Category Archives: Adult

Nov5

The Thirty Before Thirty List by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid

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The Thirty Before Thirty List by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid

This is the second book I’ve read by the author and while I didn’t do a full review of the first (Finding Mr Perfectly Fine), I am going to do a full review of this one, because the book might not be “halal, halal” or intentionally Islam centered, but with a robust Muslim cast it stays impressively clean and there is a lot of Islam present.  I’m glad I bought a physical copy so my nieces or my daughter can pick it up and enjoy Rana’s growth and antics.  The book is nearly 400 pages long, but they fly by, and if you are 16 and up looking for a rom com style escape book this will fit the bill.  The only thing that really gave me pause is an early label the protagonist slaps on her self as “not being a devout Muslim.”  I get the point is to not let the stereotype of an arranged marriage and strict brown parents overshadow the initial impression of the book, but the author is a better writer than that early statement indicates.  As the story progresses you see her Islam IS very much part of her identity, her environment, her outlook, and the author shows it in relatable nuanced ways that the early “telling” was not needed.  Yes, the book has the protagonist and a different boy or two alone at times, and there is some hand holding and a few hugs, but the intention is always to find a spouse, and religious lines are usually clearly on the character’s radar.  There is some talk about mortgages, and a side Muslim character that has a girlfriend he keeps secret as they go on holiday together, but again, nothing obscene, or defensive, just realistic actions from contemporary characters viewing things their own way and doing the best they can.

SYNOPSIS:

Maya’s life is pretty predictable, she lives at home, goes to work, hangs out with her childhood friend on the weekend, and dodges any attempts to be set up for marriage.  Then one day on the tube a mysterious stranger, Noah, his leather bound notebook, and everyone else in her life moving forward, prompts her to open the notebook and copy his 30 before 30 list.  Adapting what doesn’t make sense at all for her life, she never peeks ahead, but rather takes one adventure at a time.  When people from different circles in her life start interacting, and Noah reenters her life, Maya will have decisions to make and a new list to commit to, her own.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I needed a diversion, I was going to be spending a few consecutive days in waiting rooms at hospitals and knew I’d need something light, easy to read, pause, and return to, and something to make me smile.  Maya is likeable, and her family and friends relatable.  Her Bangladeshi and British culture add depth and I was genuinely surprised and appreciative with how much Islam managed to find its way in to the plot and character arcs.

FLAGS:

Relationships outside of marriage, nude model, lying, hugs, hand holding.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

This would make a great adult, college, or even 12th grade book club selection, for just a fun book to laugh about and enjoy with friends.  It isn’t that deep, but there are threads that will hit, and to chat about it will bring friends closer together.

Oct26

The Boy and his Sand Castle: A Journey of Redemption by Zakaria Amara

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The Boy and his Sand Castle: A Journey of Redemption by Zakaria Amara

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This 213 page memoir is sad, so very sad. I don’t have the ability to review it, it is personal, and raw, and not to be forgotten. But “what” it is, is not so easily defined. It is poetry, prose, humor, reality, dreams, heartache, loss, vulnerability, redemption, introspection, faith, advice, hope.  From the introduction written by his sister, to the photographs of his childhood scrapbook, if nothing else, the pages are filled with humanity and a situation that is so unique, illuminated with threads that all readers will see at times themselves in. The book is not excuses, pointing fingers, rage filled or defensive, it transcends that to a place of true reflection and rediscovery through poetry.

SYNOPSIS:

The poetic introspection of the author touches on his marginalization, radicalization, and 17 year imprisonment. It has pieces inspired by events occurring in his life as well as pieces for his daughter, dreams, analytical pieces, and humorous coping anecdotes.  After reading the book, I don’t feel I know the facts about the case, the methods of the radicalization, the other 17 members, the judicial process experienced, or the daily struggles, but I feel some of the lessons, the humanity and surrendering are shared.  The book isn’t linear, it is snapshots of a variety of emotions, that leave the reader feeling similarly vulnerable and humble, subhanAllah.

The book is divided into 10 parts: Desolation, Despair, Hope, Near and Dear, Meaning, Selfhood, Joy, Modernity, Surrender, and Home. There are small images on the pages, some AI, some art, some drawings by fellow prisoners.  There are also some photographs.

This book was nominated for the 2024 Muslim Bookstagram Awards and I am grateful that it was.  I’m better for reading it and I feel I will revisit it in the future, perhaps not reading it from front to back, but thumbing through it, pondering the words, and being reminded out how temporary this world is.

Jul1

The Last Man in Paradise by Syed M. Masood

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The Last Man in Paradise by Syed M. Masood

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I’ll be honest, if I would have read the blurb (see below) about this book from another author, I probably would not have read the book.  From the description alone, I could assume that it will undoubtedly be uncomfortable, it is an adult read, it is going to be irreverent, and I will disagree with probably whatever messaging the impossible situation the characters are placed in, come out with. But, having read his two YA books, and really liking More than Just a Pretty Face, despite the raised eyebrows I get from Muslim book fans when I say that, I felt pretty confident that Islam would not be othered or villainized, and that the writing quality would make the cringey situations worth getting through to hear the commentary that would be forth coming.  I’ve felt with the author’s other work that the Muslim characters, own their flaws as individuals, not as representatives of their faith, so, I was willing to give this book a read.

The first quarter of the book was a little stilted, but by the midpoint, I could not put the book down, as the writing did not disappoint.  Would I recommend this book? No, not to the majority of followers of my platform, much like the satire of Zarqa Nawa’s Jameela Green Ruins Everything, I know that this style of ridiculous situations to reveal humanity, consideration, and introspection, while being entertained by very Islamic concepts, is not for everyone. Did the make-out scenes in the masjid parking lot, child abuse, sleeping around, drinking alcohol, talk of pubic hair and board games, grandpa on masjid grounds watching porn, hate crimes, involuntary manslaughter, and impersonating an imam giving khutbahs and performing ghusl, cross lines? Probably, but it is fiction, it is raising the stakes to show extremes, and let the reader opine on their perspective when faced with it. And no, I won’t write my typical review about Islamic rep, because reviewers like me got called out for that too, about policing representation and confining Muslim experience to looking like one thing.  The author went really meta and called himself out for the ending of his other adult book (that I haven’t read, but probably should), The Bad Muslim Discount, so clearly no one was out of the line of fire.

Suffice it to say, this book literary wise is an easy read, the craft is on point, it flows and is compelling (except for the end, SPOILER, who was going to look after Baba, that thread just dropped), for Muslims though it will be very uncomfortable. For non Muslims, or Muslims that don’t read to see themselves represented with the fervor that I do, I think Islam is not painted in a negative light or insulted by the text.  The characters are messed up, their flaws their own, but because they are Muslim, religion is part of their understanding and view of their existence.  I do wish there was at least one Muslim character that had it together, that might hint that as a whole we are not all one extreme or another.  I don’t like labels of “liberal” or “extreme” and the book provides commentary and nuance to those flawed dichotomies as well. The book is not heavily moral, (SPOILER) the protagonist does not come back to Islam (might not have been an identity to even come back to), but identifies as Muslim, there is no YA or MG revelation or singular take away. The book centers Islam, but somehow is not Islamic rep, it simply has Muslims dealing with the messiness of life, expectation, family, relationships, and honesty.

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Blurb copied from Goodreads:
A decade ago, Azaan, a rebellious teenager with dreams of becoming an actor, was exiled from Redding, California to a religious academy in Egypt by his imam father. His crime? Getting caught kissing Madison, the girlfriend he isn’t supposed to have.

But while letting his family believe he is studying to become a preacher, Azaan ditched school and embarked on an acting career. Given that he has minimal contact and nonexistent plans to return home, he figured no one would ever know. Now, however, Azaan’s grandfather has a dying he wants to see his grandson one last time. In order to maintain the story he’s told his family for years, Azaan decides to become a fake imam. Playing at being a religious leader, he finds a community in Redding on the brink of a scandal involving his family. It’ll be the most challenging role of his life.

Navigating his new identity and old relationships, Azaan reunites with Madison, connects with old friends, and uncovers a shocking truth about his family history that threatens to expose his father as a fraud. It turns out, Azaan isn’t the only one pretending to be something he isn’t.

Before he can finish weighing the consequences of exposing his father or protecting him, an untimely death shakes Azaan’s priorities. He is forced to grapple with his religion, future, and family in a way that is sure to break hearts, but might heal a few along the way.

Jan28

Courting Samira by Amal Awad

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Courting Samira by Amal Awad

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Authored by a Palestinian-Australian and featuring a protagonist of the same background, this adult rom-com, is pretty halal all things considered.  The book is not preachy, hijab and not drinking alcohol are all discussed as being religious decisions, but there is no insight as to how or why they are part of Islam, they just are, and because the characters are Muslim that is what they do.  I found myself reading while cooking, which means I was invested enough to keep reading, but if I missed a line or two, to pull something out of the oven, I didn’t need to go back and find my exact spot.  It reads a lot like a Confessions of a Shopaholic or Bridget Jones Diary, Islamically it is on par with a Hana Khan Carries On or Finding Mr Perfectly Fine, where the characters are Muslim and that sets parameters, their culture adds the flavor, and the love triangle and writing adds the plot, yeah it is tropey, but most people wouldn’t be picking this up for literary insights, it is meant to be fun, and it is.  Three things bothered me with this book that gets a lot right. One, the cover, I find it ugly, additionally it mentions multiple times in the book that her eyes are blue, clearly on the cover they are brown.  Second, the labeling of “moderate,” “conservative,” “liberal,” and “fundy” Muslims.  There isn’t internalized Islamophobia, every one of the main side characters practices Islam in their way, the other characters accept it, and the stereotyping that the religious one is mean or critical is not present at all (alhumdulillah), the labels just bother me.  Finally the kiss at the end before marriage, they are engaged, and it probably is still better than many YA Muslamic romances out there, but as an Islamic school librarian, I have to mention it.

SYNOPSIS:
Samira works at a Bridal magazine, writing on occasion, but mostly getting coffee.  The book opens with her mid door-knock, looking at the manga hair of a yet another prospective husband, come to drink coffee and eat biscuits with his parents to meet her and hers in another meeting that will end with no match made.  Her parents don’t force her, she plays along willingly, venting to her cousin Lara who refuses to humor her parents, and her co-worker Cate who’s own dating dramas show Samira she isn’t really missing out.  When evil cousin Zahra is suddenly getting engaged, Samira is sucked in to familial obligations and involvement.  Menem, a guy she met at a team building activity, works near her, and they keep meeting, the icing on the cake is that his brother is Zahra’s groom. As things start to heat up with Menem, old family friend Hakeem starts acting weird, and Samira finds herself caught in a love triangle.

WHY I LIKE IT:

There are a lot of tropes of being 27 and unmarried, being a disappointment for having a liberal arts degree and the like, but at least there are not mean parents, forced religiosity, or the what will everyone say storylines present. A lot of the fun is found in the references to pop culture, that surprisingly didn’t bother me.  I was, however, annoyed when suddenly 80 pages in the fourth wall was broken.  It broke the tone, but it didn’t become a regular things, so I carried on.  A side character asks if Samira’s actions are Muslim or Arab and I like that, that distinction is presented.  I wish there was more culture, Samira is Palestinian, Menem is Lebanese, but there isn’t a lot of cultural sprinklings throughout that are specific to the two cultures. There are also a lacking of salams/assalamualaikums in their daily interactions.  It does mention Samira praying quite frequently, which I most definitely appreciated though.

Plot and character development was decent for the genre.  The pacing makes this book a quick read, I read it in two days (while cooking).  I never quite felt a connection to Lara, or rather why Samira and her were so close other than for a lack of options.  She just kind of annoyed me throughout, and never seemed to be a great friend (cousin).  A few times the book would seem to hint at something and nothing would come from it, take Zahra touching her stomach while picking out ice cream, or why Hakeem says he knows Samira can’t call her brother when she has car trouble.

FLAGS:

A kiss, a few hugs, hints at haram acts in earlier days, alcohol, music, belly dancing, texting, emailing, chatting freely with opposite gender.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I wouldn’t use this as a book club book, but I would be ok having it on the library shelf for high schoolers.

Jan22

Palestine: The Special Edition by Joe Sacco

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Written between 1993 and 1995, and compiled as a complete set in 2001, this 285 page adult non-fiction graphic novel is not really something I can review, even if I knew how.  As we have passed 100 days of the escalation in Gaza, on top of the ongoing horrors of Israeli occupation, I am hoping to broaden my literary awareness to include not just children’s fiction and non-fiction about Palestine, but also adult works by those living it, those moved by it, and those reporting on it.

This particular “special edition” has a forward by Edward Said, and an introduction by the author and illustrator.  Once I started the actual story, I’ll be honest it took a few attempts to hook me, with the starting being in Cairo and being a little aggressive with alcohol and talk of women, but once I decided to just keep going, the book finds a bit of a rhythm.  It shows the author himself shaping his own opinion as he interviews, and sees, and reports on the events around him.  It is non-fiction, it is written by a journalist, at some points he acknowledges his bias, but the overall picture presented, is heart wrenching.  That the humiliation and torment and occupation of a people has been so well known and documented and ignored, in light of current events, and even in isolation, is devastating.  The exhaustion the writer feels just witnessing it, is palpable, and the complete ignorance of Israeli, former IDF soldiers none-the-less is stark.

The book is both a reflection of the time with internal political factions playing roles differently than they do in todays conflict.  There are also views about Iraq and Saddam Hussein, which might surprise readers today.  But the power of this book is what hasn’t changed, the torture, the imprisonment of children, checkpoints, illegal settlements, humiliation, restrictions from working, from moving, from being treated as equal.

I’m glad I read it, and spent time among the the ink filled pages. I am certain that many of the stories, particularly the ones from inside the prisons will stay with me and haunt me as I read headlines and scroll endlessly through the statistics occurring in real time.  How can we be so blind, for so long, how can a people endure so much and keep fighting, how does any of this make sense?

Oct6

Every Rising Sun by Jamilya Ahmed

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Every Rising Sun by Jamilya Ahmed

The lush writing and ever present threads of Islam captivated me from the first page of this Shaherazade retelling.  I truly could hear my own voice in my head reading each word, and falling into the masterful story-telling of the protagonist/author.  With about a third of the book left though, I was sadly stopped abruptly in my tracks.  I found myself annoyed by Shaherazade, and having to convince myself that even though this is an adult read, she is very much coming of age and finding herself, only she doesn’t evolve and grow, and doesn’t have a character arc, and by the end I felt deflated.  Is the book good? Yes.  Would I recommend it to readers 18 and up that enjoy OWN voice, strong female, historical fiction? Absolutely.  But I find myself frustrated, because when the book was good, it was so good, but as the end drew closer, I realized there were holes, big ones, that could so easily have been fixed.  The author has the skill, the knowledge, all the tools, but alas, I didn’t appreciate Dunyazade because she is largely absent.  I didn’t know the interworking of her assistants and friends so I didn’t care about them, side characters were so painfully underdeveloped. And with 50 pages left, I was for the first time perhaps ever, glad that the narrative moved from showing to telling (I know, who am I even). I needed the articulation to connect the dots particularly of Shahryar and Shaherazade’s relationship.  The 423 page book could have, and should have, been a hundred pages longer to not feel so rushed at the end, and there should have been a map.  The book has adult themes but they are handled in almost a YA manner.  The beheadings, affairs, wedding nights, battles, war, are not detailed, but rather identified and moved on from even though they are so central to the plot.

SYNOPSIS:

In twelfth-century Persia the daughter of the Malik’s adviser stumbles on the Khatoon and her lover, she anonymously alerts the King to the affair and the beheading of wives begins.  To keep the country from revolting at their mad king, Shaherazade offers to become his next wife, to assuage her guilt for what she set in motion, on the hope that her storytelling will keep her alive come morning.  Life doesn’t pause however, as Shaherazade spins her tales, but rather amplifies.  She accompanies her husband, Malik Shahryar as they join Saladin in the Third Crusade.  The caravan, the journey, the battles, the romance, all bring the climax of returning home to a Kirman under siege will test Shaherazade’s story-telling abilities to the brink and with it the Seljuk Empire.

WHY I LIKE IT:
The prose is on point, time stood still while getting lost in a world of history, imagination, and the author’s skill.  The constant presence of Islam in the characters life was incredible. It was not established and then left to the side: the times are marked by prayers, the athan is ever-present, the duas are heartfelt.  Yes the characters drink wine, and sleep around, but they also fast and treat their prisoners of war with compassion.

I really struggled with how little I cared about people dying, there should have been more connection and more emotion for the side characters, and as the story progressed, I became increasingly irritated that I wasn’t forced to care about them, to know them, to appreciate what they meant to Shaherazade.

I also felt that the majority of the story took place over one year.  How do you forget that you are telling stories to save your life and (SPOILER) start sneaking around with some other guy.  You have a guard detail that follows you everywhere, you are in a caravan and you live in a tent, everyone knows everything!  Shaherazade is also clueless a lot of the times asking soft questions and then told how intelligent she is and allowed to plot and scheme with various rulers.  I love that she has a voice, she isn’t silenced, that she is never apologetic for being opinionated and her very presence is never a kindness, she takes up space and doesn’t look back, but the inconsistencies in her judgement needed some smoothing out.  Show her understanding grow, and increase her intellect to wisdom, don’t have her charming and manipulating leaders one minute and then being so naive the next.  She should have been so much smarter by the end of the book than she was shown to be in her personal dealings.  Her political knowledge was strong, and she was a force, and that level of insight into her own life would have been a character arc to see.

The book is adult, but it almost reads YA and I’m not sure why, it is sourced, the historical presence is exciting, the words and flavors intoxicating.  I normally love when the characters are shown and the reader doesn’t have to be told things, but the only reason I finished to the end was honestly because I got some telling.  I was relieved to hear from Shahryar what he knew, what he felt, what he could own up to.  Perhaps had there been more showing of the intricacies of palace life with the side characters the book would not have gotten to that point, but the lush writing could only carry the book so far.

FLAGS:

Relationships. sex, kissing, fornication, killing, beheading, lying, hangings, war, battle, drinking wine, scheming, kidnapping, attempted rape, it is Adult, but nothing is overly detailed or glamorized.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I would love to chat about this book, I think I could be swayed to love it, or play the devils advocate and argue for the sake of arguing.  Being how highly recommended this book came to me from a dear friend, I’m ready to battle and anxious to discuss!

I got my copy from the library, but can be purchased here.

Sep8

Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley

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Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley

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I don’t think I have ever sat down and watched a complete Hallmark Channel holiday movie, but I know the stereotypes and I’ve caught enough scenes while hanging out with my grandma to know that reality has to be suspended, there will be a happy ending, and the snow and small town charm is going to be laid on pretty heavy as the wholesome romance plays out.  This book is the literary equivalent of such a movie. So with that in mind, there are somethings I will concede can be overlooked, but religiously there are some things that need to be noted (see below).  I also have to admit that I couldn’t put the book down and read the entire 384 page Adult book in two sittings. The book is told in alternating perspectives: Maryam and Anna.  Maryam and her family are Muslim, the book takes place in 2000 when Ramadan/Eid, Christmas and Hanukkah all took place within days of each other.  Anna celebrates Christmas, but grew up celebrating Hanukkah too.  Even if a romance that has Muslims ok with adopting “Christmas-y” celebrations during the last ten nights of Ramadan no less. is not a book that appeals to you, it is worth noting that this book does an incredible job of not becoming performative.  There is no internalized Islamophobia, self-othering, no over explaining, convincing, justifying or religious or cultural identity crisis. For a book co authored by a Muslim and a non Muslim and traditionally published, I am excited for the precedence this book sets.

SYNOPSIS:

Anna is in a perfect relationship, with the perfect guy, and accidently sees the perfect ring in her boyfriend’s luggage.  With Christmas plans in Toronto to meet Nicks wealthy parents, it is clear that the perfect proposal is also going to happen.  But Anna is not perfect, and who she seems to be to Nick is not who she is or wants to be.  It feels so fake.  With separate flights from Denver to Toronto, getting redirected and stranded in Snow Falls, Ontario gives her the pause she needs to decide what she wants.  She meets Josh, someone in town visiting, which complicates things, and she sorts through her grief of loosing her father and the speed in which her ex step mother moved on, all why becoming good friends with Maryam and her family in this idyllic town that she doesn’t want to leave.

Maryam is the oldest daughter who shoulders the expectation so that her younger sister can live her best life.  She became a pharmacist to carry on the family business, so Saima could be a physician with Doctors Without Borders.  Now Saima has decided that she wants a wedding in Ramadan and Maryam has to plan it. The flight being diverted and the wedding party being stuck in Snow Falls has long ago crush Saif and Maryam sorting through their past and a possible future together.  

The two protagonists, their past, future, love interests are all multiplied by a town full of love and holiday activities, a wedding that might be missed, a Holiday Hoopla show, a movie being filmed, fasting in Ramadan, and wise old Dadu, a former Bollywood director guiding the characters to a happy ending.

WHY I LIKE IT:

The book is an easy read, it really is a guilty pleasure escape from reality and that it comes from a place of- we are Muslim, we fast, we pray, we don’t/shouldn’t date without marriage in mind, and everyone in the book already knows all this makes you feel ok about indulging.  It even has a thread of analyzing parental expectation and peeling back some of the assumptions regarding the disconnect worked in throughout the story.  

It took a few chapters for me to stop fighting and accept that the snow is so bad that the airport is closed, but every store, restaurant, and the roads in the town are open.  That the phones are out, no one has a charger, but the payphone works and food can be ordered and delivered.  That Anna is strolling around in a cocktail dress and can find a sweater, but she can’t find pants, and holiday gifts for everyone were not a problem to obtain.  The book notes the idyllic diversity and amazing payphone, but you really just have to let it go if you are to enjoy the book.

Some things I couldn’t let go though are the Islamic religious portrayals.  The characters note that a wedding in Ramadan is a terrible idea, but for as authentic as the waking up for suhoor and fajr are every day and iftar is every evening, the Muslim wedding party spend the last 10 days and nights of Ramadan watching Bollywood movies, dancing at a music filled mehndi party, planning and performing in an interfaith holiday show, and listening to Christmas music.  I know Ramadan staples of reading Quran, doing thikr, and praying, don’t fit the genre, but there are enough people to make jammat, one night it mentions they go to the musallah for taraweeh salat, but I really wish it was every night, and that more traditional Ramadan foundations were shared.  I did love that why Dadu couldn’t fast was explored, and that when Saima was stressed she went to the musallah, but really Bollywood marathons and parties in Ramadan are uncomfortable even in fiction.

FLAGS:

For Adults and New Adults the book is remarkably clean.  The romance is tame even for YA, the characters are all adults and it is more the Ramadan non worship and Christmas normalization that is more flag worthy to me if a Muslim teen were to read it, than the relationships.  So take what you will from the flags: Anna and Nick seem to live together at the beginning, Anna and Josh hold hands, kiss.  Maryam and Saif hold hands and hug.  Saima and Miraj hug.  There are some other hetero couples that kiss. Mention of Maryam’s prior relationship features her husbands infidelity, and Saif admits to having a girlfriend.  There are a few LGBTQ+ couples in the town that own stores and the inn, but don’t seem to be Muslim, and their relationships are not significant plot points.   Muslims joining in Christmas activities. Alcohol and a pub are mentioned, but Anna partakes, no Muslim characters.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I don’t think I could do this as an Islamic school book club choice for middle or high school.  But I do want to gush about it with my Lit Sisters.  You can preorder it here https://amzn.to/3L7K9wQ

Jun2

When a Brown Girl Flees By Aamna Qureshi

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When a Brown Girl Flees By Aamna Qureshi

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I was both nervous and excited to read this contemporary book having loved the author’s fantasy, but unsure how a Brown Muslim Pakistani American girl running away from home would be presented.  Alhumdulillah, the author approached the story from a place of love.  There is no internalized Islamophobia, self othering, or in broad strokes even an identity crisis. The protagonist has made decisions, drastic ones, and is trying to piece her life back together on her own terms, but the love of culture, family and faith, is always upheld.  It reads like Islamic fiction, with very didactic passages and moral positioning, I’m still quite surprised that it is traditionally published.  The version I read had grammar errors, so I’m hoping that they will be corrected when the book releases in a few weeks.  The story is engaging, but the writing a bit monotone.  Much of the story is telling, not showing, and because of the surface level spoon feeding of so much of the plot, when the catalyst or rationale is not provided, the book seems underdeveloped, or lacking, unfortunately.  I would not recommend this book for the target audience of YA readers (12/13 and up) it contains sex, slut shaming, self harm, depression, suicidal thoughts, physical and emotional abuse, profanity, and mentions drug use.  I do think though, early college age readers will enjoy and benefit from reading the book.  At a time in the reader’s life when they are defining themselves on their own terms, owning up to their own mistakes and laying out a future path, this book will provide relatability amplified by religious and cultural touchstones.  The heart of the story is the connection of a girl with Allah swt after she has sinned, the guilt and regret she feels, and how she finds herself, and returns to try and fix things with her family.  The characters are flawed and the overall messaging beautiful, hopeful and uplifting.  Unfortunately, it just reads like an early draft and I wish it had a bit more refinement.  Keeping that in mind though, it does have a place, and I’m glad to see our “new adults”  can find reflections of  themselves in a piece of literature that amplifies their Islamic identity instead of criticizing or questioning it.

SYNOPSIS:

The book starts with Zahra deciding to run away from home.  She parks her car, leaves her phone and catches a flight to New York from California.  The reader doesn’t exactly know why she is running, only that a few days after high school graduation she is escaping a toxic home life, an impending wedding, and misery.  As the story peels back layers we start to see some of the nuance of what she is running from as characters from her past find her and physical space allows her some perspective to see her own role in her “old” life.  When she arrives in New York, it isn’t the city life that she seeks, but rather the nature and pace of Long Island that offers her a fresh start.  She heads to the masjid, makes a friend, and starts to put her life together without parental obligation, outside interference, and self loathing.  She cannot run forever though and she cannot escape herself.  She must confront her past, own her mistakes, be honest with her new friends, and find peace with her family, not because she has to as a Brown daughter of immigrants, but because she trusts Allah, loves her family, and wants to “fix” things.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I’m a sucker for books that show redemption through the love and mercy of Allah (swt).  Yeah her new friends were idyllic in their family life, relationships and worship, but we all want friends that make us better Muslims, so I let it slide. Islam is centered, she wears hijab, she reconnects with salat, it is her identity even when she is just going through the motions. The author at times conflated culture and faith, but it never issues blanket statements or falls into universal stereotypes for Desi culture or Muslims.  She does a good job of keeping the negatives to the people and the critiques to the failure to push back on dangerous expectations. My issues weren’t the character flaws either, I’m onboard with the messiness of being human and the ability to seek and receive forgiveness from our creator.  I just wanted to feel things more.  So much was just told when it should have been shown.  I wanted to see the stress and anguish of her family life, not simply told it was depressing.  I wanted to see her cutting life long friends out and being isolated, not told she had lost her friends.  The book focuses on her running, and why she ran, but a big plot point for why she ran, having sex, needed more fleshing out.  Why was she driven to such an act? I know that she was depressed, I’m not belittling that, but what pushed her to such a strong stance, when she was already allowed on the school trip, she hadn’t yet been given the ultimatum and over and over the book says “I miss my family,”” I miss my home,” “I miss my mom.”  I didn’t feel the connection or understand what she was feeling, thinking, and it seemed like a huge hole in the book.  For all the themes of mental illness, faith, generational trauma, misogyny, abuse, expectation, depression, lying, culture, life choices, higher education, family dynamics, self harm. the book never quite felt rich with emotion or deeper than the surface level story.  At the beginning the author says she first wrote the book when she was a senior in high school, and while that may have made the main character’s perspective and voice ring true, as a successful author now, I wish she would have added the nuance, the insight, the subtlety that would have drawn the reader in and allowed them to get inside Zahra’s head and heart to see her and perhaps even themselves.

FLAGS:

The author and book identify triggers in the book “please be mindful of TWs: depression, anxiety, emotional abuse, physical abuse, self-harm, suicidal ideation, slut-shaming, PTS.”

There is also music, boys and girls alone in cars together, lying, cursing, generational trauma, misogyny, abuse, expectation, depression, anxiety, guilt, life choices, higher education, family dynamics, cutting, a brother who is often high or smells like weed/pot, it mentions partying, a sexual event, deceit, physically assaulted by a parent.  Nothing haram is glorified, but it is there and it is detailed, and not everything is resolved.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I would not be able to shelve or teach this book in an Islamic school library, but in a college MSA book club or a youth group of a similar age this book would be incredible to read and discuss.

May26

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

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The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

jasad

When I requested this book, I really thought it was YA, when I saw it was 528 pages I went online to see what I missed, and sure enough it is considered an “Adult Fantasy” and in the process I read some of the (negative) reviews about the book.  I grew nervous as I’m not naturally a fantasy fan, mg fantasy is more my level, with occasional YA entrapping me.  I told myself 25% is the least I could do, and if it wasn’t clicking, I’d know I gave it a genuine shot.  By about 21% I couldn’t put it down.  I think not expecting the complexities of an adult book was a benefit.  The book has no Islam, it contains Egyptian cultural references, but religion is not present, and thankfully that means no djinn either (they seem over represented these days).  The protagonist is in her early twenties, it has an enemies to lovers trope, and magic is central to the storyline, but aside from frequent unremorseful murder and torture, an intimate make-out scene at the end, and some drinking of ale, the book is fairly clean. I feel like there might have been some plot holes, but I honestly was so swept up in the story and proud of myself for understanding the world building and politicking, that I am just going to assume I missed something or it will be addressed in the next book of the series.  The author is Muslim and while it is labeled Adult, I think high school juniors and seniors and up, can and will, love Sylvia and Arin and sorting through the lies and deception to see the Jasadi heir rise.

SYNOPSIS:

The book follows Sylvia a young woman apprenticing with the village chemist, living in a keep (aka orphanage) and hiding her magic, or rather hiding that she is Jasadi, her magic is useless with the invisible handcuffs placed on her as a child before the kingdom burned in the Blood Summit.  She is unkind, harsh, and selfish, but somehow a few other orphans have not been scared off and on her birthday she is forced to acknowledge that people in her life might care about her.  There are four kingdoms that remain (Lukub, Omal, Orban, and Nizahl) and every three years they participate in the Alcalah, a battle to pay honor to the founding siblings who were entombed to cease their magic from destroying others and going mad.  The tradition makes no sense as the champions often end up dead (think Hunger Games), and the people acknowledge it, but none-the-less, they all get caught up in the excitement and entertainment.  Since the destruction of Jasad, the magic kingdom, magic everywhere has been outlawed.  Originally all people had magic, but it was lost over time.  Sylvia is the heir of the Jasad kingdom, and with no magic and no sense of obligation to Jasadis that have scattered, she carries on hoping to one day take over for the aging chemist.  When the son of the Supreme responsible for the death of her loved ones and all of Jasad crosses her path, deals will be made, a champion will be crowned and love will felt. Sylvia will also have to reexamine people from her past, her selective memories, and decide what type of future she wants to fight for.

WHY I LIKE IT:

Phew, even writing that lame summary was challenging, the book weaves a lot together and I loved the politics and world building, but clearly don’t feel confident enough to discuss it.  I think the slow burn romance was a little obvious, but I also think the author knew it would be obvious and rather than try and disguise it, she embraced it, and provided actual obstacles in their coming together (they cannot touch), not just that they want to kill each other.  I am assuming that the physical copy (I read an electronic arc), will have a map and perhaps a list of the kingdoms and characters.  It wasn’t hard to keep it all straight, but it will definitely add to the overall packaging.

I would have liked a little more explanation at points, even if it is my own weakness requiring it, but I didn’t understand the magic mining, the handcuffs, and would have liked a little more back story on the warring magic factions, their splintering timeline, and Soraya’s fallout.  I also would have liked more about Sylvia’s parents relationship and how that union came to be across two kingdoms.  Honestly I didn’t even quite get Sefa and Marek’s relationship.  I probably needed to slow down and read, but I couldn’t it was action packed, fast paced, and I needed to know what was coming next.  The climax was a little weak and the book ended on a cliff hanger as a book two is already forthcoming, but the fact that I read it and enjoyed it, speaks volumes as to the characters, story quality, writing, and approachability of the book.

FLAGS:

Mention of rape, whores, sexual assault, sex, a character is asked if a character’s needs are met by a man or a woman, an intimate male/female passionate scene at the end, using physical flirting as a distraction, theft, killing, lying, torture, murder, poisoning, breaking of a back, stabbing, it is an adult fantasy, there is all sorts of deviant behavior, but I really think 17 and up even in an Islamic school can handle it.

TOOLS TO LEAD THE DISCUSSION:

The backmatter and author reference the book to Egypt, yet aside from the names and some foods and clothing, there isn’t a lot that a casual reader would catch.  I think discussion about the Arab Spring and linking the plot to real politics could make for a fun discussion in a high school book club setting.  There is some Arabic sprinkled in that I would assume is accurate and would enjoy having translated by students as well.

May19

Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin

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Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin

much

I get teased a lot by my Lit Sisters for enjoying Hana Khan Carries On so much, so I’m writing this review to convince them why I think this is Uzma Jalaluddin’s best book yet, and why they should preorder here and dive in ASAP! First note that is an adult read, it is not targeted to teens, the protagonist for the majority of the book is nearly 30 years old. It is a romance, it is not a hundred percent halal, but it is definitely halal-ish, and if you feel like you reach a point where it absolutely isn’t, please keep reading (you might be surprised).  The book for being what I thought would be an empty calorie rom-com guilty pleasure snack, tells the story of Nada in spiraling layers that keep the reader hooked.  Just when you think it is predictable and tropey, the next layer peels back a twist and depth that kept me ignoring my kids and glued to the pages for two days straight.  I furiously scribbled notes writing down “haram” deal breakers and most by the end where crossed off, so no this is not Islamic fiction, but there is no internalized Islamophobia, there is no liberal agenda, the author knows the lines and is abiding by them and occasionally breaking them in a fictional entertainment world for Muslim and non Muslim readers alike.  I hate to compare, but in many ways it reads like an adult S.K. Ali book.  There is social commentary on Islamic communities from a place of love and practice from the inside, there are relatable characters, there is humor, there is love, laughter, and warmth. On occasion there is skirting of the halal/haram line a bit here and there, and sure males and females are a little too friendly at times, but it isn’t the oppressive parents and identity crisis, it is joy. Muslim reality and stress, with true mirroring joy as well.

So why am I reviewing this book here? Simple so you can enjoy it.  So often I feel like reviewers particularly, but casual readers as well, become nervous while reading, that the book is going to take a turn and become haram or preachy that we can’t just get lost in the story.  So my gift to you, is that if you enjoy rom-coms and don’t usually go for “Muslamic” ones because of apprehension, you can dive in and enjoy this.  You can laugh when they ask for a doctor at an Islamic convention, you can roll your eyes when hijabi’s bring extra scarves to throw on the stage of the band (there is a guitar player, but mostly daf and vocals), you can be upset at the slight physical touching (keep reading), and you can nod along with the commentary on divorce, misogyny, wheelchair access, and mental health, but you can also just cheer for the protagonist to find her way to happiness and love too.

SYNOPSIS: (Will be brief because other wise there will be too many spoilers, and because of how the book is told, you don’t want spoilers, trust me, you want to enjoy)

The book opens with Nada trying to hide from both her mom who wants discuss her future and her best friend Haleema who is determined to have a girls weekend with her bestie at the Deen & Duniya Islamic conference in Toronto.  Cornered she finds herself at the conference organized by Haleema’s soon to be inlaws and face to face with a variety of characters from her past including past victims of her bullying, past love interest, past business partners, past camp roommates, college friends, startup mentors, and others- it is a very popular and large conference

Yep, that is all you are getting.

WHY I LIKE IT:

Again, to avoid spoilers I’m going to simply point out a few plot concerns I had with the book, because it is who I am, and I need to get them off my chest.

In some of the flashback scenes Nada’s voice reads the same as it does in the present.  Her articulation of Baz’s potential as a daf player at 11 years old is very mature and insightful and not realistic at all that she can opine on his skill and the role his hand size have on his mastery at that moment of the instrument.  She would probably just think, yeah he is good, or wow, he isn’t bad.

I found it odd that Marya’s husband had opinions on Nada’s makeup, it seemed a bit forward.  Also they were in line, then they left, the pacing of the scene was a little off, I read an arc, but I’m hoping it is cleaned up a bit, because it is an important scene.

Haleema is Nada’s college friend, but toward the end in college flashbacks she really disappears, and it was noticeable, because the reader is constantly told Haleema and Nada were good college friends, but never shown.  So in those scenes to not have her there, without note, is suspect.  Nada really isn’t a good friend to here either, at any stage of life save the conclusion, I’m not sure why Haleema does so much for her honestly.

There is a wedding scene without a wali, and there should be a comment as to why the wedding is performed without the religiously mandated staple or how they are getting around it.  It reads off for a book that gets so many details correct.  I am hoping that the final has it corrected! PLEASE!!!!!!

Also for a different wedding Sufyan is noted to have got an invite to help serve chai, but he is the groom’s cousin’s son, introduced earlier as a nephew, before the cultural chain of relation is given, so why wouldn’t he be at the wedding?

FLAGS:

Music, female and male close friendships, sneaking around, bullying, talk of sex, sex, kissing, talk of pregnancy, lying, stealing, theft, there might be a curse word or two, sorry, not sure.  For an adult book it is clean, these days for a YA book it would be considered remarkably clean.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I wouldn’t suggest it for a school library or high school book club, but I wouldn’t put up much of a fight if it was on the shelf or schedule.