More Than Just a Pretty Face - Syed M. Masood (Blog Tour)

Date of Reading: 23/07/2020

Author: Syed M. Masood

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 5/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Hear Our Voices Book Tours)

About the book:

For fans of Becky Albertalli and Jenny Han, a sweetly funny YA rom-com debut about falling in love, familial expectations, and being a Renaissance Man.

Danyal Jilani doesn't lack confidence. He may not be the smartest guy in the room, but he's funny, gorgeous, and going to make a great chef one day. His father doesn't approve of his career choice, but that hardly matters. What does matter is the opinion of Danyal's longtime crush, the perfect-in-all-ways Kaval, and her family, who consider him a less than ideal arranged marriage prospect.

When Danyal gets selected for Renaissance Man--a school-wide academic championship--it's the perfect opportunity to show everyone he's smarter than they think. He recruits the brilliant, totally-uninterested-in-him Bisma to help with the competition, but the more time Danyal spends with her...the more he learns from her...the more he cooks for her...the more he realizes that happiness may be staring him right in his pretty face.

Review:

        The first thing that caught my eye is the accolades heaped on the book by the senior editor. I must confess that I read it with a smirk (ever the pessimist!) that is immediately wiped off and replaced by a smile once the story began. By the time it was nearing the end, I was full on laughing mode. Well, looks like some people can actually make lemonade out of all the lemons life throws at them.

        This story is one of the instances which shows us that there is more than one way of looking at a situation. Danyal's life had all the ingredients for a disaster -- a dominant father who has no faith in him, foolish first love, bullying classmates -- ah, the list goes on. Added to this is the fact that he is not exactly bright, academically that is. Does that hinder him? Nope, that brilliant smile is forever plastered on his face, however hard everything turns out to be.

        In a way, he reminds me of many manga characters; especially Naruto, and also Asta in 'Black Clover'. His optimism and the witty take on things is highly infectious and that brings him the help he needed every single time. The way he brings together his two extremist friends takes us into the nuances of modern Muslim lifestyle which makes it more than just a love story. This is the story of a laid back Muslim boy who strives hard to balance the desi traditions with modern ideas and above all, to give voice to the truths that we conveniently forget.

        If you, like me, love an easy to read, fast-paced story that makes you laugh and think, then this is for you. With a bunch of unforgettable characters and hugely enjoyable dialogues, this wouldn't fail to make an impression. Highly recommended!

Favourite quotes:

I'd wanted to talk to her about . . . well, not a date, exactly, because neither one of us was allowed to date. I guess I'd wanted us to have a conversation about having a conversation. You know, the Muslim version of first base

Good friends, after all, care enough to pretend to listen.

So now my parents were house rich. Their home was all they really had in the world, which was fine. It wasn't like we were living in the earthquake capital of the world or anything.

I'm pretty sure Ahmed Jilani came into this world with a frown, and the odds are good he'll be frowning when he leaves it. My father's autobiography would probably be called something like A Series of Continuous Disappointments. I'd have a feature role.

I'm really good at letting things go. People screw up. I get it. I screw up all the time and I forgive myself pretty much right away.

If we stay our course, history may not remember us kindly, and even if it does, I'm not sure it matters. History is not morality.

Meet the author:

I grew up in Karachi, Pakistan, and currently live in Sacramento, California. There have been plenty of stops in between though. I’m a first-generation immigrant, twice over. I’ve been a citizen of three different countries and lived in nine cities.

I am, as Goethe, said, “nothing but a wanderer […] on this earth.”

Living among different people, in different countries at fascinating times in their histories, has shaped both my view of the world and my writing. Ultimately, human beings are the same everywhere (despite the fact that they tell themselves, everywhere, that they are different from each other), and the theme of this fundamental human unity informs everything I write.

As to my life outside of writing, I went to the William and Mary School of Law, and before that attended the University of Toronto, where I studied English Literature. I am currently practising as an attorney and must “measure out my life in coffee spoons” on a daily basis.

Some members of my family will tell you that I’m also a poet. This isn’t true. I wrote a few poems in Urdu when I was a teenager, and I’ve never heard the end of it…which I wouldn’t mind, honestly, if they were any good. As it is, I’m very happy living in prose, thank you very much.

Other interests include good food, video games, sitcoms, and books of all kinds. Most of my time that doesn’t go to writing or billable hours is consumed by my two children, four and two years of age.