Love A To Z Book Review

This book reminds me of how important our voices matter as a young generation Muslim, a feeling to reach and find, to be reached for and found, to belong to a mutual certainty

by 

This will be my first review of a Muslim book, while I had read a lot none had to push me to review it: you might know I was part of the street team promoting this book so that was also a factor I consider.

This review would get kind of personal cause there was a lot of truth in what Zayneb was experiencing and I personally had gone through some of them, so fret not, the tear will only be shed.

BOOK REVIEW | LOVE FROM A TO Z BY S.K. ALI
Published by Salaam 
Reads on April 30, 2019
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Trigger Warning: Activism, Islam Hate

Thank you to S.K. Ali for making this Muslim girl not be ashamed of her religion and stand up for her right all while wearing her Hijab.

This book right here is what every Muslim reader should get their hands on. The struggles that Muslim’s go through is depicted really well.

SYNOPSIS 
From William C. Morris Award Finalist S.K. Ali comes to an unforgettable romance that is part of The Sun Is Also a Star mixed with Anna and the French Kiss, following two Muslim teens who meet during a spring break trip. A marvel: something you find amazing. 
Even ordinary-amazing. Like potatoes—because they make French fries happen. Like the perfect fries, Adam and his mom used to make together. 
An oddity: whatever gives you pause. Like the fact that there are hateful people in the world. Like Zayneb’s teacher, who won’t stop reminding the class how “bad” Muslims are. But Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn’t bad. She’s angry. 
When she gets suspended for confronting her teacher, and he begins investigating her activist friends, Zayneb heads to her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar, for an early start to spring break. Fueled by the guilt of getting her friends in trouble, she resolves to try out a newer, “nicer” version of herself in a place where no one knows her. 
Then her path crosses with Adam’s. Since he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Adam’s stopped going to classes, intent, instead, on perfecting the making of things. Intent on keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister. 
Adam’s also intent on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his grieving father. Alone, Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals. Until a marvel and an oddity occur… Marvel: Adam and Zayneb meeting. Oddity: Adam and Zayneb meeting.

Especially, for us Muslim girls who do wear Hijab (headscarf).ReviewIt all happen on a Saturday to both Adam Chen and Zayneb Malik, the course that will forever change their life, the existence that bond they together “’ THE MARVEL OF ODDITIES OF EXISTENCE” even from such a far distance.

They were drawn to each other for their respective reason Adam realizes that Zayneb–the cute girl with the vibrant blue hijab also has a Marvels and Oddities journal–the very thing that he uses to chronicle his ups and downs while helping him cope with everything going on which was the second attraction.

Zayneb also finds herself drawn to Adam and not only because of his good looks–he offers her an Islamic greeting on the plane.

Zayneb and Adam do have such a complex personality, their actions and thinking are so different from each other with their own difficulties to face and how they both deal with them all and I loved the way I could relate to them.

Mostly the Muslim side, while I do like Zayneb parent I dislike that the mother never stood up for her when she was called to the school and it took some shouting march between mother and daughter for Zayneb mum to support and understand her view.

Adam, although he’s also Muslim, he cannot really perceive how different his experience is from Hijab women who have to bear so much on a daily basis, though he is not only almost all the Muslim male don’t pass through what the Muslim female experience or understand the Muslim female.

But thankfully he learns to listen even if he personally had not experienced them and also Zayneb learn to be there for him. I love how their personal, separate struggles in the world do not change their moments together, though it almost did which I was frustrated with.

Zayneb feelings and situation make me cried a couple of times while I was reading, she was so headstrong and such an unapologetic, which I loved it! Adam was a completely different person he is someone who looks beyond not just thinking with his heart, I felt like I could relate to him more.

From his actions to the way he thought and how he hates disturbing his parent with his MS. There was so much heart to this book, whether with family’s or friend’s or stranger ( Bless Uncle Zahid my favourite stranger in a book) or support or passions or convictions.

This book reminds me of how important our voices matter as a young generation Muslim, a feeling to reach and find, to be reached for and found, to belong to a mutual certainty, group, to have and find happiness, to cry and to laugh.

I didn’t have to open my mouth or do anything for people to judge me, I just had to be born into a Muslim family and grow up to want to become a visible member of my community by wrapping cloth on my head. I just had to be me.

Zayneb – Love From A to Z




Some of the tiny detail that jumps out to me are as follow:

I don’t about other countries but here, the Muslim’s Male are usually the last to approach a Female to said SALAM whether they pass by intentionally or coincident.

The swimwear issue at the swimming pool it, not a big deal here, I still don’t get it, while the man “Mark” or others are complaining about the outfit I guess old People like an issue.

I understand the struggle of wearing a Hijab while your hair is wet or when it super long, kinky or even natural, Aunt Nandy is another one of my favourite for both our ability to dance, sing out of rhythm and not a big fan of cooking, love reading about Aunt Nandy and her life.

Adam’s father was also supportive and a wonderful character, despite his grief during the anniversary of his wife’s death.

Final Thoughts

This book is about love, family, and the changes and challenges life throws at us. It’s also about Islamophobia, justice, peace, activism, social justice, civilian casualties of war, righteous anger, and what it means to be Muslim. It is SO MUCH about being raise or born a Muslim.

Zayneb was raised Muslim from the start and Adam converted (Adam is Canadian by birth and part China / Finland.), along with his father after his mother died, Zayneb’s father is from Pakistan and her mother (converted) is Guyanese and Trinidadian.

An epilogue brings readers up to date on Adam and Zayneb’s lives four years later.

Love from A to Z features a smart, feisty hijab-wearing teen girl who sees an injustice and demands that it be righted.

This book brings tears to my eyes, I want the world to read this book and see things from our point of view and how our mental health is also be affected and that we are human too, how they should stop creating riot and activist in the name of Muslim’s, see the way we live and how it’s so unlike what is shown on the media today.

Overall Love from A to Z is a brilliant, beautifully written and well-developed novel that represents what the Muslim do experiences worldwide.


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Love Nafisa

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