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Strange Girls: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 10 Mar 26An award-winning international author’s stunning US debut about two estranged friends who are forced to reunite over one feverish weekend and reckon with the choices that tore them apart
A decade has passed since Ava spoke to Aliya. During the years of silence, Ava's life has remained at a standstill, while Aliya got the one thing they both wanted more than a book deal. Forced back together at a mutual friend’s bachelorette in London, Ava returns to Aliya’s doorstep, desperate to unpack the truth of their shared history—and what they meant to each other.
When the two first met in the halls of their historic campus, their connection was electric. Aliya and Ava created a world of their own through the stories they wrote, influencing and borrowing from each other’s work. But when the end of college loomed, the real world began to pull them in opposite directions. Was their bond ever truly as strong as Aliya thought? And what would become of the stories they told themselves about each other?
Weaving together the friends’ past and present, Strange Girls is an ingenious portrait of a fraught friendship, and an exploration of the ties forged in the intensity of the college experience, and the scars left when they break.
A decade has passed since Ava spoke to Aliya. During the years of silence, Ava's life has remained at a standstill, while Aliya got the one thing they both wanted more than a book deal. Forced back together at a mutual friend’s bachelorette in London, Ava returns to Aliya’s doorstep, desperate to unpack the truth of their shared history—and what they meant to each other.
When the two first met in the halls of their historic campus, their connection was electric. Aliya and Ava created a world of their own through the stories they wrote, influencing and borrowing from each other’s work. But when the end of college loomed, the real world began to pull them in opposite directions. Was their bond ever truly as strong as Aliya thought? And what would become of the stories they told themselves about each other?
Weaving together the friends’ past and present, Strange Girls is an ingenious portrait of a fraught friendship, and an exploration of the ties forged in the intensity of the college experience, and the scars left when they break.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 10, 2026
6393 people want to read
About the author
Sarvat Hasin
6 books107 followersSarvat Hasin is from Pakistan. She has a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Oxford.
Her first novel, This Wide Night, was published by Penguin India and longlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. Her second book You Can’t Go Home Again was published in 2018 and featured in Vogue India’s and The Hindu’s end of year lists. She won the Moth Writer’s Retreat Bursary in 2018 and the Mo Siewcharran Prize in 2019. Her essays and poetry have appeared in publications such as Outsiders, The Mays Anthology, English PEN, and Harper’s Bazaar. She lives in London and works at the Almeida Theatre.
Her new novel, The Giant Dark, is a retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It is forthcoming from Dialogue Books on the 8th of July
Her first novel, This Wide Night, was published by Penguin India and longlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. Her second book You Can’t Go Home Again was published in 2018 and featured in Vogue India’s and The Hindu’s end of year lists. She won the Moth Writer’s Retreat Bursary in 2018 and the Mo Siewcharran Prize in 2019. Her essays and poetry have appeared in publications such as Outsiders, The Mays Anthology, English PEN, and Harper’s Bazaar. She lives in London and works at the Almeida Theatre.
Her new novel, The Giant Dark, is a retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It is forthcoming from Dialogue Books on the 8th of July
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
November 29, 2025
At a small university somewhere near London, Ava, a Jewish American, forms an intense (but lopsided) friendship with Aliya, a Muslim from Pakistan. Together, they are self-styled ‘strange girls’. (The title comes from that old poster you’ve probably seen a hundred times on Tumblr etc: STRANGE GIRLS... WHY? WERE THEY BORN – Ava has it on her wall.) Years later, now estranged, the two meet again. A bitter Ava is jealous and scornful of Aliya’s choices in life, but for Aliya, the story is a lot more complicated.
This novel is simultaneously dreamlike and grounded. If I had to describe it in one word, it would be ‘wistful’. It’s imbued with nostalgia that is evoked well, and endlessly relatable, because its source is a timeless thing: the feeling and experience of being young. I liked Hasin’s use of a fictitious university, which creates the sense of a collegiate environment without the more typical example of Oxbridge. Aliya and Ava’s shared world is unusual but insular and really all quite tame and intellectual – not a criticism, I liked seeing this depicted in a book, that their ‘strangeness’ isn’t founded on anything objectively remarkable.
The one thing I will say is that the very end didn’t quite work for me and I felt it was slightly out of step with how the rest of the story had unfolded – although I do understand what Hasin was trying to do here. The ambiguous, incomplete nature of Aliya and Ava’s ending is fitting not because it’s satisfying but precisely because it isn’t.
I received an advance review copy of Strange Girls from the publisher through Edelweiss.
This novel is simultaneously dreamlike and grounded. If I had to describe it in one word, it would be ‘wistful’. It’s imbued with nostalgia that is evoked well, and endlessly relatable, because its source is a timeless thing: the feeling and experience of being young. I liked Hasin’s use of a fictitious university, which creates the sense of a collegiate environment without the more typical example of Oxbridge. Aliya and Ava’s shared world is unusual but insular and really all quite tame and intellectual – not a criticism, I liked seeing this depicted in a book, that their ‘strangeness’ isn’t founded on anything objectively remarkable.
The one thing I will say is that the very end didn’t quite work for me and I felt it was slightly out of step with how the rest of the story had unfolded – although I do understand what Hasin was trying to do here. The ambiguous, incomplete nature of Aliya and Ava’s ending is fitting not because it’s satisfying but precisely because it isn’t.
I received an advance review copy of Strange Girls from the publisher through Edelweiss.
January 27, 2026
ugh so good. i love a book that gives me girl so confusing vibes about the INTENSITY of friendship and what it means when there are queer undertones, all the power in the words not spoken. my best reading month ever i think ???
December 12, 2025
Ava and Aliya meet in college and connect over writing. In the past timeline, their relationship grows slowly… part creative partnership, part friendship, and part something neither is ready to name. The present day timeline finds them as adults who have slipped out of each other’s orbit.
The plot is deliberately low energy built from flashbacks which are a mix of mundane and intimate moments. While the story ends on a cliffhanger, it also leaves space for the possibility of messy unresolved love.
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The plot is deliberately low energy built from flashbacks which are a mix of mundane and intimate moments. While the story ends on a cliffhanger, it also leaves space for the possibility of messy unresolved love.
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
October 20, 2025
A realistic novel that will likely resonate with fans of female friendship stories, "Strange Girls" is a detailed look behind the rise and decline of the relationship between two girls named Ava and Aliya. I'd say this is not just a story about friendship, but also a story about jealousy as well as the importance of communication and learning how to be honest with both yourself and with others.
The prose was smooth and insightful and I really enjoyed how down-to-earth the plot here is because it really helped the story feel more relatable. I also liked the way the split timeline was set up with Ava's chapters being our present day setting, while Aliya's chapters started in the past when the two first met and continued up through their initial falling out. I think this was a good way to offer the reader a more pragmatic understanding of the girls' relationship, whereas a chronological story would've likely not provided quite the same insights throughout.
Overall I think this was a very well-written novel — although I did find some parts of the story to drag a bit — and would absolutely recommend it to readers who enjoy more realistic, character-driven novels.
(Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with an advance review copy for free via NetGalley! I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.)
The prose was smooth and insightful and I really enjoyed how down-to-earth the plot here is because it really helped the story feel more relatable. I also liked the way the split timeline was set up with Ava's chapters being our present day setting, while Aliya's chapters started in the past when the two first met and continued up through their initial falling out. I think this was a good way to offer the reader a more pragmatic understanding of the girls' relationship, whereas a chronological story would've likely not provided quite the same insights throughout.
Overall I think this was a very well-written novel — although I did find some parts of the story to drag a bit — and would absolutely recommend it to readers who enjoy more realistic, character-driven novels.
(Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with an advance review copy for free via NetGalley! I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.)
October 8, 2025
I'm a sucker for a book about female friendship, especially coming-of-age stories where two people latch onto each other while still figuring who they are as individuals. The ending was a little abrupt, but it's true that stories like Ava and Aliya's have no tidy ending. When you grow into who you'll eventually become alongside someone else, they'll always remain a part of you.
Four and a half stars
Four and a half stars
January 16, 2026
As a woman who’s about to turn 30, I read this story at a timely point in my life.
Strange Girls is a title that refers to Ava and Aliya, two girls who develop a close, almost co-dependent friendship during college. Their magnetic connection is instant and their interests so aligned that both often feel the other is able to read their mind. And yet, underneath this admiration and fondness for each other is unspoken jealousy, competition and feelings that border on romantic love.
We see the story told from Ava’s current POV and both Aliya’s current and past POV as we start to learn how their friendship disintegrated. What I found so realistic was that there was no huge, explosive, dramatic fight. Rather, it was a combination of time, cultural differences, growing older and miscommunication that led to their estrangement. I feel like every young woman who’s had a close female friendship can relate to this story in some manner. I know I certainly did, and in a way Ava and Aliya’s story healed some residual guilt I harbored for my role in the dissolution of a college friendship.
Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for the ARC!
Strange Girls is a title that refers to Ava and Aliya, two girls who develop a close, almost co-dependent friendship during college. Their magnetic connection is instant and their interests so aligned that both often feel the other is able to read their mind. And yet, underneath this admiration and fondness for each other is unspoken jealousy, competition and feelings that border on romantic love.
We see the story told from Ava’s current POV and both Aliya’s current and past POV as we start to learn how their friendship disintegrated. What I found so realistic was that there was no huge, explosive, dramatic fight. Rather, it was a combination of time, cultural differences, growing older and miscommunication that led to their estrangement. I feel like every young woman who’s had a close female friendship can relate to this story in some manner. I know I certainly did, and in a way Ava and Aliya’s story healed some residual guilt I harbored for my role in the dissolution of a college friendship.
Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for the ARC!
November 6, 2025
Two women meet at a university near London. Both want to write and that's how they met on the web. The scene switches to a visit by Ava, a Scot, to Aliya, a Pakistani, to attend a friend's wedding. Aliya is married, but Ava is not. There is discomfort and difficulty in reestablishing their friendship.
I found the book confusing, hard to differentiate between the characters and plainly and simply boring. Perhaps Sarvat Hasin is simply not for me.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.
I found the book confusing, hard to differentiate between the characters and plainly and simply boring. Perhaps Sarvat Hasin is simply not for me.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.
October 8, 2025
Thank you netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. There was honestly nothing super special about this book and I wanted so much more from it. It could have definitely used a bit of work and maybe some more interesting plot points but it wasn’t horrible. It had a nice academia setting but the plot just wasn’t strong enough in my opinion. It kept teetering on the edge of doing something interesting but never reached its full potential in my opinion.
December 2, 2025
I started off thinking I would love this and ended so frustrated. This should’ve been right up my alley — I love (ex) best friends with homoerotic tension and unlikeable characters — but I got a little bored waiting for something explicitly gay to happen in the college timeline. And then that timeline ends with a moment of hope that feels unearned because we already know how badly things will play out in the present day timeline. Disappointing! I love the cover though.
October 26, 2025
This books is full of yearning. The dual timeline was well done, where we saw each of Ava and Aliya’s perspectives, but at different times. The ending felt a little sudden, but otherwise this was everything I was craving, having once been an Aliya.
Thanks to Dutton books for the review copy.
Thanks to Dutton books for the review copy.
February 2, 2026
Strange Girls is Sarvat Hasin's US debut novel that is about a complicated friendship between two women. They bounce back between the present when the long estranged friends meet up for a mutual friend's bachelorette party and the beginnings of their friendship in college. Ava returns to London to stay with Aliya and her husband after the two have not spoken in years. I was intrigued by Hasin's choice to have the present narrated by Ava, while the past was narrated by Aliya. The two women met in college and became very enmeshed, both with the dream of being a writer. While in the past it appears Ava will be the first to publish, in reality it is Aliya who has a novel about to publish. But the question for Ava is why will Aliya not share the novel with her? College can be such an intense time in relationships- romantic and platonic so it is a perfect setting to explore the relationship between the two women. This was definitely a character-driven story, and readers who are fans of stories around female friendship will appreciate this debut.
Thank you to Dutton via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.
Thank you to Dutton via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.
February 2, 2026
Thanks so much to Dialogue for my copy, this was beautifully unique!!
October 24, 2025
I received an ARC through NetGalley. I was really hoping to like this story, but was ultimately disappointed. The pacing was very slow in parts rushed in others. The alternating timelines and POVs kept me interested in hopes of finding out What Happend (tm) but the ending fell very flat and I was only left confused. I appreciated the nostalgia for youth and the navigation of adulthood but I'm just not sure this book said all that much overall.
October 6, 2025
Ava and Aliya meet in college and later are invited to friend, Norah's wedding. But there are issues between the two girls as each fancy themselves as good writers but only one of them has been published. It's a lovely novel about jealousy but eventually about a warm friendship that can just "be" without any need to talk!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3 stars
Ava and Aliya connect in college intellectually, emotionally, and in a way that distinguishes both women from other people in their lives. Their connection is different, and when their relationship takes a turn, the rupture deeply impacts them. Now, a decade later, they return to each other's lives and have an opportunity to make sense of what happened and what was lost.
What I really enjoyed about this book in theory is also what made it challenging to read at times. Like an impactful memory, there are parts of this narrative that meander, others that speed up, and some that are more about pontificating while others help the characters reflect on a specific, vivid moment. Stylistically, I loved this. From a pacing perspective - and from the viewpoint of trying to follow the timelines - the related choices made the read a little slower than I'd have liked.
Hasin very effectively explores this concept of a ruptured, deep relationship and the bravery required to return to one's past actions and past self. I really enjoyed how authentic this aspect felt. On a related note, Hasin captures that bullheaded certainty that sometimes comes with an undergrad brain.
Many readers will find aspects of this novel relatable, and they'll also have chances to reflect on their own experiences, especially from this life stage.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Ava and Aliya connect in college intellectually, emotionally, and in a way that distinguishes both women from other people in their lives. Their connection is different, and when their relationship takes a turn, the rupture deeply impacts them. Now, a decade later, they return to each other's lives and have an opportunity to make sense of what happened and what was lost.
What I really enjoyed about this book in theory is also what made it challenging to read at times. Like an impactful memory, there are parts of this narrative that meander, others that speed up, and some that are more about pontificating while others help the characters reflect on a specific, vivid moment. Stylistically, I loved this. From a pacing perspective - and from the viewpoint of trying to follow the timelines - the related choices made the read a little slower than I'd have liked.
Hasin very effectively explores this concept of a ruptured, deep relationship and the bravery required to return to one's past actions and past self. I really enjoyed how authentic this aspect felt. On a related note, Hasin captures that bullheaded certainty that sometimes comes with an undergrad brain.
Many readers will find aspects of this novel relatable, and they'll also have chances to reflect on their own experiences, especially from this life stage.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
December 8, 2025
Ava and Aliya meet when they're 18 and instantly fall into an all-consuming friendship. Thirteen years later, they're seeing each other for the first time in ten years because of a mutual friend's wedding, and it's as awkward as you can imagine.
Aliya is happily married now, with a book on the way. Ava is a struggling barista who has to care for her dying mother, her dreams of publishing her own book long forgotten. We aren't sure why they even stopped speaking or why the tension between them is so high, but we can take a guess. And as we go back and forth between present day and their university days, we slowly start putting the puzzle pieces together. The first third of the book is one of the most beautiful, soul-crushing things I've read all year. I teared up several times and even made a playlist. I was ready to add Strange Girls to my favorites shelf.
Except, that didn't end up happening. Because halfway through, the book starts dragging really badly. I'm not sure why, but the story just refuses to go anywhere. I understand why the author might've wanted to keep the ending realistic, but by trying to do so, the heavily emotional atmosphere that was built in that gorgeous first third completely dissipated. Still, I do think Strange Girls is a solid addition to the Codependent Girl Friendship canon and worth giving a read. Very solid writing overall.
ARC kindly given by Dutton through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Aliya is happily married now, with a book on the way. Ava is a struggling barista who has to care for her dying mother, her dreams of publishing her own book long forgotten. We aren't sure why they even stopped speaking or why the tension between them is so high, but we can take a guess. And as we go back and forth between present day and their university days, we slowly start putting the puzzle pieces together. The first third of the book is one of the most beautiful, soul-crushing things I've read all year. I teared up several times and even made a playlist. I was ready to add Strange Girls to my favorites shelf.
Except, that didn't end up happening. Because halfway through, the book starts dragging really badly. I'm not sure why, but the story just refuses to go anywhere. I understand why the author might've wanted to keep the ending realistic, but by trying to do so, the heavily emotional atmosphere that was built in that gorgeous first third completely dissipated. Still, I do think Strange Girls is a solid addition to the Codependent Girl Friendship canon and worth giving a read. Very solid writing overall.
ARC kindly given by Dutton through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 21, 2026
3.5 stars
Strange Girls follows the fractured friendship of Aliya and Ava - from teenage obsession and platonic(?) soulmates, to an attempt as adults to rekindle the lost relationship that was once so important to them. Told in a non-linear structure, we jump back and forth between third-person narration following Aliya in their young adult years, to first-person narration from Ava’s perspective in the adult sections. This works quite nicely, always keeping one main character at a slight remove from the reader. The story itself is sweet and sad, the characters relatable (although actually not very strange, don’t go in hoping for strangeness) and there are some interesting observations about the difference in their cultures - sections with Aliya going back home to Pakistan are particularly good. Overall this was enjoyable but a little too safe, not filled with many surprises. I’m undecided on the ending - initially I thought it was unsatisfying, but perhaps that’s what was needed even if it’s not what I wanted. I do think a lot of people will really see themselves in this book, and will really love it.
Thank you to the publisher Dialogue books, and NetGalley for the e-ARC.
Strange Girls follows the fractured friendship of Aliya and Ava - from teenage obsession and platonic(?) soulmates, to an attempt as adults to rekindle the lost relationship that was once so important to them. Told in a non-linear structure, we jump back and forth between third-person narration following Aliya in their young adult years, to first-person narration from Ava’s perspective in the adult sections. This works quite nicely, always keeping one main character at a slight remove from the reader. The story itself is sweet and sad, the characters relatable (although actually not very strange, don’t go in hoping for strangeness) and there are some interesting observations about the difference in their cultures - sections with Aliya going back home to Pakistan are particularly good. Overall this was enjoyable but a little too safe, not filled with many surprises. I’m undecided on the ending - initially I thought it was unsatisfying, but perhaps that’s what was needed even if it’s not what I wanted. I do think a lot of people will really see themselves in this book, and will really love it.
Thank you to the publisher Dialogue books, and NetGalley for the e-ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My rating is 4 stars!
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"Strange Girls" is a slow burning, unsettling read that leans heavily on mood and psychological tension. The story explores themes of girlhood, belonging and unease with a soft, almost dreamlike writing style that contrasts beautifully with the darker themes, making the unsettling moments hit even harder.
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What really stood out to me was the exploration of girlhood, power and belonging. The characters feel deeply shaped by their environment and the story does a great job of showing how isolation and longing can warp both perception and behavior.
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It’s subtle rather than shocking, and perfect for readers who enjoy eerie, character driven stories that linger in your mind after you finish.
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Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!
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"Strange Girls" is a slow burning, unsettling read that leans heavily on mood and psychological tension. The story explores themes of girlhood, belonging and unease with a soft, almost dreamlike writing style that contrasts beautifully with the darker themes, making the unsettling moments hit even harder.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
What really stood out to me was the exploration of girlhood, power and belonging. The characters feel deeply shaped by their environment and the story does a great job of showing how isolation and longing can warp both perception and behavior.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
It’s subtle rather than shocking, and perfect for readers who enjoy eerie, character driven stories that linger in your mind after you finish.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I can't really tell what this book was trying to accomplish, which is an assessment in of itself. It shifts between the perspective of two formerly co-dependent best friends, jumping between the past (One girl's perspective of their friendship as university students in the early augusts) and the present (The other girls' perspective of their current estrangement as adults). As such, it feels like you only get half of each girls' story, a detail enhanced by their inherent unreliability and tendency to filter events through the opaqueness of time and emotion. This becomes even more complicated by the revelation about one thread of narration that occurs about a quarter of the way through the novel. As a result, the story is a veritable maze of of dead plot threads, full of details that consume the focus of one girl but go totally unremarked upon by another. Perhaps the author is trying to communicate a point about how perspective can dramatically filter the shape of events, but the poor execution of this message left me more frustrated than enlightened.
December 2, 2025
3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars.
I didn't not like this; I wanted to like it more than I did. The switching timelines was confusing to being with, and the varying narrators also threw me fro a while. I appreciated the author's skill in developing the friendship and love between Ava and Aliya, and the college scenes to me rung truest.
I just never understood why people just weren't honest. Say what you think and feel. Ava generally had no problem with that, except when it came to her friend. Hmmm.
I mostly appreciated Aliyah's rocky journey, navigating her freedom and life in England while still maintaining her desire to please her Pakistani family. This was compelling and added a great deal to the tale.
I liked this; I just wanted more.
Will I read more from the author? I hope I do.
I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.
I didn't not like this; I wanted to like it more than I did. The switching timelines was confusing to being with, and the varying narrators also threw me fro a while. I appreciated the author's skill in developing the friendship and love between Ava and Aliya, and the college scenes to me rung truest.
I just never understood why people just weren't honest. Say what you think and feel. Ava generally had no problem with that, except when it came to her friend. Hmmm.
I mostly appreciated Aliyah's rocky journey, navigating her freedom and life in England while still maintaining her desire to please her Pakistani family. This was compelling and added a great deal to the tale.
I liked this; I just wanted more.
Will I read more from the author? I hope I do.
I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.
December 20, 2025
(ARC - out 03/10/26 via Dutton) Complicated, intense female friendship depicted in fiction is one of my favorite specific subgenres, so this book was soooo my shit. Our narrators are Aliya & Ava, Ava telling the story (first person) of the present and Aliya telling the story (third person) of the past. The two became friends via their writing practice while at college in England. The friendship is fraught and obsessive and a lot like toxic romantic love. Both women seem unable to say what they’re feeling to one another despite being best friends. From Ava’s perspective, in the present, the two have reunited after a decade, no longer friends but meeting up for a mutual friend’s bachelorette (hen) party. This is an examination of a consuming, unyielding female friendship that is gorgeously written. I didn’t necessarily like either of our protagonists, but I loved reading from their perspectives. Give me all of the fiction about complicated female dynamics.
October 8, 2025
Strange Girls is an intimate, beautifully written exploration of friendship, envy, and the blurred lines between art and identity. Sarvat Hasin captures the intoxicating pull of creative partnership and the ache of growing apart with precision and empathy.
When former friends and writers Ava and Aliya reunite after years of silence, their encounter forces both women to confront the past—the ambitions, betrayals, and unspoken truths that shaped them. Hasin moves fluidly between timelines, crafting a story that feels both literary and emotionally raw.
Quietly haunting and deeply observant, Strange Girls examines how the stories we tell about ourselves—and each other—can both bind and break us.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this thought-provoking novel.
When former friends and writers Ava and Aliya reunite after years of silence, their encounter forces both women to confront the past—the ambitions, betrayals, and unspoken truths that shaped them. Hasin moves fluidly between timelines, crafting a story that feels both literary and emotionally raw.
Quietly haunting and deeply observant, Strange Girls examines how the stories we tell about ourselves—and each other—can both bind and break us.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this thought-provoking novel.
November 20, 2025
Aliya and Ava used to be best friends. They both longed to be writers. Now, a decade after their fight, Aliya is about to publish her first novel and Ava is barely holding it together. When a mutual friend's wedding brings them together, they remember what made them friends in the first place and wonder if they can ever get back what they lost.
There are really lovely passages throughout and the opening chapters are tense and compelling. The narrative shifts from Ava's to Aliya's perspectives and back and forth in time. I found the present timeline, where Aliya and Ava are practically strangers, more engaging. Overall, this is a fascinating look at a friendship between two young women (made at a pivotal point in life) and its dissolution.
Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.
There are really lovely passages throughout and the opening chapters are tense and compelling. The narrative shifts from Ava's to Aliya's perspectives and back and forth in time. I found the present timeline, where Aliya and Ava are practically strangers, more engaging. Overall, this is a fascinating look at a friendship between two young women (made at a pivotal point in life) and its dissolution.
Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
** I received an advance reader copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway. **
I 'liked' this book. Mostly. I just kept feeling as if I could like this book more but I can't pinpoint exactly what was keeping me from rating it higher. I can say at times I had issues telling which time period the chapters were describing and I had a lot of issues differentiating the voices of the two main characters (but that may have been done by the author on purpose?). The last chapter really didn't work for me because I couldn't really tell if it was in the past or the present? In the past doesn't make sense as it gives no reasons for the current chapters to have turned out like they did and in the present doesn't make sense because of the other present chapters. Sorry, I know that's confusing but hey, my head is confused now so.....
I 'liked' this book. Mostly. I just kept feeling as if I could like this book more but I can't pinpoint exactly what was keeping me from rating it higher. I can say at times I had issues telling which time period the chapters were describing and I had a lot of issues differentiating the voices of the two main characters (but that may have been done by the author on purpose?). The last chapter really didn't work for me because I couldn't really tell if it was in the past or the present? In the past doesn't make sense as it gives no reasons for the current chapters to have turned out like they did and in the present doesn't make sense because of the other present chapters. Sorry, I know that's confusing but hey, my head is confused now so.....
October 8, 2025
I was asked to read and review “Strange Girls” by Sarvat Hasin.
Ava and Aliya are two estranged writer friends who are brought together because of a mutual friend’s wedding. One has published while the other has not, but is that the only circumstance that has caused their separation? Told in both the present and past, the author does a superb job of bringing in the backstory but still keeping the focus on moving the plot forward.
I appreciate the focus of this novel’s focus on the fragility of friendship. We’ve all had that one friend who we’d believed we’d be tied to for life.
Four out of five stars.
Thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a chance to read and review this book.
Ava and Aliya are two estranged writer friends who are brought together because of a mutual friend’s wedding. One has published while the other has not, but is that the only circumstance that has caused their separation? Told in both the present and past, the author does a superb job of bringing in the backstory but still keeping the focus on moving the plot forward.
I appreciate the focus of this novel’s focus on the fragility of friendship. We’ve all had that one friend who we’d believed we’d be tied to for life.
Four out of five stars.
Thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a chance to read and review this book.
December 8, 2025
3.5 stars for Strange Girls! I think this book will resonate with anyone who has experienced sapphic love, especially if it’s your first love. Hasin explores the intersection of love and obsession through 2 young women who meet at college. They share a passion for writing and soon for each other. This was an evocative read filled with the tension of new love and also the tension of love lost. I appreciated the cultural exploration and the way it was incorporated to help explore these BIG emotions.
My critique: - The pacing felt off inconsistent in certain chapters and it caused a break in the tension, but I attribute that to the non-linear structure.
All said, I enjoyed this novel.
This is a great addition to your Weird Girl stack!
My critique: - The pacing felt off inconsistent in certain chapters and it caused a break in the tension, but I attribute that to the non-linear structure.
All said, I enjoyed this novel.
This is a great addition to your Weird Girl stack!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book has an almost Fleabag-esque vibe to it. But not in the fourth wall breaking way, just in the tone of it.
This follow college friends who reunite (wedding/bachelorette type of deal), but they have a complicated relationship and past.
These self-proclaimed "strange girls" are kind of unlikable. They call themselves strange but there's not really anything to back that up with. I didn't find them very strange, was the ever-so-slightly homoerotic vibe supposed to be the strangeness? I don't know, it just felt like they were trying too hard to be cool and special.
I wasn't impressed with this. But I can see this being the type of thing a lot of readers would like and find deeper meaning in.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
This follow college friends who reunite (wedding/bachelorette type of deal), but they have a complicated relationship and past.
These self-proclaimed "strange girls" are kind of unlikable. They call themselves strange but there's not really anything to back that up with. I didn't find them very strange, was the ever-so-slightly homoerotic vibe supposed to be the strangeness? I don't know, it just felt like they were trying too hard to be cool and special.
I wasn't impressed with this. But I can see this being the type of thing a lot of readers would like and find deeper meaning in.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
December 30, 2025
Strange Girls follows Ava, Aliyah, and their friends between their university years and a wedding over a decade later. I found the characters and the portrait of a too-close, somewhat codependent friendship compelling, especially as it blurs the line between platonic and romantic. The characters’ varying cultural backgrounds were interesting, too, as we got to see them interact through difference and find common ground. I really liked the ending, as it made me rethink the two different timeframes I’d been reading the whole time. I’d recommend this to readers who like reading about complicated friendships and who enjoy a bit of tasteful partying. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"strange girls" shows ava and aliya meeting in college and connecting over their love of writing. in their younger years, their relationship grows while they're both trying to figure out who they are as people and artists. in the present day timeline, you meet them again as adults who no longer know each other. overall, this story shows the intricacies of friendship, growing up, and all that that entails.
in my opinion, this was a really well-written book, but much too slow for my taste. there were moments that had be me locked in but, overall, i was just bored. if you like a very character-driven novel, then i think this is the book for you!
thank you to dutton for the eARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
in my opinion, this was a really well-written book, but much too slow for my taste. there were moments that had be me locked in but, overall, i was just bored. if you like a very character-driven novel, then i think this is the book for you!
thank you to dutton for the eARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 20, 2025
A stunningly beautiful and tragic story of female friendship. I really enjoyed the past and present timeline jump to help me understand the full picture of Ava and Aliya’s relationship. How relatable it was that despite being estranged they have to come together and come to terms with what split them up as friends before. The emotions I felt and the bond I recognized between the two in the past is a testament to how well this story I written. The plot is fascinating but also relatable as a woman who has had friendships like this before. This is truly a book I’ll treasure for years to come.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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