Khaled and Jamila

by Anan Ameri

286 pages, Paperback

Published January 13, 2026

Reviews

[jordan]

I really tried to keep reading this, but around the 100 page mark I decided to put it down. the narration is really robotic, the characters speak so plainly it’s painful to read. I just can’t imagine that I’ll feel invested in another 100 pages.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book because it attempts to portray so many struggles of Palestinian-Americans. I did want to keep reading it to find out what happened to all the characters, but other than that, it felt like reading those poorly written “stories” on Threads: it was filled with of so many blaring typos that I found it hard to believe there’d been an editor, it was a jumble of summaries and skipped-over events, and there was no real development of any of the characters. It was one of those novels that just had an agenda and the author didn’t know how to write well. The dialogue felt like it was computer-generated.

[Barbara McPherson · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is difficult to rate a book with only one star, but I feel like I just read my first AI-generated novel. The dialogue felt stilted and formulaic, as if the writer was disconnected from the characters as well as the setting.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciated this book as a multigenerational family story that both provided a view into Palestinian family life and the diaspora in Detroit. That said, the characters felt fairly wooden and the dialogue seemed very robotic and stiff as the story progressed.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Discussion on race, marriage across race, and stereotyping.

[Viviana Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Idk why this book is rated so poorly here I enjoyed it. Sitti was the real MVP, my only complaint is I wish we got to spend more time with Jamila and even her other 2 siblings.

[Amrita Karve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice simple story. Entertaining and pleasurable read. I like the details about Ann Arbor and UMich.