This book is the first book that I have read with a Muslim protagonist, so I enjoyed the detailed portrayal of a character that is not cliched and who presents an important struggle that is often neglected in young adult fiction.
Although the book appears to predominantly focus on the theme of rebelling from restrictive parents and following dreams in terms of ambitions and romance, the most poignant aspect of the story was certainly the effect that the suicide bomber had on Maya's life and the struggles that this caused. This part of the story, in my opinion, was described very well and allowed me to view the aftermath of events in a way that I have not previously read. The portrayal was very sensitive and well-developed, and I believe that the author did an excellent job in portraying the emotional impacts of crises such as this.
However, in my opinion, other aspects of the story were somewhat disappointing. I personally did not experience any strong feelings towards the potential love interests in the novel, so could not fully immerse myself in the romance. As this was a large part of the story, I found myself not connecting with the characters in the way I would like to. Despite this, I must admit that I did like Maya as a character and thus could come to terms with the somewhat unsatisfying relationships in the book, as her feelings came through strongly and I did understand why she felt the way she did towards the other characters, even if her relationships did have aspects of 'insta-love.'
Furthermore, I had extremely mixed feelings about the ending. Without going into detail, I found the conclusion of the novel to be somewhat abrupt and unsatisfying. Whilst I understand why the ending played out in the way that it did and I cannot say I am completely unhappy with how it turned out, some aspects just seemed overly sudden.
Overall, although I cannot say I enjoyed all parts of this novel, it was a quick read with a likeable protagonist and an important portrayal of real struggles, and I would probably read more of Samira Ahmed's work in future.
Although the book appears to predominantly focus on the theme of rebelling from restrictive parents and following dreams in terms of ambitions and romance, the most poignant aspect of the story was certainly the effect that the suicide bomber had on Maya's life and the struggles that this caused. This part of the story, in my opinion, was described very well and allowed me to view the aftermath of events in a way that I have not previously read. The portrayal was very sensitive and well-developed, and I believe that the author did an excellent job in portraying the emotional impacts of crises such as this.
However, in my opinion, other aspects of the story were somewhat disappointing. I personally did not experience any strong feelings towards the potential love interests in the novel, so could not fully immerse myself in the romance. As this was a large part of the story, I found myself not connecting with the characters in the way I would like to. Despite this, I must admit that I did like Maya as a character and thus could come to terms with the somewhat unsatisfying relationships in the book, as her feelings came through strongly and I did understand why she felt the way she did towards the other characters, even if her relationships did have aspects of 'insta-love.'
Furthermore, I had extremely mixed feelings about the ending. Without going into detail, I found the conclusion of the novel to be somewhat abrupt and unsatisfying. Whilst I understand why the ending played out in the way that it did and I cannot say I am completely unhappy with how it turned out, some aspects just seemed overly sudden.
Overall, although I cannot say I enjoyed all parts of this novel, it was a quick read with a likeable protagonist and an important portrayal of real struggles, and I would probably read more of Samira Ahmed's work in future.