Welcome to another book tour for the month. As I said before, these are the only type of posts I'll be doing this month since my exams are going on. But I have some great new stuff planned for October, so definitely keep an eye out for that!
Anyways, today I'm so excited to be talking about an #OwnVoices read, a heartwarming story, It All Comes Back To You by Farah Naaz Rishi.
(Click the banner for the tour schedule)
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Publishing date: September 14th, 2021 Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Content Warnings: References to death of a parent, references to drug use, emotional abuse, anxiety, guilt
SYNOPSIS
After Kiran Noorani's mom died, Kiran vowed to keep her dad and sister, Amira, close. Then out of the blue, Amira announces that she's dating someone and might move cross-country with him. Kiran is thrown. Deen Malik is thrilled that his older brother, Faisal, has found a great girlfriend, even if it's getting serious quickly. Maybe now their parents' focus will shift off Deen, who feels intense pressure to be the perfect son. When Deen and Kiran come fact to face, they silently agree to keep their past a secret. Four years ago--before Amira and Faisal met--Kiran and Deen dated. But Deen ghosted Kiran with no explanation. Kiran will stop at nothing to find out what happened, and Deen will do anything, even if it means sabotaging his brother's relationship, to keep her from reaching the truth. Though the chemistry between Kiran and Deen is undeniable, can either of them take down their walls?
My Review
Before I even get into the details, can I just appreciate how amazing it felt to be closely represented in a story I loved this much. I loved seeing the Indian culture and environment in a story, and being able to relate with all the joy and intimacy of it. Also, there are a couple sentences in Hindi there, and I won't lie that a felt a little smug because I could understand both the languages that were used. The diversity, the wide of diaspora characters, and a positive Muslim and South Asian representation was truly refreshing. The main characters, Deen and Kiran, are really well-rounded and complex. They are as flawed and messy as they come, but the author still has a way of endearing you to them. Even though at some point, you don't agree with the choices they make, you still understand their reasons. I was a little miffed by the side characters, Faisal and ......, the siblings of the MCs, as I didn't they were as well rounded as the others, but surprisingly when it came to the parents of the MCs, the author made did them so perfectly. They came through as actual humans with real back stories.
"But when Amira laughs, I swear I can feel a warmth in my broken, a sort of pulling-back-together."
As far as the tone of the book goes, I think there was a bit of a misstep, because it was marketed as a "fun, light rom-com" when it clearly had a lot more dimensions to it. I mean, sure the first half was quite funny with the pranks and banter, but the parts that stuck out the most were the heavier, tenser moments of the book. The story talks about grief, loss, drug abuse and mental health, and devotes a lot more time with these rather than the lighter side. Which I don't mean to say is a bad thing, but if you go into it looking for a light, breezy read, you might be a little disappointed.
"Love isn't a feeling; it's the act of planting a seed and putting in the time and care it needs to grow."
Another thing was the clear lack of chemistry between the MCs. They are obviously just teenagers, so their weren't going to be any wedding bells for them anytime soon, but the book never violated the PG-13 line. Again, not a problem ofcourse. Just something to be noted. This book is not really a romance, but more of a coming-of-age story. It's the journey of Kiran and Deen as they grow and learn to think of others when they make their decisions, they mature and becoming better versions of themselves. Their complete character is beautiful.
MOOD BOARD
About the Author
Farah Naz Rishi is a Pakistani-American Muslim writer and voice actor, but in another life, she’s worked stints as a lawyer, a video game journalist, and an editorial assistant. She received her B.A. in English from Bryn Mawr College, her J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School, and her love of weaving stories from the Odyssey Writing Workshop. When she’s not writing, she’s probably hanging out with video game characters. You can find her at home in Philadelphia, or on Twitter at @farahnazrishi.