romance focused than focused on the topic of Islamaphobia. That part was perhaps brief and then sorted out swiftly, although it did show racism and prejudice, from just one character though.
I was glad to read a book, however, that is written by a Muslim woman and whose main character is Muslim. (Being a Muslim myself it's definitely something I get behind). Although it's true that it won't be relateable to all Muslims which is understandable. Maya Aziz is an Indian Muslim so her family follow along with that culture, their speech, food, values all reflect that. Myself, for example, am a half Arab and my upbringing was something although not entirely different but that just teaches you to not put all Muslims in the same box. Don't expect to read about a character like yourself.
Maya is a cute character and I can understand her reasons for disobeying her parents especially when your dream is stamped upon and they won't stand by you in it. I get that. I also get falling for a non-Muslim boy rather than a seemingly devout Muslim boy. I had plenty of non-Muslim crushes myself and Maya is still young, she's still learning, to find herself and her place in the world among other things especially when your parents are traditional and the old generation sort. Some things they just don't understand believe me.
I felt sorry for Maya following the terrorist attack supposedly and assumed to be committed by a Muslim, having to deal with how people view you after that is hard and can be scary. There's a lot you can glean from this actually in terms of what a Muslim (particularly girls) can go through and the expectations that are required of them. It's hard not to rebel sometimes. You just have to do that's right for you and that's what Maya does.
I also loved her aunt Hina, a single, childless, unmarried woman in her forties, and how supportive she was of Maya. Women like Hina should not be made to feel ashamed because they haven't "achieved" those expected things of them in life.
Overall, a good decent read
I was glad to read a book, however, that is written by a Muslim woman and whose main character is Muslim. (Being a Muslim myself it's definitely something I get behind). Although it's true that it won't be relateable to all Muslims which is understandable. Maya Aziz is an Indian Muslim so her family follow along with that culture, their speech, food, values all reflect that. Myself, for example, am a half Arab and my upbringing was something although not entirely different but that just teaches you to not put all Muslims in the same box. Don't expect to read about a character like yourself.
Maya is a cute character and I can understand her reasons for disobeying her parents especially when your dream is stamped upon and they won't stand by you in it. I get that. I also get falling for a non-Muslim boy rather than a seemingly devout Muslim boy. I had plenty of non-Muslim crushes myself and Maya is still young, she's still learning, to find herself and her place in the world among other things especially when your parents are traditional and the old generation sort. Some things they just don't understand believe me.
I felt sorry for Maya following the terrorist attack supposedly and assumed to be committed by a Muslim, having to deal with how people view you after that is hard and can be scary. There's a lot you can glean from this actually in terms of what a Muslim (particularly girls) can go through and the expectations that are required of them. It's hard not to rebel sometimes. You just have to do that's right for you and that's what Maya does.
I also loved her aunt Hina, a single, childless, unmarried woman in her forties, and how supportive she was of Maya. Women like Hina should not be made to feel ashamed because they haven't "achieved" those expected things of them in life.
Overall, a good decent read