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Good Intentions
Good Intentions
300 pages, Hardcover
First published March 8, 2022
126 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 420 reviews
January 29, 2022
I wanted to love this books so much but it was a real struggle to get through until the end.
Nur, a Pakistani Muslim falls in love with Yasmina, a Sudanese Muslim and the story flicks between the present and over the past couple of years from when they first met.
Feeling the family pressures on choosing the right woman and keeping up family traditions of letting his parents be involved in who he chooses to marry, Nur keeps Yasmina a secret for 4 years, not even telling his parents they are living together. This ultimately has its repercussions on both Yasmina and his family. I was really interested to see how this would unfold.
I appreciate this is a story based on the two main characters, their backgrounds and their relationship but I found I wasn’t massively invested in them both and their wasn’t much depth to their characters. I wanted to shake Nur on so many occasions!
It contained lots of pages of very little happening, just general chit chat whilst eating a meal for example and I found myself losing interest far too often. I had hoped there would be more depth, more information about their family cultures and in amongst the seriousness a splatter of hope or happiness.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to try this though!
Nur, a Pakistani Muslim falls in love with Yasmina, a Sudanese Muslim and the story flicks between the present and over the past couple of years from when they first met.
Feeling the family pressures on choosing the right woman and keeping up family traditions of letting his parents be involved in who he chooses to marry, Nur keeps Yasmina a secret for 4 years, not even telling his parents they are living together. This ultimately has its repercussions on both Yasmina and his family. I was really interested to see how this would unfold.
I appreciate this is a story based on the two main characters, their backgrounds and their relationship but I found I wasn’t massively invested in them both and their wasn’t much depth to their characters. I wanted to shake Nur on so many occasions!
It contained lots of pages of very little happening, just general chit chat whilst eating a meal for example and I found myself losing interest far too often. I had hoped there would be more depth, more information about their family cultures and in amongst the seriousness a splatter of hope or happiness.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to try this though!
August 13, 2022
3.5 stars. I think this is a super impressive debut. Truth be told, some of the context went over my head (e.g., the second generation immigrant experience, the pressure from parents for marriage, etc.), but I could certainly relate to the main character’s fear of introducing his girlfriend to his parents. I think the biggest challenge for me was the way in which the story unfolds. There is quite a bit of jumping between past & present over a four year period, and it’s not always clear where the narrative falls in the timeline. But, this book tackles a lot of important topics, and like Bryan Washington’s book Memorial, much of it is done through dialogue, which makes for an easy, digestible read filled with humor, expressions of support & sympathy, etc. Looking forward to future books from this author!
March 2, 2022
On my blog.
Rep: British Pakistani Muslim mc with depression and anxiety, British Sudanese Muslim li, British Sudanese Muslim side character with depression, British Pakistani Muslim gay side character, British Palestinian gay side character, British Pakistani Muslim side characters
CWs: past self harm, racism, anti-Blackness, colourism, past attempted suicide, panic attacks
Galley provided by publisher
Good Intentions is a book I went into with zero expectations and ended up loving. A lot of that has to do with the characters, who leapt off the page, and the way that the book addressed the conflicts they experienced.
It’s a book that takes a quite large topic—racism and colourism in the South Asian community—and examines it through Nur, a British Pakistani boy, who falls in love with Yasmina, a British Sudanese girl. Nur is, ostensibly, worried about his family will take the fact that he’s dating a Black girl, so elects not to reveal this to them. Which is where the novel opens.
The book flips back and forth between present-day and the past, often in somewhat confusing orders—it is quite important to actually read the chapter titles in this case, but once you work out the general order of events, it gets a bit easier. I think it also helps to see the progression of Nur and Yasmina’s relationship because it helps you understand why Yasmina puts up with Nur, to be blunt about it. This is a book that concludes that Nur was the one with the issues, less so his family (although still them to some extent). That Nur was the one who, despite loving Yasmina as he did, was hurting her the most. This is the only logical (and, really, acceptable) ending to the book, so it’s important that you sympathise with them (mostly Yasmina though, to be honest).
What the book also does well is not let Nur off the hook for his behaviour. I mentioned that the way it ends is the only logical way, but there’s also this. Nur is repeatedly told that he is treating Yasmina badly, even though he continually shifts the blame on his family instead, and he’s not …babied (for want of another word) when it all goes wrong because of it. He has to take responsibility for it all.
A little away from that plot point, I also liked how this book discussed mental health and homophobia. Nur and Hawa both have depression (and Nur anxiety as well) and I thought it was good how it showed that symptoms eased and got worse throughout. Perhaps I would say I’d have liked there to be some discussion of therapy—be that psychological or biological—but I did also like that the book was about characters with mental illnesses but wasn’t about the mental illnesses specifically. With regard to the homophobia, that was more peripheral, but I thought was still dealt with well. I never felt like the book was trying to cover too many topics here—they were all given time and space to be discussed and with nuance.
In the end, then, this was a book I really enjoyed. I read it within a few hours and, I will admit, ended up quite emotional by the end. It’s definitely one that’s put Kasim Ali on my authors to watch out for list.
Rep: British Pakistani Muslim mc with depression and anxiety, British Sudanese Muslim li, British Sudanese Muslim side character with depression, British Pakistani Muslim gay side character, British Palestinian gay side character, British Pakistani Muslim side characters
CWs: past self harm, racism, anti-Blackness, colourism, past attempted suicide, panic attacks
Galley provided by publisher
Good Intentions is a book I went into with zero expectations and ended up loving. A lot of that has to do with the characters, who leapt off the page, and the way that the book addressed the conflicts they experienced.
It’s a book that takes a quite large topic—racism and colourism in the South Asian community—and examines it through Nur, a British Pakistani boy, who falls in love with Yasmina, a British Sudanese girl. Nur is, ostensibly, worried about his family will take the fact that he’s dating a Black girl, so elects not to reveal this to them. Which is where the novel opens.
The book flips back and forth between present-day and the past, often in somewhat confusing orders—it is quite important to actually read the chapter titles in this case, but once you work out the general order of events, it gets a bit easier. I think it also helps to see the progression of Nur and Yasmina’s relationship because it helps you understand why Yasmina puts up with Nur, to be blunt about it. This is a book that concludes that Nur was the one with the issues, less so his family (although still them to some extent). That Nur was the one who, despite loving Yasmina as he did, was hurting her the most. This is the only logical (and, really, acceptable) ending to the book, so it’s important that you sympathise with them (mostly Yasmina though, to be honest).
What the book also does well is not let Nur off the hook for his behaviour. I mentioned that the way it ends is the only logical way, but there’s also this. Nur is repeatedly told that he is treating Yasmina badly, even though he continually shifts the blame on his family instead, and he’s not …babied (for want of another word) when it all goes wrong because of it. He has to take responsibility for it all.
A little away from that plot point, I also liked how this book discussed mental health and homophobia. Nur and Hawa both have depression (and Nur anxiety as well) and I thought it was good how it showed that symptoms eased and got worse throughout. Perhaps I would say I’d have liked there to be some discussion of therapy—be that psychological or biological—but I did also like that the book was about characters with mental illnesses but wasn’t about the mental illnesses specifically. With regard to the homophobia, that was more peripheral, but I thought was still dealt with well. I never felt like the book was trying to cover too many topics here—they were all given time and space to be discussed and with nuance.
In the end, then, this was a book I really enjoyed. I read it within a few hours and, I will admit, ended up quite emotional by the end. It’s definitely one that’s put Kasim Ali on my authors to watch out for list.
February 24, 2022
Oh dear. I found this quite dull really. The protagonist was so self centred he spoiled the whole thing for me. Some of the banter between the characters was witty and realistic but not enough to save the book overall.
June 30, 2022
Kasim Ali is without a doubt the writer I have been desperate to encounter in the South Asian contemporary sphere. Good Intentions is a stunning debut willing to contend with the uglier realities of our culture without solely placing blame on a parental monolith, without refusing to question the cyclical nature of perpetuated abuse, and without brushing past the need for millennial accountability. It paints an utterly human picture of South Asian life, endearing and distasteful qualities all wrapped into one per the most humble, yet critical means.
CW: anti-Blackness and colorism, instances of emotional and physical parental abuse, brief descriptions of the MC cutting in the past, and an explicitly described homophobic incident.
REP: previously suicidal Pakistani MC with anxiety, Sudanese SC's, gay Pakistani SC, and other Pakistani SC's.
PROS:
- Contention with South Asian parenting. A complaint I've often fielded in my reviews of other contemporary South Asian work is the insistence upon holistically placing blame for our questionable norms on our parents. There's a lack of cognizance that many of these norms and practices are what our parents were taught when they were our age (or even younger), in an entirely different environment, and that more than simply laying blame and "moving on" from our parents is required to properly address our concerns or hope for our community to evolve. There's a wonderful line around the mid-way point of the novel that illustrates the root of this dilemma in second generation immigrants' lack of sympathetic initiative: "I'm saying to give [your parents] a chance. We put our parents into a box and keep them locked away, not letting them live or breathe beyond the four walls we put around them. But they're people, too, just like us. They can learn things if they're given the chance. Don't deny them the chance to grow and then hate them for their ignorance." Although Ali is critical of certain behaviors or mindsets Nur's parents exhibit, it's refreshing to see how he's equally critical of Nur. A focal point of the novel is a building criticism of Nur's inability to confront or challenge his parents' anti-Blackness and colorism because he believes them to be incapable of growing or changing as people; this in turn impacts his relationship with his Sudanese girlfriend Yasmina, who increasingly questions her worth after four years of Nur refusing to let her meet his parents. It's a wonderfully balanced commentary on how, yes, our parents absolutely possess harmful cultural mindsets, but that's not to say we don't help them maintain those mindsets per our own refusal to engage with them. It's very easy for us to partake in their ignorance and bigotry when we avoid ever confronting them about it due to preconceived notions about their capacity to learn, and I'm glad to see a South Asian author so explicitly criticizing it and refusing to absolve our generation of blame.
- The voice! In perusing reviews of Good Intentions, a popular sentiment critics seem to hold is that Kasim Ali may be new Sally Rooney (for non-white people, obviously). I've yet to read any of Rooney's work, but I can certainly understand why critics would make the comparison. Ali's narrative voice is simple but complex, drawing on vivid sensations and imagery to paint an elaborate picture of Nur's life, both physically and emotionally. The novel grounds itself in so many prevalent realities of young adults who navigate the world today, whether in their home life, school life, or with regards to their various relationships. Although Nur's experience is distinct, it isn't alienating; many of his fears and desires are our own, which makes it easy to not only sympathize with but criticize him as well, rather than it simply being one or the other. The depth of Ali's care with Nur (as well as with the entire cast) speaks to his goals to portray an utterly human character: someone sympathetic and relatable, but also fallible and flawed.
- The range of the cast. In line with the previous point, Ali marvelously builds a full cast of identifiable, yet complex characters. The depth poured into each relevant character does not detract from the fact that this is Nur's story, their exposition only adding to Ali's commentary on the drawbacks in how Nur happens to navigate his life. I particularly enjoyed watching Nur's relationships with his mother (summed up in my first point) and his gay friend, Imran, evolve. Imran is a wonderful SC whose experience with homophobia adds a very real, heartfelt lens to Nur's situation; although he speaks about facing homophobic bigotry from his parents, he's nonetheless the primary figure who pushes Nur to give his parents a chance to grow, emphasizing that Nur will never know unless he tries (the quote I mentioned earlier is his). It's great to see Ali highlight and criticize cultural bigotry in this way without approaching it as a monolith that unquestionably applies across the board to any and every South Asian parent, and watching Imran seek out happiness alongside Nur in spite of the obstacles he faces is incredibly endearing.
- Addressing anti-Blackness and colorism in the South Asian community. The central conflict of the novel is not simply addressing a general cultural phenomenon, but also addressing how one person - Nur - has helped to perpetuate it despite his prolonged insistence as to the negative. It's heartbreaking to watch Yasmina, a bright, dedicated, and loving girlfriend, suffer through a debilitating four years of growing self-doubt and worthlessness over the way that Nur treats her. He loves her, he dialogues with her, he treats her well - but he also hides her, refusing to tell his parents about their relationship on account of the fear that they will not accept him having a Black girlfriend.
CONS:
- Non-linear timeline. This wasn't a huge issue for me personally, and I acclimatized relatively quickly to needing to piece together various time periods in the novel. The placement of the chapters in this way is absolutely intentional, and as you approach the end of the novel you realize it makes for a very clever parallel structure between the past and the present. It does take a while to recognize this, though, so I'm noting it here for other readers.
FINAL RATING:
- 4.75
CW: anti-Blackness and colorism, instances of emotional and physical parental abuse, brief descriptions of the MC cutting in the past, and an explicitly described homophobic incident.
REP: previously suicidal Pakistani MC with anxiety, Sudanese SC's, gay Pakistani SC, and other Pakistani SC's.
PROS:
- Contention with South Asian parenting. A complaint I've often fielded in my reviews of other contemporary South Asian work is the insistence upon holistically placing blame for our questionable norms on our parents. There's a lack of cognizance that many of these norms and practices are what our parents were taught when they were our age (or even younger), in an entirely different environment, and that more than simply laying blame and "moving on" from our parents is required to properly address our concerns or hope for our community to evolve. There's a wonderful line around the mid-way point of the novel that illustrates the root of this dilemma in second generation immigrants' lack of sympathetic initiative: "I'm saying to give [your parents] a chance. We put our parents into a box and keep them locked away, not letting them live or breathe beyond the four walls we put around them. But they're people, too, just like us. They can learn things if they're given the chance. Don't deny them the chance to grow and then hate them for their ignorance." Although Ali is critical of certain behaviors or mindsets Nur's parents exhibit, it's refreshing to see how he's equally critical of Nur. A focal point of the novel is a building criticism of Nur's inability to confront or challenge his parents' anti-Blackness and colorism because he believes them to be incapable of growing or changing as people; this in turn impacts his relationship with his Sudanese girlfriend Yasmina, who increasingly questions her worth after four years of Nur refusing to let her meet his parents. It's a wonderfully balanced commentary on how, yes, our parents absolutely possess harmful cultural mindsets, but that's not to say we don't help them maintain those mindsets per our own refusal to engage with them. It's very easy for us to partake in their ignorance and bigotry when we avoid ever confronting them about it due to preconceived notions about their capacity to learn, and I'm glad to see a South Asian author so explicitly criticizing it and refusing to absolve our generation of blame.
- The voice! In perusing reviews of Good Intentions, a popular sentiment critics seem to hold is that Kasim Ali may be new Sally Rooney (for non-white people, obviously). I've yet to read any of Rooney's work, but I can certainly understand why critics would make the comparison. Ali's narrative voice is simple but complex, drawing on vivid sensations and imagery to paint an elaborate picture of Nur's life, both physically and emotionally. The novel grounds itself in so many prevalent realities of young adults who navigate the world today, whether in their home life, school life, or with regards to their various relationships. Although Nur's experience is distinct, it isn't alienating; many of his fears and desires are our own, which makes it easy to not only sympathize with but criticize him as well, rather than it simply being one or the other. The depth of Ali's care with Nur (as well as with the entire cast) speaks to his goals to portray an utterly human character: someone sympathetic and relatable, but also fallible and flawed.
- The range of the cast. In line with the previous point, Ali marvelously builds a full cast of identifiable, yet complex characters. The depth poured into each relevant character does not detract from the fact that this is Nur's story, their exposition only adding to Ali's commentary on the drawbacks in how Nur happens to navigate his life. I particularly enjoyed watching Nur's relationships with his mother (summed up in my first point) and his gay friend, Imran, evolve. Imran is a wonderful SC whose experience with homophobia adds a very real, heartfelt lens to Nur's situation; although he speaks about facing homophobic bigotry from his parents, he's nonetheless the primary figure who pushes Nur to give his parents a chance to grow, emphasizing that Nur will never know unless he tries (the quote I mentioned earlier is his). It's great to see Ali highlight and criticize cultural bigotry in this way without approaching it as a monolith that unquestionably applies across the board to any and every South Asian parent, and watching Imran seek out happiness alongside Nur in spite of the obstacles he faces is incredibly endearing.
- Addressing anti-Blackness and colorism in the South Asian community. The central conflict of the novel is not simply addressing a general cultural phenomenon, but also addressing how one person - Nur - has helped to perpetuate it despite his prolonged insistence as to the negative. It's heartbreaking to watch Yasmina, a bright, dedicated, and loving girlfriend, suffer through a debilitating four years of growing self-doubt and worthlessness over the way that Nur treats her. He loves her, he dialogues with her, he treats her well - but he also hides her, refusing to tell his parents about their relationship on account of the fear that they will not accept him having a Black girlfriend.
CONS:
- Non-linear timeline. This wasn't a huge issue for me personally, and I acclimatized relatively quickly to needing to piece together various time periods in the novel. The placement of the chapters in this way is absolutely intentional, and as you approach the end of the novel you realize it makes for a very clever parallel structure between the past and the present. It does take a while to recognize this, though, so I'm noting it here for other readers.
FINAL RATING:
- 4.75
April 27, 2022
DNF. Weak plot and even weaker characters. Nur's thought process is insufferable. The problems clearly are within him and not his family (who he keeps blaming) holding him from realising his romantic ambitions. I am so uninterested and uninvested in the plot that I'm not even curious as to how it ends. I hope Mina leaves Nur in the end because the inadequacy and indecision on his part is not worth it and she does deserve better. But aside from that, the writer could have better explored complexities of so many relationships, familial, romantic and within friendships but words were wasted on small talk and chit chat that went on for pages and pages which wasn't engaging - almost like overhearing a conversation while you wait in the queue for a coffee - utterly unremarkable.
April 14, 2022
Read this book under the impression that it be an insightful view on the pressures and thought process of marriage by a male Muslim character, however the storyline was dragged beyond measure. The author wrote the book jumping between different years of Nur and Yasmina’s relationship, and though this added suspense or wonder of how each grew as people, it was disappointing to see how Nur’s character was so stagnant. It was exhausting witnessing a character who was questioning themselves and their relationship countlessly, with little to no explanation of what their issue was until the very end of the book. The time leaps were also repetitive and boring to say the least, except when Nur’s friends came into the picture. Also, Yasmina and Nur’s relationship had little substance provided which made Nur’s love for her even more conflicting with how he treated her.
I feel like the book could have dived into the Nur’s anxiety more and the stigma that surrounds his dealing with depression in his Pakistani-Muslim community, because the book highlighted great points about mental health. The unbearable deflection he put onto his parents the entire book derailed that component. The story kept repeating the same questions Nur had in his mind with no concrete answers nor a solution to resolve his doubts and worries. It seemed like the author was pushing for Nur to have a climactic moment, when at the end Nur was more lost than ever before.
Also as a black woman reading this, it was even more emotionally draining seeing blackness be viewed as hinderance. There are rarely books that uncover how love can be explored by two races, especially within Muslims without bringing in this fascination for a race struggle. This is just another book that does that. Yasmina’s race was written as a fault of hers, and to me was honestly unnecessary to minimize her entire identity to shame of her blackness. It was interesting to see how interracial relationships are viewed from the non-black perspective but this did not touch base on anything fruitful. Yasmina was antagonized until the very end by the one she loved, and was set up for her to admit that being black was their greatest hindrance in love. I simply think that this book should have uncovered Nur’s internalized racism more than probing on his lack of initiative for marriage.
I feel like the book could have dived into the Nur’s anxiety more and the stigma that surrounds his dealing with depression in his Pakistani-Muslim community, because the book highlighted great points about mental health. The unbearable deflection he put onto his parents the entire book derailed that component. The story kept repeating the same questions Nur had in his mind with no concrete answers nor a solution to resolve his doubts and worries. It seemed like the author was pushing for Nur to have a climactic moment, when at the end Nur was more lost than ever before.
Also as a black woman reading this, it was even more emotionally draining seeing blackness be viewed as hinderance. There are rarely books that uncover how love can be explored by two races, especially within Muslims without bringing in this fascination for a race struggle. This is just another book that does that. Yasmina’s race was written as a fault of hers, and to me was honestly unnecessary to minimize her entire identity to shame of her blackness. It was interesting to see how interracial relationships are viewed from the non-black perspective but this did not touch base on anything fruitful. Yasmina was antagonized until the very end by the one she loved, and was set up for her to admit that being black was their greatest hindrance in love. I simply think that this book should have uncovered Nur’s internalized racism more than probing on his lack of initiative for marriage.
August 12, 2022
How is it possible to like every character in a book except the MC????
(I’m probably gonna come back and add my thoughts on Yasmina and the whole “racism, dating a black girl” point but these are just my initial thoughts. )
I knew this was gonna be thought provoking and inspire a lot of discussions but damnnn. Shoutout to Kasim Ali though because I loved the writing style in regards to the inner monologues, self reflections and how he writes friendships. As someone who also has anxiety I don’t feel like I’ve ever read it’s symptoms and how it impacts relationships as accurate as in this book. That being said it’s not necessarily Muslim rep and I don’t think it was meant to be.
I am of the belief that I don’t need Muslim characters in books to be written without sins but if there’s a decision to still identify as Muslim and partake in some aspects of the religion you clearly know what you’re doing wrong and it sucks that we never really see that acknowledgement, internal conflict or even acts of repentance from “non practicing” characters. It’s kind of inaccurate to the Muslim experience. I will say that every “liberal” character (their words not mine) other than Nur expressed at least a little bit of why they do or don’t practice the way they do. But Nur?? Yea he was such a non reliable main character.
He didn’t really have any independent thoughts, opinions or anything. He wasn’t an active participant in his life at alll. I can proudly say he didn’t deserve any of the people in his life. The way I was screaming and clapping for his friends!! They’re amazing. But also I think this was the authors point. Last thing I’ll say is that Imrans experience as a Queer Muslim was insightful and I think a lot more people need to read it. Our community is completely unaware of the life of queer Muslims and I think his POV gave so much context.
(I’m probably gonna come back and add my thoughts on Yasmina and the whole “racism, dating a black girl” point but these are just my initial thoughts. )
I knew this was gonna be thought provoking and inspire a lot of discussions but damnnn. Shoutout to Kasim Ali though because I loved the writing style in regards to the inner monologues, self reflections and how he writes friendships. As someone who also has anxiety I don’t feel like I’ve ever read it’s symptoms and how it impacts relationships as accurate as in this book. That being said it’s not necessarily Muslim rep and I don’t think it was meant to be.
I am of the belief that I don’t need Muslim characters in books to be written without sins but if there’s a decision to still identify as Muslim and partake in some aspects of the religion you clearly know what you’re doing wrong and it sucks that we never really see that acknowledgement, internal conflict or even acts of repentance from “non practicing” characters. It’s kind of inaccurate to the Muslim experience. I will say that every “liberal” character (their words not mine) other than Nur expressed at least a little bit of why they do or don’t practice the way they do. But Nur?? Yea he was such a non reliable main character.
He didn’t really have any independent thoughts, opinions or anything. He wasn’t an active participant in his life at alll. I can proudly say he didn’t deserve any of the people in his life. The way I was screaming and clapping for his friends!! They’re amazing. But also I think this was the authors point. Last thing I’ll say is that Imrans experience as a Queer Muslim was insightful and I think a lot more people need to read it. Our community is completely unaware of the life of queer Muslims and I think his POV gave so much context.
March 3, 2022
this book is kinda hard for me to review. I liked it but I also disliked a lot of it.
"Good Intentions" follows the story of the relationship between Nur, a young British-Pakistani man, and Yasmin, a young British-Sudanese woman. Nur and Yasmina are in love. They've been together for four happy years. But Nur's parents don't know that Yasmina exists. It delves into their relationship, racism in the community and the familial ties.
It doesn't sit right with me that this book is constantly dealt/marketed/reviewed/blurb-ed as a "modern" Pakistani Muslim and his struggle against the backward culture of his Pakistani family, their religion and norms… It's mentioned so many time how he is modern and his family is backwards and uneducated. It becomes exhausting.
Nur, is always shitting on the customs so far so that at the end of the book, a bestfriend of his doesn't even tell him something important about himself. Because he think that he will not like him anymore, and think him backwards.
The talk of racism and prejudice in Asian community, specially South Asians, Pakistanis in this book is refreshing, this issue is rarely seen. But again most of the conversation about race was mostly in protagonists head not with actual people. Dont even get me started on that ending.
It's also deals with anxiety, depression and self harm. So trigger warning for that.
The book is told in past present chapters. But the time jumps are weird.. like they have no rhythm they go back and forth to different point of times randomly.
everything that's a no in Islam, is made out to like oh people are this judgmental and it's made out to be that its people's beliefs and that they are rigid to the point of ridiculing it out. It never actually said that they just are a followers of Islam that's why they are like this, they are just called backward minded and haven't been exposed to modern society. So they can learn the new ways. I have no idea what this book was trying to do? There is a weird paragraph about how two characters fight: because one says that Islam should evolve with the times and become modern? And the other characters says that Islam is a way of life and teaching it will stay the way it is. Like I think the first POV is the author's POV. He takes Islam and it's teaching as backward and is thoroughly making it out like the people who believe in it's teaching are "backward" and that doesn't sit right with me.
It's okay if you don't practice that well, or follow the teachings, but it was made out to be so weird about those who do follow, it was made it out like it was how things happened in their times (the parents) and now if they see me in my time they will frown about those choices?, They just needed to get modern and in with the times…. Bro it's not choices it Islamic beliefs, on 90% of the things he was criticizing about them. The other 10% yes cultural bullshit that does need to be resolved.
There were some times of southasian Pakistani, get togethers on eid and stuff. And those were the times I really enjoyed in this book. All the food talk was also comforting. The points of struggle with parents and their expectations how ever indirect was very relatable.
I have no idea how to rate this books, it was 20% relatable but 80% infuriating because how constantly it was dumping on things I would call my and so many others religion, lifestyle and beliefs. The call for "modernity" to not be that backward was stark.
The book ends on such a 360 degree note and I still do not understand what the hell happened. But yeah it also make sense, Because the main character was kind of unhinged.
But yeah overall, I would give it a 2.5 stars out of 5, somewhere in the middle. it was an interesting read but also not? I just cannot describe it. If you want to pick it up you should.
Thankyou so much to harper reach for providing me with an advanced readers copy.
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January 6, 2022
Yes, this is a love story, but it is NOT chick lit. It is very poignant, addressing the problems of racism and the tension between love for your family versus love for the person you have chosen to marry. The book is well written, but I did experience a couple of minor problems. I kept confusing two of the supporting characters, Imran and Iman. One was a young black woman and the other was a gay young man. Since I am unfamiliar with the Muslim customs and holidays, I sometimes had only a general idea about what was going on. Also, I was unfamiliar with virtually all of the foods that were mentioned. Aside from all of that, the book was an easy read, but I would not recommend the book for children or young adults because of both the profanity and the sexually descriptive language.
September 8, 2022
dnf at 12%
I don’t want to talk about it.
I don’t want to talk about it.
August 23, 2022
I often felt that actual events inspire the story because of the similarities one can find between the main character and the author. However, I didn't enjoy the past and present narration style; there were a few unnecessary chapters, and the ending also left me with bittersweet feelings. Kasim Ali has potential, but he needs to focus on plot building.
Are you looking for a romance story that revolves around Asian culture or wants to explore what it is like to be a Muslim queer or a Muslim who has to suppress their feelings and always tip-toeing around their families and relatives?
If your answer is yes, then you should read this book.
Read the detailed review here - Books Charming
Are you looking for a romance story that revolves around Asian culture or wants to explore what it is like to be a Muslim queer or a Muslim who has to suppress their feelings and always tip-toeing around their families and relatives?
If your answer is yes, then you should read this book.
Read the detailed review here - Books Charming
August 30, 2022
2.5 stars
I have such mixed feelings about this book...
First, I want to say that I appreciate Kasim Ali's commentary/nuance that he decides to tackle in this book (a debut at that). I feel like this is one of those pieces of media that can and should spark some important conversations. Interracial relationships are not new, yet they are frowned upon, particularly by our elders and that's the main focus of Good Intentions. Or in the case of Nur's perspective, he believes that his Pakistani family won't accept the fact that he is dating a Sudanese woman.
I struggled to connect to the story for almost the first half of the story. The story has a past/present timeline, however, the majority of the chapters are shown to showcase what happened in the past between Nur and his girlfriend, Yasmina. I don't mind this format of storytelling, but it did feel kind of non-linear at times. The story takes place from 2014-2019 and sometimes the chapters would go a year back. I think in some ways, I can understand the purpose behind it so that it can shape the story of the main relationship, but for the most part, I felt kind of lost.
After about 50% of the story, I did become invested in the character, mainly Nur, and how his family may react to his relationship. In the end, we find out that his family never really had a problem with Nur dating Yasmina, as long as she's Muslim. His family did become hurt that Nur meet Yasmina's family a year into their relationship (they've dated for four years) and that was because Nur was worried about what his family would think because he grew up hearing about how people from his culture don't marry outside their race, let alone someone who is Black. However, his parents never raised him, or his siblings in that manner. They wanted the best for their children (hence why I think the title is Good Intentions). Initially, Nur thought he was protecting Yasmina (his own Good Intentions) from his family whom he thought wouldn't accept her, but he ended up hurting Yasmina and even his family. The ending was abrupt, yet bittersweet. It felt rushed and to be honest, I'm not sure what other way it would have ended, but maybe we could have seen Nur's family reacting to the breakup. These are the reasons why I'm giving this 2.5 not bc of the content (bc again I thought the commentary was excellent), but rather how it was executed at times.
Lastly, I wanted to talk about the Muslim rep for a bit. It was there...but I knew going into this story that it wasn't perfect (especially bc the story mainly focuses on interracial relationships). I am a firm believer that when it comes to representation (I'm speaking on my own identities), we are not a monolith, Unless it has problematic elements, what may be good rep to someone from a marginalized group may be bad rep to another person from said marginalized group. The characters would do things that are not in Islam, but never really acknowledge that what they were doing was wrong. No Muslim is perfect and we will sin intentionally or unintentionally, but we have to acknowledge our faults at the same time. If I can remember correctly, Nur or Yasmina acknowledge they don't practice Islam as much as they should, but after that was mentioned, it was never showcased again so...I guess take that what you will.
Overall, I did like the premise/message Ali was trying to convey within the story. Despite my struggles within the story, I can acknowledge that the author is trying to break cultural norms, but also showcases not taking things for granted (i.e. family, relationships, etc). Nur did not come from a typical cultural family and I definitely think that was taken for granted on his part. I feel he could have used his viewpoints to dismantle the cultural norms. I do think that Kasim Ali has the potential to continue writing especially when bringing up "tough" conversations.
I have such mixed feelings about this book...
First, I want to say that I appreciate Kasim Ali's commentary/nuance that he decides to tackle in this book (a debut at that). I feel like this is one of those pieces of media that can and should spark some important conversations. Interracial relationships are not new, yet they are frowned upon, particularly by our elders and that's the main focus of Good Intentions. Or in the case of Nur's perspective, he believes that his Pakistani family won't accept the fact that he is dating a Sudanese woman.
I struggled to connect to the story for almost the first half of the story. The story has a past/present timeline, however, the majority of the chapters are shown to showcase what happened in the past between Nur and his girlfriend, Yasmina. I don't mind this format of storytelling, but it did feel kind of non-linear at times. The story takes place from 2014-2019 and sometimes the chapters would go a year back. I think in some ways, I can understand the purpose behind it so that it can shape the story of the main relationship, but for the most part, I felt kind of lost.
After about 50% of the story, I did become invested in the character, mainly Nur, and how his family may react to his relationship. In the end, we find out that his family never really had a problem with Nur dating Yasmina, as long as she's Muslim. His family did become hurt that Nur meet Yasmina's family a year into their relationship (they've dated for four years) and that was because Nur was worried about what his family would think because he grew up hearing about how people from his culture don't marry outside their race, let alone someone who is Black. However, his parents never raised him, or his siblings in that manner. They wanted the best for their children (hence why I think the title is Good Intentions). Initially, Nur thought he was protecting Yasmina (his own Good Intentions) from his family whom he thought wouldn't accept her, but he ended up hurting Yasmina and even his family. The ending was abrupt, yet bittersweet. It felt rushed and to be honest, I'm not sure what other way it would have ended, but maybe we could have seen Nur's family reacting to the breakup. These are the reasons why I'm giving this 2.5 not bc of the content (bc again I thought the commentary was excellent), but rather how it was executed at times.
Lastly, I wanted to talk about the Muslim rep for a bit. It was there...but I knew going into this story that it wasn't perfect (especially bc the story mainly focuses on interracial relationships). I am a firm believer that when it comes to representation (I'm speaking on my own identities), we are not a monolith, Unless it has problematic elements, what may be good rep to someone from a marginalized group may be bad rep to another person from said marginalized group. The characters would do things that are not in Islam, but never really acknowledge that what they were doing was wrong. No Muslim is perfect and we will sin intentionally or unintentionally, but we have to acknowledge our faults at the same time. If I can remember correctly, Nur or Yasmina acknowledge they don't practice Islam as much as they should, but after that was mentioned, it was never showcased again so...I guess take that what you will.
Overall, I did like the premise/message Ali was trying to convey within the story. Despite my struggles within the story, I can acknowledge that the author is trying to break cultural norms, but also showcases not taking things for granted (i.e. family, relationships, etc). Nur did not come from a typical cultural family and I definitely think that was taken for granted on his part. I feel he could have used his viewpoints to dismantle the cultural norms. I do think that Kasim Ali has the potential to continue writing especially when bringing up "tough" conversations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2022
3.5✨
Good Intentions is an incredibly earnest and introspective book that is perfectly titled. Told through an alternating timeline over four years, we see Nur and Yasmina meet, fall in love and move in together. On the surface their relationship is a happy one but there is a persistent uncomfortable undercurrent, Nur has been keeping Yasmina a secret from his family the whole time.
There are many thought provoking nuances to this book, the author explores the complexities of cultural racism, lifestyle expectations, family, friendship, mental health struggles, self-harm, anxiety, religion, homosexuality and colourism.
While Nur is a character I constantly disliked there was raw honesty in his depiction which is rarely shown in writing, especially that told through the eyes on a British Pakistani man. The battles Nur had with himself were at times frustrating and repetitive, particularly when it came to accepting his Black girlfriend.
I went into this book expecting a love story, it is not, however what it does do is give a frank look at a persons good intentions in love, both romantic and familial. It addresses human imperfections and the prejudices that people don’t want to admit to themselves and how a persons decisions have far reaching consequences that affect other peoples lives.
IG: @musingsonliving
Good Intentions is an incredibly earnest and introspective book that is perfectly titled. Told through an alternating timeline over four years, we see Nur and Yasmina meet, fall in love and move in together. On the surface their relationship is a happy one but there is a persistent uncomfortable undercurrent, Nur has been keeping Yasmina a secret from his family the whole time.
There are many thought provoking nuances to this book, the author explores the complexities of cultural racism, lifestyle expectations, family, friendship, mental health struggles, self-harm, anxiety, religion, homosexuality and colourism.
While Nur is a character I constantly disliked there was raw honesty in his depiction which is rarely shown in writing, especially that told through the eyes on a British Pakistani man. The battles Nur had with himself were at times frustrating and repetitive, particularly when it came to accepting his Black girlfriend.
I went into this book expecting a love story, it is not, however what it does do is give a frank look at a persons good intentions in love, both romantic and familial. It addresses human imperfections and the prejudices that people don’t want to admit to themselves and how a persons decisions have far reaching consequences that affect other peoples lives.
IG: @musingsonliving
April 18, 2022
"All of us are playing this stupid game, telling each other lies. What's the point of it? Why do we hide so much of ourselves to cater to what other people think?"
'Good Intentions' accurately portrays the importance of appearances and the topic of interracial relationships in south Asian culture, and the pressures that come along with that. The story was told in a non-linear narrative, jumping back and forth to different times, which helped to build the story in an interesting way and kept a good pace. But I felt there were sometimes too many time jumps which got confusing.
Whilst I enjoyed the overall story and plot, I felt the characters were undeveloped, bringing my rating down. I never found myself fully rooting for the two main characters, because I feel like both as individual characters and as a couple, they felt pretty one dimensional and lacked enough chemistry to justify some of the events of the novel.
Thanks NetGalley for the eARC.
'Good Intentions' accurately portrays the importance of appearances and the topic of interracial relationships in south Asian culture, and the pressures that come along with that. The story was told in a non-linear narrative, jumping back and forth to different times, which helped to build the story in an interesting way and kept a good pace. But I felt there were sometimes too many time jumps which got confusing.
Whilst I enjoyed the overall story and plot, I felt the characters were undeveloped, bringing my rating down. I never found myself fully rooting for the two main characters, because I feel like both as individual characters and as a couple, they felt pretty one dimensional and lacked enough chemistry to justify some of the events of the novel.
Thanks NetGalley for the eARC.
March 26, 2022
3.5
A heartbreaking debut about an interracial couple torn apart by the burdens of parental expectations and the heavy cultural pressures working against them. Nur is a British Pakistani man who meets and falls in love with Yasmina, a young Black aspiring journalistst. The two try living for themselves and hiding their relationship from their parents but when years go by, the secrecy ends up taking a toll. Slow to start for me, the story really built up to a suspenseful conclusion as the couple fails to let outside pressures impede on their love. Great on audio narrated by Nathaniel Curtis with a beautiful cover. This was a wonderful look at the challenges of romantic love with someone outside your culture/race. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ALC.
A heartbreaking debut about an interracial couple torn apart by the burdens of parental expectations and the heavy cultural pressures working against them. Nur is a British Pakistani man who meets and falls in love with Yasmina, a young Black aspiring journalistst. The two try living for themselves and hiding their relationship from their parents but when years go by, the secrecy ends up taking a toll. Slow to start for me, the story really built up to a suspenseful conclusion as the couple fails to let outside pressures impede on their love. Great on audio narrated by Nathaniel Curtis with a beautiful cover. This was a wonderful look at the challenges of romantic love with someone outside your culture/race. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ALC.
April 10, 2022
Thank you to Henry Holt Co. for this gifted final copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
You are able to purchase this book now at any bookseller or online bookseller near you!
This book was phenomenal. Absolutely brilliant. A philosophical, modern-day classic debut, this novel includes absolutely everything that forms a well-made novel.
This book had drama, and a lot of it. Relationship dynamics are hard, and Kasim Ali emphasized this throughout the book, giving the reader different situations that feel so human and real that just make you want to stay for the ride.
Throughout this book, we follow the life of Nur, as he takes his course of life through family status, relationship status, and finding out his overall identity. Scared to tell his parents about a girlfriend, Nur tries to balance his family life with his love life. At a certain point, the two worlds collide, and Nur now doesn't know where to go.
An eloquently lyrical and thought-provoking novel, this book grapples with subject matters of everything you can imagine. From race, to identity, to the world of technology, to gentrification, to discovery, to self h*rm, all the way to the adversity of life itself.
This book teeters between a romance and a literary fiction novel. Although this book is jam-packed with romance and relationships and love, it also discusses much deeper subjects and ideas that are uncanny for a romance novel.
As I said earlier, one of the major topics discussed in this was the world of technology, and the hardships of the dating world while the technological advancement of online dating is happening simultaneously. Ali presents a topic thoroughly discussed, but said in a way never done before:
He says something we all know is true, yet shy away from speaking on it.
He does this with many topics, one being race, and the abhorrences People of Color and non-whites have to go through in this crude world. This was a common thread throughout the book but wasn't something that felt overly redundant.
One thing I didn't like about this book was the time jumps. This book is structured in a way where it goes back in forth in time. That tends to confuse me and I did not enjoy in this and I don't enjoy it in any other book with time jumps. Other than that, this book was phenomenal.
all in all: highly recommend to the philosophical romance and literary fiction lovers :)
You are able to purchase this book now at any bookseller or online bookseller near you!
This book was phenomenal. Absolutely brilliant. A philosophical, modern-day classic debut, this novel includes absolutely everything that forms a well-made novel.
This book had drama, and a lot of it. Relationship dynamics are hard, and Kasim Ali emphasized this throughout the book, giving the reader different situations that feel so human and real that just make you want to stay for the ride.
Throughout this book, we follow the life of Nur, as he takes his course of life through family status, relationship status, and finding out his overall identity. Scared to tell his parents about a girlfriend, Nur tries to balance his family life with his love life. At a certain point, the two worlds collide, and Nur now doesn't know where to go.
An eloquently lyrical and thought-provoking novel, this book grapples with subject matters of everything you can imagine. From race, to identity, to the world of technology, to gentrification, to discovery, to self h*rm, all the way to the adversity of life itself.
This book teeters between a romance and a literary fiction novel. Although this book is jam-packed with romance and relationships and love, it also discusses much deeper subjects and ideas that are uncanny for a romance novel.
As I said earlier, one of the major topics discussed in this was the world of technology, and the hardships of the dating world while the technological advancement of online dating is happening simultaneously. Ali presents a topic thoroughly discussed, but said in a way never done before:
"It feels like everyone is pretending...And I know that's what happens when you meet people in real life. You fake being this heightened version of yourself, hide away the flaws and the cracks, make sure they can't see your bleeding heart and your trauma."
He says something we all know is true, yet shy away from speaking on it.
He does this with many topics, one being race, and the abhorrences People of Color and non-whites have to go through in this crude world. This was a common thread throughout the book but wasn't something that felt overly redundant.
One thing I didn't like about this book was the time jumps. This book is structured in a way where it goes back in forth in time. That tends to confuse me and I did not enjoy in this and I don't enjoy it in any other book with time jumps. Other than that, this book was phenomenal.
all in all: highly recommend to the philosophical romance and literary fiction lovers :)
May 30, 2022
This book was a great read, skipping among the four years this couple is together to highlight how Nur lets his anxiety and his community’s anti-blackness continually fuck up his relationship.
June 15, 2022
3.5
I have 3 black daughters living in Uk. I hope I raise them to know their worth and never to date or fall in love with a racist.
It was heart wrenching reading about Yasmina, an intelligent black woman from a good middle class family allowing herself to be treated like a dirty secret by a racist boyfriend who uses his family’s as an excuse to hide his bigotry.
The fact that this is fiction doesn’t mean this is not reality for a lot of black women. The desire to be loved and have a family usually makes a lot of women ignore red flags. But ignoring racism? Being kept as a secret? No! That’s too much!
I despised Nur’s character and I’m glad about the ending!
I did a little epilogue in my head where Yasmina ends up with a handsome man who worships the ground she walks on (preferably a black man), and Nur ends up miserable with an “acceptable wife”…
The storytelling was excellent! But I hated the story because it’s quite relatable. I know a black woman married to a white man who says racists things and she keeps laughing it off as him being silly 🙄
I’m hoping my daughters love themselves so much that they don’t ever put up with a man who treats them the way Nur treated Yasmina in the name of “love”
I have 3 black daughters living in Uk. I hope I raise them to know their worth and never to date or fall in love with a racist.
It was heart wrenching reading about Yasmina, an intelligent black woman from a good middle class family allowing herself to be treated like a dirty secret by a racist boyfriend who uses his family’s as an excuse to hide his bigotry.
The fact that this is fiction doesn’t mean this is not reality for a lot of black women. The desire to be loved and have a family usually makes a lot of women ignore red flags. But ignoring racism? Being kept as a secret? No! That’s too much!
I despised Nur’s character and I’m glad about the ending!
I did a little epilogue in my head where Yasmina ends up with a handsome man who worships the ground she walks on (preferably a black man), and Nur ends up miserable with an “acceptable wife”…
The storytelling was excellent! But I hated the story because it’s quite relatable. I know a black woman married to a white man who says racists things and she keeps laughing it off as him being silly 🙄
I’m hoping my daughters love themselves so much that they don’t ever put up with a man who treats them the way Nur treated Yasmina in the name of “love”
November 25, 2022
Well written but a very poor exploration of the themes of love, family, faith and sexuality.
May 15, 2022
3.5*
TW: self-harm, attempted suicide, gaslighting, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, racism, homophobia, colorism
Good Intentions starts off with the countdown to midnight on New Year's Eve. Nur, a young British Pakistani man, is steeling himself to tell his parents that he's seeing someone: has been, for 4 years. He must finally be honest and reveal to his family the secret he's been hiding: Yasmina is Black, and he loves her.
When I realized how the title of this book fits the story... 🤯
I finished this so much quicker than expected!! (If you know me, I take a longer period of time to finish physical books, so imagine my surprise when I didn't really face that issue while reading this 😯)
I really enjoyed the writing (the banter between the main leads, the descriptions of the food omg) such that I ended up tabbing way more than expected!! 😀 tbh this was going so well and I fully expected to give this 3.75-4 stars but the way the ending was executed and after sitting down and thinking through my feelings for the book again, I decided on 3.5 stars.
I related to Nur at some parts but was also so frustrated with him... Because we focus on Nur's pov, I found myself failing to see how self-absorbed he was until he was called out for it by the other characters in the story.
The story also ended when there was a conclusion about the main leads' relationship, but I also wanted to know more about the side characters e.g. Yasmina's sister. What happened to her in the end? I don't need a proper ending for her, but I would have liked to know her progress.
As with other reviewers, I also agree that the alternating points in time as the chapters change did the book more harm than good for me because I would get confused or we would see things unfolding in present time then jump to some time in the past when I really wanted to go back to present day. I would have preferred e.g. the first chapter remaining with the countdown to midnight on New Year's Eve and then we start from the beginning.
As mentioned, I didn't really like the way the ending was executed but I was satisfied with where Yasmina and Nur's relationship went.
ANDANDAND this is the author's debut?!!! So impressive!! 👏
Overall, I really like the story for the themes explored as well as the writing, and will be looking forward to more of the author's works in future.
TW: self-harm, attempted suicide, gaslighting, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, racism, homophobia, colorism
Good Intentions starts off with the countdown to midnight on New Year's Eve. Nur, a young British Pakistani man, is steeling himself to tell his parents that he's seeing someone: has been, for 4 years. He must finally be honest and reveal to his family the secret he's been hiding: Yasmina is Black, and he loves her.
When I realized how the title of this book fits the story... 🤯
I finished this so much quicker than expected!! (If you know me, I take a longer period of time to finish physical books, so imagine my surprise when I didn't really face that issue while reading this 😯)
I really enjoyed the writing (the banter between the main leads, the descriptions of the food omg) such that I ended up tabbing way more than expected!! 😀 tbh this was going so well and I fully expected to give this 3.75-4 stars but the way the ending was executed and after sitting down and thinking through my feelings for the book again, I decided on 3.5 stars.
I related to Nur at some parts but was also so frustrated with him... Because we focus on Nur's pov, I found myself failing to see how self-absorbed he was until he was called out for it by the other characters in the story.
The story also ended when there was a conclusion about the main leads' relationship, but I also wanted to know more about the side characters e.g. Yasmina's sister. What happened to her in the end? I don't need a proper ending for her, but I would have liked to know her progress.
As with other reviewers, I also agree that the alternating points in time as the chapters change did the book more harm than good for me because I would get confused or we would see things unfolding in present time then jump to some time in the past when I really wanted to go back to present day. I would have preferred e.g. the first chapter remaining with the countdown to midnight on New Year's Eve and then we start from the beginning.
As mentioned, I didn't really like the way the ending was executed but I was satisfied with where Yasmina and Nur's relationship went.
ANDANDAND this is the author's debut?!!! So impressive!! 👏
Overall, I really like the story for the themes explored as well as the writing, and will be looking forward to more of the author's works in future.
January 29, 2023
Aaaaaaah this was SO boring. I would have quit 50 pages in if I weren’t reading it for my book club. Nothing happens. We get repetitive conversations throughout, but there is no plot to be had. The constant timeline hopping was confusing. This one is a hard pass.
June 30, 2022
So boring I died. Nothing happens. At least not in the 100 pages I forced myself to read like I was repenting for my sins. It’s supposedly about race and religion in the UK but literally NOTHING HAPPENS except for a bunch of aimless conversations and “pre-dates” between Muslims who “don’t date”.
October 23, 2025
I really struggled with how to review this one because I finished it feeling so frustrated. Not in a bad way, but in a “I just want y’all to understand each other and be together!!” kind of way lol. I kept wanting them to talk it out, make it work… but I guess that’s what makes it good. It’s not the perfect happy ending, but it’s real.
I saw a lot of myself and my own relationship in these characters. Blending families and navigating cultural differences isn’t easy, and this book captured that tension well. It’s a really beautiful, but heartbreaking story.
I saw a lot of myself and my own relationship in these characters. Blending families and navigating cultural differences isn’t easy, and this book captured that tension well. It’s a really beautiful, but heartbreaking story.
February 22, 2022
*i received an eArc of this in exchange for an honest review! it’s published 3rd march 2022*
my rating - between ⭐️⭐️⭐️ and ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
this is technically a romance, but it is the story of nur and yasmina during their relationship - the book opens with them being in an already 4-year long relationship. nur is a british pakistani muslim and yasmin is a british sudanese muslim - i loved the explorations of race, religion, and familial vs romantic love. the book gave a lot of insight into culture, tradition, and family ties. i really enjoyed reading this.
however … i found nur and yasmina - especially yasmina - hard to warm to. i struggled to root for either of them. i think them having flaws was effective and refreshing to see, however it’s important to root for characters and often i felt disconnected; which could be due to the 3rd person narration. however, i LOVED the side characters - imran and rahat 🥺 every time they were in a scene i got very very happy - they were just so lovable, and i wish i’d felt that way about nur and yasmina. i also loved nur’s siblings - they were such a great addition to the story.
i struggled with the structuring too. it flits back in time and each chapter is a different time period between 2015-19. i would’ve actually preferred this to be told in chronological order, as during the flashbacks i was just constantly wanting to know what was happening in the present day, rather than past events. it just made me feel a little bored, as i waited to read about the plot of what was currently happening.
this showed the more ugly side of love, and had a not overly positive ending, but that added to uniqueness of the narrative. the flaws of the people, especially nur, weren’t brushed aside - they had consequences, and that was a thing i enjoyed seeing.
overall, an enlightening read however i would’ve loved to have FELT more for yasmina and nur 😶
- lara <3
my rating - between ⭐️⭐️⭐️ and ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
this is technically a romance, but it is the story of nur and yasmina during their relationship - the book opens with them being in an already 4-year long relationship. nur is a british pakistani muslim and yasmin is a british sudanese muslim - i loved the explorations of race, religion, and familial vs romantic love. the book gave a lot of insight into culture, tradition, and family ties. i really enjoyed reading this.
however … i found nur and yasmina - especially yasmina - hard to warm to. i struggled to root for either of them. i think them having flaws was effective and refreshing to see, however it’s important to root for characters and often i felt disconnected; which could be due to the 3rd person narration. however, i LOVED the side characters - imran and rahat 🥺 every time they were in a scene i got very very happy - they were just so lovable, and i wish i’d felt that way about nur and yasmina. i also loved nur’s siblings - they were such a great addition to the story.
i struggled with the structuring too. it flits back in time and each chapter is a different time period between 2015-19. i would’ve actually preferred this to be told in chronological order, as during the flashbacks i was just constantly wanting to know what was happening in the present day, rather than past events. it just made me feel a little bored, as i waited to read about the plot of what was currently happening.
this showed the more ugly side of love, and had a not overly positive ending, but that added to uniqueness of the narrative. the flaws of the people, especially nur, weren’t brushed aside - they had consequences, and that was a thing i enjoyed seeing.
overall, an enlightening read however i would’ve loved to have FELT more for yasmina and nur 😶
- lara <3
March 15, 2022
3.5 Stars
This book ended up taking me by surprise a little bit. In some ways, it was fairly close to what I expected - a novel examining a young man's struggle to tell his conservative British Pakistani family about his Black girlfriend. But it really ends up going in a direction that I didn't expect it to, which I appreciated and think makes it a more effective novel. Nur is both a charming and incredibly frustrating protagonist, and Yasmina continuously deserves better than what she is given. The book effectively makes the reader fall in love with how they come together, and .
I'm not sure how I feel about this book being only from Nur's perspective. On the one had, the author is South Asian so it makes sense why he wouldn't write from the Black character's perspective. On the other hand, it puts a bit of distance between Yasmina and the reader as we only see her from Nur's eyes.
This book ended up taking me by surprise a little bit. In some ways, it was fairly close to what I expected - a novel examining a young man's struggle to tell his conservative British Pakistani family about his Black girlfriend. But it really ends up going in a direction that I didn't expect it to, which I appreciated and think makes it a more effective novel. Nur is both a charming and incredibly frustrating protagonist, and Yasmina continuously deserves better than what she is given. The book effectively makes the reader fall in love with how they come together, and .
I'm not sure how I feel about this book being only from Nur's perspective. On the one had, the author is South Asian so it makes sense why he wouldn't write from the Black character's perspective. On the other hand, it puts a bit of distance between Yasmina and the reader as we only see her from Nur's eyes.
March 7, 2024
Nur is exhausting, infuriating, and whiny. If nothing else, the author does a good job of writing a character that’s so easy to dislike. I found it really hard to get through this book, and connect with either character. And I question why the author chose to leave so much out of this book? Who the core audience was supposed to be? I can understand being a second gen American/Pakistani/Muslim and what it means to move out and go to college, or move out for a job. It’s becoming more accepted, but it’s still a hurdle for some parents to accept. But I understand this because of my background. The author doesn’t explain why this is such a big deal to folks who wouldn’t have that context or background. And I think that’s my problem with this book- it tells you, but doesn’t show you.
The entire book it illustrates this beautiful love story, this man who loves a woman so much, she “completes” him, calms his anxieties, dulls his isolation, a woman he can see a future with. This is told to the audience multiple times. He wants to have children with her, he can see himself growing old with her. Again, a point made many times. And yet, only *once*, does it allude to the fact that the couple have had this “rod” between them since they’ve left uni and it’s snapped. There is nothing shown to allude to this, it’s just stated as a fact that the audience has to believe. Why write so many pages of a love story to tell us, oh nevermind there was friction but I didn’t write it in the story so just believe me when I say there’s friction because I just need to say this in order to come to an end for this story. It’s silly, and a complete waste of time.
Good riddance Nur, you won’t be missed.
The entire book it illustrates this beautiful love story, this man who loves a woman so much, she “completes” him, calms his anxieties, dulls his isolation, a woman he can see a future with. This is told to the audience multiple times. He wants to have children with her, he can see himself growing old with her. Again, a point made many times. And yet, only *once*, does it allude to the fact that the couple have had this “rod” between them since they’ve left uni and it’s snapped. There is nothing shown to allude to this, it’s just stated as a fact that the audience has to believe. Why write so many pages of a love story to tell us, oh nevermind there was friction but I didn’t write it in the story so just believe me when I say there’s friction because I just need to say this in order to come to an end for this story. It’s silly, and a complete waste of time.
Good riddance Nur, you won’t be missed.
August 14, 2022
I legit skimmed the last 100 pages because I got tired of reading the book and just read the conversations, it was mostly mundane stuff until they talk about something serious (they were good) and just read those. Every other character in the book is more lovable than Nur and while I know it's on purpose, it doesn't mean I like it.
The thing that bothered me the most (beyond the Muslim rep which was bad really except for Rahat, its on purpose that the characters are non practicing but the fact that nobody feels guilt or they had the idea to "modernize Islam" was off putting) is how this book is supposed to be an adult book but reads more than half the time as YA. It feels like its given the adult genre just for the trigger warnings and the age of the characters (the dialogues and banters where half bad and very repetitive like why do you need to repeat the same line THREE times over and over???)
I really didn't like Nur but loved Yasmina and I'm so happy with the argument she threw in his face in the last chapter. Imran's arc was good too and there are many good conversations about racism, depression and anxiety in the book but check up on the trigger warnings since a lot are about heavy stuff.
The thing that bothered me the most (beyond the Muslim rep which was bad really except for Rahat, its on purpose that the characters are non practicing but the fact that nobody feels guilt or they had the idea to "modernize Islam" was off putting) is how this book is supposed to be an adult book but reads more than half the time as YA. It feels like its given the adult genre just for the trigger warnings and the age of the characters (the dialogues and banters where half bad and very repetitive like why do you need to repeat the same line THREE times over and over???)
I really didn't like Nur but loved Yasmina and I'm so happy with the argument she threw in his face in the last chapter. Imran's arc was good too and there are many good conversations about racism, depression and anxiety in the book but check up on the trigger warnings since a lot are about heavy stuff.
January 15, 2022
Jumping around throughout the history of their relationship, Nur meets Yasmina at a party and quickly falls in love. He keeps their relationship a secret from his parents for years because he worries about their acceptance; Nur is Pakastani and Yasmina is Sudanese. As time passes, the secret grows larger and larger and Nur must tell his family risking his status as a good son.
This was an easy enough read although it did seem to drag at points with too many details about the progression of their relationship that feel repetitive and I just wanted the story to move forward to see how it would all be resolved. Nur was not always very easy to root for even though it is clear that he and Mina truly care for each other. I so preferred his friends and was always happier when they were part of a scene. It didn't help that other than references about things that happened to others they knew and how conservative Muslim culture can be overall there was never any indication from Nur's parents that they were as prejudiced as he worried they would be. An interesting premise and a book that I enjoyed reading even as it left me feeling a little unsatisfied.
This was an easy enough read although it did seem to drag at points with too many details about the progression of their relationship that feel repetitive and I just wanted the story to move forward to see how it would all be resolved. Nur was not always very easy to root for even though it is clear that he and Mina truly care for each other. I so preferred his friends and was always happier when they were part of a scene. It didn't help that other than references about things that happened to others they knew and how conservative Muslim culture can be overall there was never any indication from Nur's parents that they were as prejudiced as he worried they would be. An interesting premise and a book that I enjoyed reading even as it left me feeling a little unsatisfied.
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