Saints And Misfits by S.K. Ali is a young adult contemporary novel about a Muslim girl who divides everybody into "Saints," "Monsters," and "Misfits." Unfortunately for her, people don't fit neatly into categories. She knows that one of the "Saintly" teen boys at her mosque is actually a monster who committed sexual assault. She has to figure out how to make the people at her mosque see past his "Saint" mask and believe that he committed a crime.

I think teenagers will be able to relate to Janna, the main character. She's nerdy and awkward and imperfect. She makes impulsive judgements about people and doesn't always know what she wants from life. Her relationships with other teens are believable. I love that she gets crushes that grow strong and then fade. I don't think I've ever read a YA book that shows fleeting crushes. Usually, YA characters end up going to prom with their first crush and then living happily ever after. Real life rarely works out so perfectly. Sometimes crushes are temporary.

I like the characters in the book, but I struggled with the pacing. It's way too slow. The plot meanders, and I spent most of the book wondering what this story is about. What was I supposed to get from reading it? Mostly, it's a slow, quiet examination of teenage life. It shows the giant burden that's placed on teenage sexual assault survivors. They have to convince people they've been assaulted, and then their past mistakes are used to explain why the assault was their own fault. I can understand why assault survivors are reluctant to tell their stories.

Teens will find this book relatable, but they'll have to be patient with the pacing. It's a character-driven slice-of-life novel. I think some readers will get bored with it.