Zara Hossain is Here - Sabina Khan (Blog Tour & Review)

Date of Reading: 19/4/2021

Author: Sabina Khan

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Publication Date: April 6, 2021

Rating: 4/5

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

About the book:

Zara's family has waited years for their visa process to be finalized so that they can officially become US citizens. But it only takes one moment for that dream to come crashing down around them.

Seventeen-year-old Pakistani immigrant, Zara Hossain, has been leading a fairly typical life in Corpus Christi, Texas since her family moved there for her father to work as a paediatrician. While dealing with the Islamophobia that she faces at school, Zara has to lay low, trying not to stir up any trouble and jeopardize their family's dependent visa status while they await their green card approval, which has been in process for almost nine years.

But one day her tormentor, star football player Tyler Benson, takes things too far, leaving a threatening note in her locker, and gets suspended. As an act of revenge against her for speaking out, Tyler and his friends vandalize Zara's house with racist graffiti, leading to a violent crime that puts Zara's entire future at risk. Now she must pay the ultimate price and choose between fighting to stay in the only place she's ever called home or losing the life she loves and everyone in it.

From the author of the "heart-wrenching yet hopeful" (Samira Ahmed) novel, The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali comes a timely, intimate look at what it means to be an immigrant in America today, and the endurance of hope and faith in the face of hate.

Review:

        I am no stranger to the works of Sabina Khan, having read 'The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali'. This one, I must say, far surpasses the former with its deft and clear portrayal of everyday reality that a Muslim immigrant faces in America. Each and every page of this novel is a testimony of the fact that how the fear that is rampant in the country destroys the sense of security of a group of people who have come to see this country as their own.

        The prank of a teenager goes out of hand (I believe, in his mind, all that racist remarks that came out of jealousy was just a prank) and destroys the lives that Zara's Pakistani family has built up in America for years. With the right connections, the victim is turned into the criminal revealing another face of a country that often assumes the position of the international police force.

        Racist theme aside, Sabina Khan also voices the prejudice and discrimination the LGBT+ community faces in their Catholic school. When they demand to assert their liberty to form their own club, the school reacts by shutting down all social clubs. And the treatment meted out to Chloe, Zara's girlfriend, adds another reminder that acceptance of your identity still remains a dream for many.

        Powerful and poignant, Sabinal Khan has created a masterpiece that exposes the harsh truths we often try to disregard. Highly recommended!

Favourite Quotes:

"... the very least that white people can do after colonizing our subcontinent for hundreds of years is appreciate our flavorful cuisine"

"I swear they think that I'm some sort of mastermind who single-handedly controls the entire Muslim ummah. It's always the same. I'm exhausted from the burden of representing almost two billion people"

"It's so easy to paint all the people you don't want to accept with the same brush. That way you can tell yourself you're just protecting your way of life and that they're the ones encroaching upon your space"

"I deserve the dignity to exist as I am. In a perfect world I would be able to do just that. But I'm not so naive that I think the world is perfect"

"How do I deal with someone who's convinced that his right to exist in this world trumps mine?"

Meet the author:

Sabina Khan is the author of  ZARA HOSSAIN IS HERE (Scholastic/ April 6, 2021) and THE LOVE & LIES OF RUKHSANA ALI (Scholastic, 2019). She is an educational consultant and a karaoke enthusiast. After living in Germany, Bangladesh, Macao, Illinois and Texas, she has finally settled down in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, with her husband, two daughters and the best puppy in the world.

Unwritten - Alicia J. Novo (Blog Tour & Review)

Date of Reading: 19/04/2021

Author: Alicia J. Novo

Publisher: INtense

Publication Date: May 8, 2021

Rating: 3/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Xpresso Book Tours)

About the book:

Books whisper to Beatrix Alba. But they aren’t the reason she has never fit in. Bullied at home and school, she keeps a secret—a power of violence and darkness.

When the spell that keeps her hidden fails, she’s catapulted into the Zweeshen, a realm where all tales live, and her dream of meeting her favourite characters comes true. But wishes are tricky, and behind its wonder and whimsy, the Zweeshen is under attack. A character is burning bookworlds in pursuit of a weapon to rule both stories and storytellers. To succeed, he needs a riddle in Beatrix’s possession.

Now he’s hunting her down.

Joining forces with William, a cursed conjurer, Beatrix must face an enemy who knows her every weakness in a realm where witches play with time, Egyptian gods roam, and Regency heroines lead covert operations. And with her darkness as the only weapon, she may have to sacrifice everything to save a world that rejects her. 

Review:

        If you are someone who would love to live in the world of books, then this story is definitely for you. Well, if you are not that reckless (like me for instance), still this will hook you in. Let me begin by admiring that cover . . . again (I was practically drooling all over it). If you go with the looks, this particular beauty will surely take you to the red carpet. And the brain inside is not bad either.

        What makes this book a special one is the elaborate world of Zweeshen that the author has created. We meet many of our favourite characters and get a taste of how it feels to be a character once the story comes to an end. A world where their stories go on endlessly with new adventures not predicted by their artisans.

        That doesn't mean the plot is without holes. Even after the end, there are so many questions unanswered and one is confronted with the feeling that Zweeshen still has its mysteries. With all its glitter and glamour, it dodges our touch, refusing to be tamed. Well, something to look forward to in the coming instalment of this series.

        As for the characters, I liked William but Beatrix felt like a hormonal teenager. With that temper, I dare not imagine how anyone can bully her in school. The chemistry between the two also felt a bit off, too sudden. The side characters, on the other hand, was an altogether different matter. Emma is, by far, my favourite. I can't wait to read more about her.

        Altogether a refreshing read and a great beginning to a series that shows immense potential.

Meet the author:

Alicia has a weak spot for happy endings and transformative journeys. She spent her teenage years

in Argentina and Europe, speaks several languages and loves to travel.

 

An eclectic reader, she grew up on a diet ranging from Lucy M. Montgomery and Jane Austen to Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Raymond Chandler, Hermann Hesse, Jorge Luis Borges, and many classics. She's never been cured of reading a bit of everything and is as likely to geek out about Mr. Darcy as Dr. Who.

​

She is a history and astronomy aficionado, who walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain, completed her Masters in the Netherlands and worked for Google in Ireland. She decided to become a writer at six but took a full, winding road here. Along the way, she learned if there’s one thing that cuts across cultures, one unifying thread that pulls everyone together, it's a good story.

 

A big-city girl, she now lives in the Midwest, where she occasionally picks apples and pretends witches exist.

Giveaway:

• A physical copy and a box of branded goodies (bookmarks, keychain, enamel pin, character art, candle, tote) (US only)

• Ebook with digital goodies (character art, background, map) (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Strictly on Ice - Helen Buckley (Blog Tour & Review)

Date of Reading: 7/4/2021

Author: Helen Buckley

Publisher: ChocLit

Publication Date: March 9, 2021

Rating: 5/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources)

About the book:

When falling in love comes with the risk of falling flat on your face ...

Former Olympic skating champion Katie Saunders is well known for her ‘ice queen’ persona in the press. On the face of it, perhaps Katie should have forgiven her former skating partner and ex-boyfriend, Alex Michaelson, for the accident that shattered both her ankle and their Olympic dreams – but she just can’t seem to let it go.

When Katie reluctantly agrees to take part in a new TV skating show, it’s only because she’s desperate for cash. What she didn’t count on is the drama – not only is she partnered up with infamous love rat rugby player Jamie Welsh, but one of the judges is none other than Alex Michaelson himself.

As the show progresses, will Katie be shown the hard way, once again, that romance on the ice should remain strictly off-limits?

Review:

        It is always a rare treat to meet a book that surprises you. Here I was, expecting a laid back romance and what did I find? A story so evocative and nerve-racking that I finished half of it pacing through my room, kindle on hand, everything else forgotten. As you have rightly assumed, this is no story for work nights.

        A seemingly innocent reality show and an opportunity for past lovers to reunite. What is there to go wrong? On one side, we have handsome, charismatic AlexMichaelson, the public's favourite and on the other, the clumsy Jamie Welsh, notorious for cheating his wife. Well, another lesson to not believe everything on the papers.

        What makes this novel special is the delicate and daring way the author handled the issue of domestic violence and the exploitation of a young girl that made it close to reality. I have heard of similar things happening with actresses, especially those who taste fame at a very young age. Well, maybe we don't have to look that far for instances, it could be anyone around us, trapped and dependent with no way out.

        From beginning to the very end, this had been an enlightening read and the narration which juxtaposed the present and the past only heightened the feeling that this is one of the best books I read this year.

Meet the author:

Helen Buckley lives in Bedfordshire with her husband and two sons. After working in the charity sector in the UK and abroad, she turned her hand to writing and her first novel, Star in the Shadows, was published in 2019. 

She writes any moment that she can, enthralled by stories of fame, romance, and happy ever afters. Apart from being addicted to writing and enjoying soft play with her sons, she’s an avid reader, action-movie fan, and chocolate addict.

Follow Helen on social media to find out more about her work or to get in touch:

Twitter: @HelenCBuckley

Instagram: @helencatherinebuckley

Facebook: @HelenBuckleyAuthor

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