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A review by aforestofbooks
Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali
5.0
AMAZING. GO PREORDER THIS RIGHT NOW. REVIEW TO COME ON RELEASE DAY
Today is the day...Love from A to Z is out in the world! So go out and get it form your local bookstore or borrow it from the library, because this book will absolutely melt your heart and change your life completely!
Okay, now for my review, which I wrote the day after I finished this book:
I stan one contemporary author and that author is S.K. Ali
Where do I even start… My heart feels full. This story will always have a special place in my soul.
When I saw the cover reveal a few months back, I immediately knew I needed this book in my life. I mean…THERE IS AN ACTUAL HIJABI ON THE COVER *cries tears of joy* I don’t think tiny, 10-year-old Sakina ever thought she would see someone who looked like her on a cover of a book. And I know for a fact, that present Sakina never thought she would read a Muslim romance, that was done in a halal way, and actually enjoy it?!!
(Special thanks to Patty
for sending me her extra copy. This book has changed my life in so many good ways.)
I am sad. A little. This is the book I needed growing up. But it didn’t exist then. And while I am really happy with how far publishing has come since I was little, I can’t help feeling a little jealous of how today’s young Muslim girls and boys get to see themselves represented in a book. That being said, this book touches on so many important topics, including Islamophobia, which I definitely think is more prevalent now than it was when I was little.
I don’t even know how to start reviewing this book. I fell in love with Zayneb in the first chapter. She’s strong and not afraid to stand up for herself and her faith. And I know this is something I struggle with. I’m not a very vocal person. I don’t like to draw attention to myself, and I hate arguing with people. But I still feel strongly. I just tend to keep my feelings in or express them to close friends. At the same time, I know it’s my duty as a Muslim to stand up against injustice and that I should do more.
Zayneb’s character arc in this book was really well done. She learns that it’s okay to be angry. That she has every right to feel the way she feels. But she learns to channel her anger in a less destructive way that is just as productive. I love how she learned not to stay silent and move on with life, and I really liked the scene where she explains everything to her mother at the end and her mom realizes what Zayneb is going through and why she can’t just keep quiet and invisible.
That scene where Zayneb notices the little white girl on the plane and realizes how differently she is treated just because she doesn’t look or dress like Zayneb, hurt so bad. Reading this book made me realize how rare it is to find a character that I can fully relate to. Zayneb’s experiences in many ways mirror mine and a lot of other Muslims around the world. It’s reality for us, even though it shouldn’t be. And it sucks. But I love the way this was included in the book.
ADAM CHEN…aka the most perfect friend, brother, and son. The little meet-cute on the airplane had me squealing. Especially when Adam makes excuses to go to the bathroom multiple times to try and talk to Zayneb but she’s either sleeping or some annoying flight attendants are in the way of romance.
Adam has a secret, and if you’ve read the synopsis, you know he has MS. You learn that his mother died from MS when he was little. Adam’s story is full of pain. My heart ached the entire time when I wasn’t dying from all the cuteness. Knowing how his mother’s death affected his father, Adam doesn’t want to tell his dad just yet. He wants to avoid what his diagnosis will lead to. The little glimpses we see of Adam with his mother, how he secretly struggles with his MS, until he finally tells his father, it hurts a lot. I was almost in tears at so many points throughout this book. Adam is my child and I just wanted to protect him. I wanted to see him happy and hopeful and in love. He’s such a good person and he deserves lots of hugs.
Adam and Zayneb’s relationship…I loved every aspect of it. We get to see what “halal dating” looks like, the proper precautions and steps that need to be taken, and we get to see both characters consider these things multiple times in the book. That was something I never thought I would ever read in fiction.
Zayneb does try to tone herself down. She tries to be quieter and not voice her thoughts or opinions on everything. And I knew we were headed towards a breaking point. And when that happened, I expected Adam’s reaction. Zayneb did cross a line; her anger got the best of her. But we also see how Adam doesn’t experience the same Islamophobia that Zayneb does on account of the fact that he’s a convert and lives in a majority Muslim country. And I found this an interesting contrast that’s also very important. I sometimes forget how different it is growing up in a community where everyone you know is Muslim. I’m constantly cautious and thinking about what I’m doing and whether it’ll make some people think negatively about Islam. When an act of terrorism occurs somewhere in the world, I can feel people noticing me more than they usually do. I stand out. I feel uneasy and vulnerable. My experiences are different compared to other Muslims. And for Adam, I think this was an important lesson. To realize how different things are, and what Zayneb is going through.
Anyway, back to the relationship. I loved Zayneb’s parents and how they viewed relationships. They taught Zayneb the halal and proper way to go about it. As long as boundaries were followed, and she was in a group setting, she could be friendly with anyone. I love this so much more than the classic arranged marriage story that we see. There’s a lot more openness when relationships are viewed in this way, and it was nice to see a character slowly falling in love, but not being afraid of the consequences of telling their parents. And it was all halal too! I loved seeing the thoughts that would go through Zayneb and Adam’s heads. How they wanted to reach out to each other, but they would stop themselves because it wasn’t right. How they sidestepped talking to each other/flirting using creative ways. I’m still dying over Adam being “thirsty for water.”
I SAW THAT SAINTS AND MISFITS REFERENCE AND I LOVED IT.
The ending…Adam, his dad, and Hanna spending time together in the room Adam made. It was so emotional. I love their relationship so much. It’s so pure and heartwarming.
I haven’t touched much on Fencer or Zayneb’s friends. I didn’t know this was based off of a true story, but I really loved how Noemi joined in with Kavi and Ayaan. In some cases, we need the support from our white and non-Muslim friends to stand up against Islamophobia. It showed Fencer that it wasn’t just Zayneb speaking out against his Islamophobic and racist topics in class, she had the support from other people as well.
The end…the cutest, sweetest, most adorable ending I have ever read. I was all smiles. And I had happy tears in my eyes.
Some of my favourite quotes:
5/5 stars. I can’t recommend this book enough. I feel happy and full of all these wonderful emotions.
(Sidenote: there’s a scene where Adam and Zayneb discuss who Zayneb is named after ie. she’s named after the Prophet’s cousin. I had never heard of her before and am way more familiar with the Prophet’s granddaughter, who’s name is also Zaynab. Our main character definitely feels more similar to the Prophet’s granddaughter, who stood up against oppression and injustice, all while being dragged in chains from Iraq to Syria, hijab ripped off her head by the same people who killed her brother and family.)
Today is the day...Love from A to Z is out in the world! So go out and get it form your local bookstore or borrow it from the library, because this book will absolutely melt your heart and change your life completely!
Okay, now for my review, which I wrote the day after I finished this book:
I stan one contemporary author and that author is S.K. Ali
Where do I even start… My heart feels full. This story will always have a special place in my soul.
When I saw the cover reveal a few months back, I immediately knew I needed this book in my life. I mean…THERE IS AN ACTUAL HIJABI ON THE COVER *cries tears of joy* I don’t think tiny, 10-year-old Sakina ever thought she would see someone who looked like her on a cover of a book. And I know for a fact, that present Sakina never thought she would read a Muslim romance, that was done in a halal way, and actually enjoy it?!!
(Special thanks to Patty
for sending me her extra copy. This book has changed my life in so many good ways.)
I am sad. A little. This is the book I needed growing up. But it didn’t exist then. And while I am really happy with how far publishing has come since I was little, I can’t help feeling a little jealous of how today’s young Muslim girls and boys get to see themselves represented in a book. That being said, this book touches on so many important topics, including Islamophobia, which I definitely think is more prevalent now than it was when I was little.
I don’t even know how to start reviewing this book. I fell in love with Zayneb in the first chapter. She’s strong and not afraid to stand up for herself and her faith. And I know this is something I struggle with. I’m not a very vocal person. I don’t like to draw attention to myself, and I hate arguing with people. But I still feel strongly. I just tend to keep my feelings in or express them to close friends. At the same time, I know it’s my duty as a Muslim to stand up against injustice and that I should do more.
Zayneb’s character arc in this book was really well done. She learns that it’s okay to be angry. That she has every right to feel the way she feels. But she learns to channel her anger in a less destructive way that is just as productive. I love how she learned not to stay silent and move on with life, and I really liked the scene where she explains everything to her mother at the end and her mom realizes what Zayneb is going through and why she can’t just keep quiet and invisible.
That scene where Zayneb notices the little white girl on the plane and realizes how differently she is treated just because she doesn’t look or dress like Zayneb, hurt so bad. Reading this book made me realize how rare it is to find a character that I can fully relate to. Zayneb’s experiences in many ways mirror mine and a lot of other Muslims around the world. It’s reality for us, even though it shouldn’t be. And it sucks. But I love the way this was included in the book.
Zayneb is unapologetically Muslim and angry, as she has a right to be. Muslims have a right to express their emotions, to not keep quiet and invisible. This needs to be normalized and accepted, instead of shamed and feared. There is a fine line between being angry and getting violent, and I think people get scared that they'll cross that line, or they won't be able to stop others from crossing it. But that doesn't mean we should stay completely quiet and just accept the way things are.
ADAM CHEN…aka the most perfect friend, brother, and son. The little meet-cute on the airplane had me squealing. Especially when Adam makes excuses to go to the bathroom multiple times to try and talk to Zayneb but she’s either sleeping or some annoying flight attendants are in the way of romance.
Adam has a secret, and if you’ve read the synopsis, you know he has MS. You learn that his mother died from MS when he was little. Adam’s story is full of pain. My heart ached the entire time when I wasn’t dying from all the cuteness. Knowing how his mother’s death affected his father, Adam doesn’t want to tell his dad just yet. He wants to avoid what his diagnosis will lead to. The little glimpses we see of Adam with his mother, how he secretly struggles with his MS, until he finally tells his father, it hurts a lot. I was almost in tears at so many points throughout this book. Adam is my child and I just wanted to protect him. I wanted to see him happy and hopeful and in love. He’s such a good person and he deserves lots of hugs.
Adam and Zayneb’s relationship…I loved every aspect of it. We get to see what “halal dating” looks like, the proper precautions and steps that need to be taken, and we get to see both characters consider these things multiple times in the book. That was something I never thought I would ever read in fiction.
Zayneb does try to tone herself down. She tries to be quieter and not voice her thoughts or opinions on everything. And I knew we were headed towards a breaking point. And when that happened, I expected Adam’s reaction. Zayneb did cross a line; her anger got the best of her. But we also see how Adam doesn’t experience the same Islamophobia that Zayneb does on account of the fact that he’s a convert and lives in a majority Muslim country. And I found this an interesting contrast that’s also very important. I sometimes forget how different it is growing up in a community where everyone you know is Muslim. I’m constantly cautious and thinking about what I’m doing and whether it’ll make some people think negatively about Islam. When an act of terrorism occurs somewhere in the world, I can feel people noticing me more than they usually do. I stand out. I feel uneasy and vulnerable. My experiences are different compared to other Muslims. And for Adam, I think this was an important lesson. To realize how different things are, and what Zayneb is going through.
Anyway, back to the relationship. I loved Zayneb’s parents and how they viewed relationships. They taught Zayneb the halal and proper way to go about it. As long as boundaries were followed, and she was in a group setting, she could be friendly with anyone. I love this so much more than the classic arranged marriage story that we see. There’s a lot more openness when relationships are viewed in this way, and it was nice to see a character slowly falling in love, but not being afraid of the consequences of telling their parents. And it was all halal too! I loved seeing the thoughts that would go through Zayneb and Adam’s heads. How they wanted to reach out to each other, but they would stop themselves because it wasn’t right. How they sidestepped talking to each other/flirting using creative ways. I’m still dying over Adam being “thirsty for water.”
I SAW THAT SAINTS AND MISFITS REFERENCE AND I LOVED IT.
The ending…Adam, his dad, and Hanna spending time together in the room Adam made. It was so emotional. I love their relationship so much. It’s so pure and heartwarming.
I haven’t touched much on Fencer or Zayneb’s friends. I didn’t know this was based off of a true story, but I really loved how Noemi joined in with Kavi and Ayaan. In some cases, we need the support from our white and non-Muslim friends to stand up against Islamophobia. It showed Fencer that it wasn’t just Zayneb speaking out against his Islamophobic and racist topics in class, she had the support from other people as well.
The end…the cutest, sweetest, most adorable ending I have ever read. I was all smiles. And I had happy tears in my eyes.
Some of my favourite quotes:
“If everyone listened to their parents who feared the consequences of fighting for justice, this world would be a more awful place than it is now.”
”I had to learn to be quietly angry. Spring without a roar. And spring I will.”
“There was a reason love was a round-sounding word. It completed you and then some, like treading a circular path, the way it was immemorial. Whole. But also…infinite. It went on and on as long as you went on and on, to meet it, keep it, treasure it. And I would.”
5/5 stars. I can’t recommend this book enough. I feel happy and full of all these wonderful emotions.
(Sidenote: there’s a scene where Adam and Zayneb discuss who Zayneb is named after ie. she’s named after the Prophet’s cousin. I had never heard of her before and am way more familiar with the Prophet’s granddaughter, who’s name is also Zaynab. Our main character definitely feels more similar to the Prophet’s granddaughter, who stood up against oppression and injustice, all while being dragged in chains from Iraq to Syria, hijab ripped off her head by the same people who killed her brother and family.)