Uzma Jalaluddin
Autor/a de Ayesha At Last
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I read this in one sitting, so I should give it at least four stars for being riveting. The super twisty plot was great! The characters were mostly great! The parallels to Pride & Prejudice were great! I'd never read a South Asian Muslim romance novel before so that's cool, too. I for sure saw the Elizabeth Bennet in Ayesah, but she was distinctly herself, not just Lizzy in a hijab. Same thing for Khalid -- Darcy vibes without sacrificing the authenticity of a devoutly religious man who lives to please his mother (very un-Darcy attributes). And I loved Nani the detective grandma and Nana the Shakespeare-quoting grandpa (it was funny to me that Nana means Grandpa in Urdu because that's what my daughter calls my mom).
There are a few things holding me back from loving this book as a whole. The writing was uneven. Sometimes nuanced and lovely and exciting. Sometimes it was clunky and really dragged, weighed down by some heavy-handed messaging. Sheila was such an over-the-top grotesque villain (which can work in a silly, bawdy romance novel -- but she felt out of place in this book). Also, I'm sorry, but Ayesha's poetry was terrible IMHO.
Despite any shortcomings, if you're an Austen fan or just looking to diversify your romance reading, this is totally worth a go.… (més)
There are a few things holding me back from loving this book as a whole. The writing was uneven. Sometimes nuanced and lovely and exciting. Sometimes it was clunky and really dragged, weighed down by some heavy-handed messaging. Sheila was such an over-the-top grotesque villain (which can work in a silly, bawdy romance novel -- but she felt out of place in this book). Also, I'm sorry, but Ayesha's poetry was terrible IMHO.
Despite any shortcomings, if you're an Austen fan or just looking to diversify your romance reading, this is totally worth a go.… (més)
Twenty-eight year old Nada has successfully avoided attending a Toronto Muslim convention for years, but this time she’s dragged along by her friend Haleema, who wants to introduce Nada to her fiancé and his brother. Nada hasn’t told Haleema that she’s already met the brother, Baz.
The story alternates between the present (the Islamic Convention and its aftermath) and the past (all the other times Nada and Baz crossed paths). While several plot developments and the banter between Nada and Baz are reminiscent of Much Ado About Nothing, the romance owes much more to Persuasion. Which I would have realised sooner if I hadn’t been distracted by all the Much Ado parallels.
Look, it’s two of my favourite stories being retold simultaneously! (This definitely counts as bringing something new to the table.)
A couple of the flashback chapters were stressful because I don’t enjoy watching things unravel like that, when you can see it coming, but otherwise, this was very entertaining and I was hooked. Towards the end, I couldn’t put it down.
Of the books I have read this year, this is one of my favourites!
The story alternates between the present (the Islamic Convention and its aftermath) and the past (all the other times Nada and Baz crossed paths). While several plot developments and the banter between Nada and Baz are reminiscent of Much Ado About Nothing, the romance owes much more to Persuasion. Which I would have realised sooner if I hadn’t been distracted by all the Much Ado parallels.
Look, it’s two of my favourite stories being retold simultaneously! (This definitely counts as bringing something new to the table.)
A couple of the flashback chapters were stressful because I don’t enjoy watching things unravel like that, when you can see it coming, but otherwise, this was very entertaining and I was hooked. Towards the end, I couldn’t put it down.
Of the books I have read this year, this is one of my favourites!
He was still annoyed at her. The prudent thing to do would be to get straight to the point. He was a busy man, and she needed a favour.… (més)
She decided to tease him instead. “Do you come here often?” she asked. “Nice weather we’re having. How are your parents? Please give them my salams.”
Baz sighed deeply. “You are a very tiny, deeply irritating human being,” he said.
Affronted, she put her hand on her heart. “You’re too tall, and you frown too much.”
“What do you want?” Baz asked.
“Frowning gives you wrinkles,” she added helpfully, causing him to glower. Her heart gave a lurch. She had forgotten how easy it was to tease him. “You were such a happy child. What happened to you?”
“You happened,” he said. “Get to the point.”
The title led me to think it was based on the Shakespeare play but halfway through I realized it was using my fave Austen novel, Persuasion as its model. Incredibly well done, too. Near the end of the book, she manages to be able to use some of its most famous lines and have it work in a Muslim community in Toronto. The tweaks to Austen's story really works in the context and Nada herself has a lot of complexity that makes her situation relatable to the modern day. Jalaluddin just keeps getting better and better.… (més)
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- Obres
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Putting back on the shelf for now and will maybe try again later.