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Your Heart After Dark
Maria Chaudhry’s personal demons trap her in a downward spiral, but the beast lurking in Ehmet’s blood can do a lot worse than that.
After a year of living in a prissy suburb, Maria Chaudhry is back downtown. Back to what she never wanted to leave. But she can’t really enjoy it since neither the living nor the dead will leave her in peace.
JC’s death still keeps her up at night and Ehmet’s sudden ambivalence isn’t helping. Maybe she had read his signals wrong and Ehmet was never in love with her like she thought. Or maybe his love is tangled with secrets too dark to speak aloud, secrets about JC’s death and the unpredictable beast in Ehmet’s blood.
When an upcoming hiking trip is canceled, there’s no pretty path left towards the truth. A growing spiral of deceit threatens to tear Maria and Ehmet apart forever, but the beast lurking within Ehmet can do a lot worse than that.
Mahtab Rohan’s debut YA novel delivers a paranormal tale of crumbling friendships, malevolent secrets, and the struggle to have hope in the face of uncertainty.
After a year of living in a prissy suburb, Maria Chaudhry is back downtown. Back to what she never wanted to leave. But she can’t really enjoy it since neither the living nor the dead will leave her in peace.
JC’s death still keeps her up at night and Ehmet’s sudden ambivalence isn’t helping. Maybe she had read his signals wrong and Ehmet was never in love with her like she thought. Or maybe his love is tangled with secrets too dark to speak aloud, secrets about JC’s death and the unpredictable beast in Ehmet’s blood.
When an upcoming hiking trip is canceled, there’s no pretty path left towards the truth. A growing spiral of deceit threatens to tear Maria and Ehmet apart forever, but the beast lurking within Ehmet can do a lot worse than that.
Mahtab Rohan’s debut YA novel delivers a paranormal tale of crumbling friendships, malevolent secrets, and the struggle to have hope in the face of uncertainty.
- GenresParanormal
337 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 4, 2020
57 people want to read
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July 20, 2020July 20, 2020: I mean, whenever I see South-Asian rep in a book, I fly straight to the date when I can read it so you all can find me again in September.
April 15, 2021
I won this as a a giveaway on Twitter and I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read this!! I loved the fact that the protagonist was proud to be a Muslim unlike a lot of the mainstream novels with Muslim rep in it. This was recommended by a friend and that’s why I ended up entering the giveaway. The book is incredible and the fantasy was a pleasant surprise!! If you love fantasy books and books with good Muslim rep, I highly recommend picking this up!! I’ll be doing a full review (with spoilers) after Ramadan, IA.
October 22, 2020
I received an arc for this, and overall I really enjoyed it! The South Asian, Muslim, and Uyghur representation was amazing! I was always interested in the main characters and their relationships, which was 90% of this book. The werewolf aspects weren’t that prominent to me, and I thought the whole book would be constant Muslim werewolf, but it wasn’t. I definitely think there should’ve been much more werewolf in this book, or none because this book is already interesting without anything supernatural. It’s kind of advertised as a Muslim werewolf book, when I felt like it was more of a YA contemporary with a sprinkle of werewolf. Anyways, if you go in not expecting that much werewolf, I think it’s a wonderful novel(and it was for me even though I expected more werewolf)! Wow this is the most I’ve ever said werewolf...
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September 23, 2020Trigger Warning(s): Mention of death. Till the point I read.
Disclaimer: I received this E-ARC via the author in exchange for an honest review.
Rep: Maria is a Pakistani Muslim. Ehmet is a Uyghur Muslim.
My Review: DNF
I was really invested in the story in the beginning! As I continued to read my interest started to fade. I didn't care about the characters. Or the mystery surrounding JC's death.
Recommend: I recommend this book due to the rep, the paranormal aspect, and the mystery. While I myself wasn't invested, I'm positive someone else will really enjoy this book.
Disclaimer: I received this E-ARC via the author in exchange for an honest review.
Rep: Maria is a Pakistani Muslim. Ehmet is a Uyghur Muslim.
My Review: DNF
I was really invested in the story in the beginning! As I continued to read my interest started to fade. I didn't care about the characters. Or the mystery surrounding JC's death.
Recommend: I recommend this book due to the rep, the paranormal aspect, and the mystery. While I myself wasn't invested, I'm positive someone else will really enjoy this book.
September 11, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. The representation was on-point for me and I could definitely relate to the desi things mentioned in this book and OH MY GOD— IF YOU HAVE NOT TRIED GULAB JAMUN YOU’RE SERIOUSLY MISSING OUT.
The book had me hooked from the start like literally after this line “There’s no easy way to stop loving someone”, I could not put this book down. It’s quick and time just flew by when I read this book
The writing flows so easily and the way the author weaved the characters emotions so flawlessly left me in awe. It could be mysterious, angry, sad and happy at times and I really admired how the author set the tone so easily.
The plot moves so quickly and I liked how we got to see so many perspectives which gave us a glimpse as to why they did such things. It was suspenseful, and I savored every single hint the author dropped. I definitely was not disappointed by the reveal and even though I found it a bit predictable, I enjoyed the way the author executed the twists and reveals.
Seeing our main character Maria grow in such a harsh climate was very nice and seeing her develop these wholesome bonds and face her fears was just really well written. I thoroughly appreciated the way the author expressed all of Maria's emotions and how it just makes so much sense.
The only problem I had with this book is that there may have been too many characters introduced at one point which confused me but I didn’t really kind it.
If you have yet to pick this book up, please do because it will not disappoint.
The book had me hooked from the start like literally after this line “There’s no easy way to stop loving someone”, I could not put this book down. It’s quick and time just flew by when I read this book
The writing flows so easily and the way the author weaved the characters emotions so flawlessly left me in awe. It could be mysterious, angry, sad and happy at times and I really admired how the author set the tone so easily.
The plot moves so quickly and I liked how we got to see so many perspectives which gave us a glimpse as to why they did such things. It was suspenseful, and I savored every single hint the author dropped. I definitely was not disappointed by the reveal and even though I found it a bit predictable, I enjoyed the way the author executed the twists and reveals.
Seeing our main character Maria grow in such a harsh climate was very nice and seeing her develop these wholesome bonds and face her fears was just really well written. I thoroughly appreciated the way the author expressed all of Maria's emotions and how it just makes so much sense.
The only problem I had with this book is that there may have been too many characters introduced at one point which confused me but I didn’t really kind it.
If you have yet to pick this book up, please do because it will not disappoint.
dnf
September 24, 2020Review to be posted.
September 9, 2020
Thank you so much Hear Our Voices Book Tours and author Mahtab Rohan for including me in this tour and sending me an E-ARC of Your Heart After Dark! Keep reading for my candid review.
Maria Chaudhry, a Canadian-Desi-Muslim teen is dealing with A LOT. Her parents are separated, she recently lost one of her best friends, an aunt that treats her terribly, a dying grandmother, and a crush/friend that is actually a werewolf. I really felt for Maria and wanted I just wanted something to go right for her. Also, this book made me cry and I count the number of books that made me cry on one hand so that should tell you how amazing of an author Mahtab Rohan is. I don't read a lot of paranormal fiction, but I loved it in this book. Muslim werewolves, how often does that happen!?
Rohan really conveys the depth of the feelings the characters experience in this book. All of the character experience hardships and have to deal with their personal demons, which the reader also experiences, making this such a powerful and emotional read. The relationships between the Adrien, Ehmet, Maria, and Brooke felt so realistic and I felt that Rohan captured the what the hectic lives of teens feel like. The book's theme to me is facing your demons and the book does it beautifully. My only complaint is that this book ended too soon. I can't wait to read more of Mahtab Rohan's work!
Maria Chaudhry, a Canadian-Desi-Muslim teen is dealing with A LOT. Her parents are separated, she recently lost one of her best friends, an aunt that treats her terribly, a dying grandmother, and a crush/friend that is actually a werewolf. I really felt for Maria and wanted I just wanted something to go right for her. Also, this book made me cry and I count the number of books that made me cry on one hand so that should tell you how amazing of an author Mahtab Rohan is. I don't read a lot of paranormal fiction, but I loved it in this book. Muslim werewolves, how often does that happen!?
Rohan really conveys the depth of the feelings the characters experience in this book. All of the character experience hardships and have to deal with their personal demons, which the reader also experiences, making this such a powerful and emotional read. The relationships between the Adrien, Ehmet, Maria, and Brooke felt so realistic and I felt that Rohan captured the what the hectic lives of teens feel like. The book's theme to me is facing your demons and the book does it beautifully. My only complaint is that this book ended too soon. I can't wait to read more of Mahtab Rohan's work!
September 9, 2020
I was provided an ARC by Hear Our Voices to give my honest review. I rate the book 3.5/5 and although felt a slow start, a few pages in I was intrigued and I really enjoyed it overall.
This book has a unique representation of Uyghur, Desi and Muslim hijabi as the Main Characters. It is truly uplifting the way the author has developed these characters.
Mahtab Rohan did an impressive portrayal of the central character, a Muslim hijabi, Maria. Even though she’s battling emotional turmoil, upheavals in her personal life and irreparable grief, she is inspiring with her confidence in her skin, her religion, her self-respect and her loyalty for her family and friends. Granted some of the anguish is more in her mind than real, but then when is half of it not? Throughout the novel, the character development is brilliant. You see a girl who’s been forced by circumstances to grow up too soon into a woman with an outlook of life beyond her age, but you also see a daughter, a friend, a big sister, a granddaughter and everything else in between.
Now coming to the other main character, Ehmet, a Uyghur, who also happens to be the paranormal protagonist – when have you ever heard a story with South Asians and werewolves in it? I was fascinated to see how this story arc plays out. I was a tiny bit disappointed – I felt either there should have been more of it or maybe none. The book already has enough gravitas to be interesting without the supernatural element. Since the book kind of ends on a cliffhanger, maybe we will see this arc develop more in the sequel? I hope so, because I do have questions that need to be answered. Overall though it made for some dramatic moments in the story, along with tying in with the life-changing major event that Maria, Ehmet and their friends are dealing through. It was a bold and unique attempt by the author and I appreciate it.
All said and done, I have 3 points that will compel you to pick this book irrespective of the genres you generally incline to:
1. The #ownvoices representation of South Asians, Muslims, Muslim hijabi and Uyghur - we can never support diversity enough.
2. Even though it is categorized as Young Adult and all the main characters are teenagers, for a change it is not a shallow, girl-meets-boys-meets-girl, hormonal-induced antics or general stereotypical teen foolishness that we tend to see in a lot of the books. It is an intelligent and profound read, with well-written characters.
3. The best part about YHAD is that religion is not used a weapon/source of conflict. It is just there as a daily life, every day thing. There is no preaching, no undue oppression or unwarranted dialogues. That was truly refreshing, especially given the Islam discourse which invariably, (in so much books that I have read) tends to go in overreaching, appalling tangents.
The metaphorical writing is mesmerizing in places. Some of my favorite quotes from the book:
“Life starts with one breath and ends with one breath, too. If you learn how to control the breaths in between, you can save yourself a lot of grief.”
"It's up to you how you see your life, so why not see it is as a story of conquering everything that came your way? Why pick misery as a lens over triumph?"
“The best way to move on is to only think of the moment I’m in, nothing that happened before it and nothing that might happen after it. The past and the future are realms of unhappiness and only the present can be saved.”
Congrats to Mahtab Rohan for her successful debut!
This book has a unique representation of Uyghur, Desi and Muslim hijabi as the Main Characters. It is truly uplifting the way the author has developed these characters.
Mahtab Rohan did an impressive portrayal of the central character, a Muslim hijabi, Maria. Even though she’s battling emotional turmoil, upheavals in her personal life and irreparable grief, she is inspiring with her confidence in her skin, her religion, her self-respect and her loyalty for her family and friends. Granted some of the anguish is more in her mind than real, but then when is half of it not? Throughout the novel, the character development is brilliant. You see a girl who’s been forced by circumstances to grow up too soon into a woman with an outlook of life beyond her age, but you also see a daughter, a friend, a big sister, a granddaughter and everything else in between.
Now coming to the other main character, Ehmet, a Uyghur, who also happens to be the paranormal protagonist – when have you ever heard a story with South Asians and werewolves in it? I was fascinated to see how this story arc plays out. I was a tiny bit disappointed – I felt either there should have been more of it or maybe none. The book already has enough gravitas to be interesting without the supernatural element. Since the book kind of ends on a cliffhanger, maybe we will see this arc develop more in the sequel? I hope so, because I do have questions that need to be answered. Overall though it made for some dramatic moments in the story, along with tying in with the life-changing major event that Maria, Ehmet and their friends are dealing through. It was a bold and unique attempt by the author and I appreciate it.
All said and done, I have 3 points that will compel you to pick this book irrespective of the genres you generally incline to:
1. The #ownvoices representation of South Asians, Muslims, Muslim hijabi and Uyghur - we can never support diversity enough.
2. Even though it is categorized as Young Adult and all the main characters are teenagers, for a change it is not a shallow, girl-meets-boys-meets-girl, hormonal-induced antics or general stereotypical teen foolishness that we tend to see in a lot of the books. It is an intelligent and profound read, with well-written characters.
3. The best part about YHAD is that religion is not used a weapon/source of conflict. It is just there as a daily life, every day thing. There is no preaching, no undue oppression or unwarranted dialogues. That was truly refreshing, especially given the Islam discourse which invariably, (in so much books that I have read) tends to go in overreaching, appalling tangents.
The metaphorical writing is mesmerizing in places. Some of my favorite quotes from the book:
“Life starts with one breath and ends with one breath, too. If you learn how to control the breaths in between, you can save yourself a lot of grief.”
"It's up to you how you see your life, so why not see it is as a story of conquering everything that came your way? Why pick misery as a lens over triumph?"
“The best way to move on is to only think of the moment I’m in, nothing that happened before it and nothing that might happen after it. The past and the future are realms of unhappiness and only the present can be saved.”
Congrats to Mahtab Rohan for her successful debut!
September 12, 2020
Actual Rating 3.75 Stars
Disclaimer: An eARC was provided via Hear Our Voices Book Tours and the Author as part of the Blog Tour. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own.
I am honestly loving the books about South Asian Rep that are FINALLY coming out to grace the publication world. The multitude and diverse culture within this region makes for some amazing reads - just like Your Heart After Dark does!
When I read the blurb - what jumped out to me was the Muslim representation in the paranormal world - which is honestly a unicorn for a voracious reader like yours truly.
Now I don’t say that I have read every kind of book written out there (though that would be a horrifying experience; having read everything and have nothing new to read ) but having a book written by BIPOC author about a Muslim protagonist with paranormal aspects has got me squealing and picking this one up asap it hit my Kindle
Now, Maria Chaudhry should be having a normal teenage experience - she has a crush on a cute guy; who like all guys everywhere is giving her mixed signals & that’s not just because he is her friend, but because he has a dark secret. Plus, with her parents recently divorced and her friend’s death hanging over her head - all that is missing is the supernatural element from her life. But is it?
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Your Heart After Dark was a quick read - but it has elements and themes of familial bonding, friendships as well as the anxiety & angst of being a teenager with an unrequited crush - which made for an intriguing read.
Yes, this is a YA novel; so expect a few cliches; but still quite an enjoyable read, especially for those who identify as a desi reader - finding yourself, your culture and traditions represented within the pages of book makes you feel seen. Hence, why we say representation matters.
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September 5, 2020
*I received an ARC by Hear Our Voices Book Tours which did not impact my review*
I loved, loved, loved the Indian, Muslim, and Uyghur diversity! I remember reading online that the author said one thing differentiating this book from other YA books was “Muslim werewolves”. Definitely saw that here and it was wonderful to experience so much infused culture. I also loved the references to Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai!
Initially I was so nervous that this book was categorized as paranormal since I don’t really read that genre. However, I was pleasantly surprised! The presence of shape-shifting werewolves felt more like mystical fantasy rather than horror, and this has definitely opened me up to reading more paranormal stories!
The suspense kept me on my toes through the entire three-hour period (I read this in one sitting until midnight...oops!). The author doesn't give up much information in the beginning, and reveals secrets slowly over time. I definitely couldn’t guess what had happened between Ehmet and JC until the very end!
The characters are also very 3-dimensional, and the novel takes time to focus on Maria and Ehmet while also providing some details on the rest of their friend circle. I feel like one problem in YA books is that they end up being so romance-focused that the actual characters’ personalities don’t end up shining through, but this definitely wasn’t the case! It was easy to notice that Maria is a very perceptive, analytical person, which I found to be very interesting because I don’t see a lot of that in YA. Her care for her mother is also very sweet; despite all of her frustration at the losses in her life, Maria channels her energy into becoming a considerate and kind individual, which I found really inspiring. Ehmet’s storyline is more focused around him being a werewolf, but he still had fears and dreams that were fleshed out and contributed to his personality.
Maria also expressed her pain at people focusing so much on her headscarf and culture that they never cared about who she was. This was a super heartbreaking point to read, but I’m glad the author brought this up because I feel like it is very applicable. It’s easy to associate someone with their religious identity, or even any one aspect about them (perhaps they’re a musician or a painter), but people are always multidimensional.
One thing I will say is that sometimes I felt like the endings to different sections seemed like they were trying too hard to be deep/philosophical when they could’ve just been natural conclusions. Some sections didn’t flow and connect the story well.
Overall, Your Heart After Dark is one of my favorite reads of 2020. I rate it 4 stars, and I highly recommend it, even to people who don’t typically read paranormal stories!
I loved, loved, loved the Indian, Muslim, and Uyghur diversity! I remember reading online that the author said one thing differentiating this book from other YA books was “Muslim werewolves”. Definitely saw that here and it was wonderful to experience so much infused culture. I also loved the references to Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai!
Initially I was so nervous that this book was categorized as paranormal since I don’t really read that genre. However, I was pleasantly surprised! The presence of shape-shifting werewolves felt more like mystical fantasy rather than horror, and this has definitely opened me up to reading more paranormal stories!
The suspense kept me on my toes through the entire three-hour period (I read this in one sitting until midnight...oops!). The author doesn't give up much information in the beginning, and reveals secrets slowly over time. I definitely couldn’t guess what had happened between Ehmet and JC until the very end!
The characters are also very 3-dimensional, and the novel takes time to focus on Maria and Ehmet while also providing some details on the rest of their friend circle. I feel like one problem in YA books is that they end up being so romance-focused that the actual characters’ personalities don’t end up shining through, but this definitely wasn’t the case! It was easy to notice that Maria is a very perceptive, analytical person, which I found to be very interesting because I don’t see a lot of that in YA. Her care for her mother is also very sweet; despite all of her frustration at the losses in her life, Maria channels her energy into becoming a considerate and kind individual, which I found really inspiring. Ehmet’s storyline is more focused around him being a werewolf, but he still had fears and dreams that were fleshed out and contributed to his personality.
Maria also expressed her pain at people focusing so much on her headscarf and culture that they never cared about who she was. This was a super heartbreaking point to read, but I’m glad the author brought this up because I feel like it is very applicable. It’s easy to associate someone with their religious identity, or even any one aspect about them (perhaps they’re a musician or a painter), but people are always multidimensional.
One thing I will say is that sometimes I felt like the endings to different sections seemed like they were trying too hard to be deep/philosophical when they could’ve just been natural conclusions. Some sections didn’t flow and connect the story well.
Overall, Your Heart After Dark is one of my favorite reads of 2020. I rate it 4 stars, and I highly recommend it, even to people who don’t typically read paranormal stories!
September 11, 2020
Thank you to Hear Our Voices blog tour for the eARC and the opportunity to participate in this blog tour!
My Review: A Surprisingly Insightful Read
When I heard this book, I was very interested in the combination of desi and Uyghur characters and werewolves; it is just so unique! However, this novel revealed itself to be about so much more than that!
The Pros: What worked for me
The representation in this novel is fantastic. I don't think I've ever read a book with Uyghur characters, and learning about their cultural and geographical background was really cool! I also loved the way the author continually connected to Islam; the main characters regularly tap into their faith when they need strength. The portrayal of Muslim teachings was not overbearing, but rather showed the beauty of this religion.
I really liked Ehmet and Maria, because they were both very deep and 3-dimensional. They were both dealing with so many personal issues and my heart went out to both of them. I felt especially drawn to Maria; she had such a complicated life and was trying so hard to make sense of things going on around her. She had to take on so much responsibility and at such a young age!
This novel is so much more than just a paranormal romance. It deals with friendships, feelings of belonging, and grief. We see teen characters having to shoulder heavy responsibilities and become adults far too fast. We also see how they struggle to navigate their feelings and their own internal struggles.
The writing is gorgeous. It is lyrical, poignant, and heartbreaking. They evoked so much emotion in me that I had to pause at times while reading.
The Cons: What I didn't like
I was very excited for the werewolf arc but it really wasn't as big a part of the story as I had initially thought. While I still enjoyed the story, I was slightly disappointed by this.
There were quite a few perspectives in this story that weren't necessarily needed. The story also jumped to different points of time. Both of these elements made it difficult to follow along with what was happening.
The romance was not my favourite thing about the book. I think the connection between the love interests could have been stronger.
It has been such a pleasure to read this novel. Thank you to the author and Hear Our Voices for this wonderful opportunity - and make sure to check out the other blogs that are part of this tour!
My Review: A Surprisingly Insightful Read
When I heard this book, I was very interested in the combination of desi and Uyghur characters and werewolves; it is just so unique! However, this novel revealed itself to be about so much more than that!
The Pros: What worked for me
The representation in this novel is fantastic. I don't think I've ever read a book with Uyghur characters, and learning about their cultural and geographical background was really cool! I also loved the way the author continually connected to Islam; the main characters regularly tap into their faith when they need strength. The portrayal of Muslim teachings was not overbearing, but rather showed the beauty of this religion.
I really liked Ehmet and Maria, because they were both very deep and 3-dimensional. They were both dealing with so many personal issues and my heart went out to both of them. I felt especially drawn to Maria; she had such a complicated life and was trying so hard to make sense of things going on around her. She had to take on so much responsibility and at such a young age!
This novel is so much more than just a paranormal romance. It deals with friendships, feelings of belonging, and grief. We see teen characters having to shoulder heavy responsibilities and become adults far too fast. We also see how they struggle to navigate their feelings and their own internal struggles.
The writing is gorgeous. It is lyrical, poignant, and heartbreaking. They evoked so much emotion in me that I had to pause at times while reading.
The Cons: What I didn't like
I was very excited for the werewolf arc but it really wasn't as big a part of the story as I had initially thought. While I still enjoyed the story, I was slightly disappointed by this.
There were quite a few perspectives in this story that weren't necessarily needed. The story also jumped to different points of time. Both of these elements made it difficult to follow along with what was happening.
The romance was not my favourite thing about the book. I think the connection between the love interests could have been stronger.
It has been such a pleasure to read this novel. Thank you to the author and Hear Our Voices for this wonderful opportunity - and make sure to check out the other blogs that are part of this tour!
September 7, 2020
I received an ARC of this book from the author, Mahtab Rohan, and Hear Our Voices Book Tour for review purposes.
At first, I had no clue what to expect from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised at what it turned out to be!
The paranormal werewolf storyline with Muslim, Desi and Uyghur representation was everything I wanted but didn’t know I needed! It did take me a bit to really get into the story but once I did, I really enjoyed it! The main female character, Maria, was so proud of her culture and who she was, which I really appreciated. I also appreciated how this book gives you a thrilling paranormal storyline without compromising the #ownvoices elements. You still get a clear sense of the culture and religion that these characters are a part of.
One thing that made this book hard to follow along with was the multiple perspectives. That’s also a personal thing for me as I tend to find it hard to have a seamless transition between the characters and their thoughts.
I truly hope this book gets some love in the book community! I’ve wanted a book like this for so long!
Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Quotes:
"It's up to you how you see your life, so why not see it is as a story of conquering everything that came your way? Why pick misery as a lens over triumph?"
"For a few years, you'll only see two types of people ... people who know what you are, and people who don't."
“Life starts with one breath and ends with one breath, too. If you learn how to control the breaths in between, you can save yourself a lot of grief.”
“Brown people have a complicated relationship with animals they can’t eventually eat.”
At first, I had no clue what to expect from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised at what it turned out to be!
The paranormal werewolf storyline with Muslim, Desi and Uyghur representation was everything I wanted but didn’t know I needed! It did take me a bit to really get into the story but once I did, I really enjoyed it! The main female character, Maria, was so proud of her culture and who she was, which I really appreciated. I also appreciated how this book gives you a thrilling paranormal storyline without compromising the #ownvoices elements. You still get a clear sense of the culture and religion that these characters are a part of.
One thing that made this book hard to follow along with was the multiple perspectives. That’s also a personal thing for me as I tend to find it hard to have a seamless transition between the characters and their thoughts.
I truly hope this book gets some love in the book community! I’ve wanted a book like this for so long!
Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Quotes:
"It's up to you how you see your life, so why not see it is as a story of conquering everything that came your way? Why pick misery as a lens over triumph?"
"For a few years, you'll only see two types of people ... people who know what you are, and people who don't."
“Life starts with one breath and ends with one breath, too. If you learn how to control the breaths in between, you can save yourself a lot of grief.”
“Brown people have a complicated relationship with animals they can’t eventually eat.”
September 11, 2020
*Arc provided as part of the "Hear Our Voices" booktour*
Actual rating: 3.5
Let's give it up for hijabi main characters who DON'T take off their hijabs for their white boyfriends.
After the death of her childhood friend, JC, and the end of her parents' tumultuous marriage, Maria has to grapple with the change in the dynamics of her childhood friend group, in particular, with Ehmet who has long been the object of her hidden love. Ehmet is hiding a secret though.
This concise book centered around 17 year old Canadian, Maria Chaudhry, may be a paranormal romance, but where it truly shines is in its examination of interpersonal relationships, family politics, and the realities of life as the child of immigrants.
As an American Muslim and the daughter of Libyan immigrants, this story's depiction of the realities of having family halfway across the world hit close to home. The grief Maria's mother felt with the looming death of her own mother in Pakistan was something I witnessed with my own parents. There's a unique sorrow in suddenly having your family ripped from existence and having to face the grief alone without the support of your extended family.
Rohan deftly captured the true meaning of home and all its contradictions when your loved ones are scattered around the world. I almost wish the author focused less on the romance aspect of the story and instead devoted more time on the fascinating politics of Maria's family and the complicated human bonds in Maria's circle.
Actual rating: 3.5
Let's give it up for hijabi main characters who DON'T take off their hijabs for their white boyfriends.
After the death of her childhood friend, JC, and the end of her parents' tumultuous marriage, Maria has to grapple with the change in the dynamics of her childhood friend group, in particular, with Ehmet who has long been the object of her hidden love. Ehmet is hiding a secret though.
This concise book centered around 17 year old Canadian, Maria Chaudhry, may be a paranormal romance, but where it truly shines is in its examination of interpersonal relationships, family politics, and the realities of life as the child of immigrants.
As an American Muslim and the daughter of Libyan immigrants, this story's depiction of the realities of having family halfway across the world hit close to home. The grief Maria's mother felt with the looming death of her own mother in Pakistan was something I witnessed with my own parents. There's a unique sorrow in suddenly having your family ripped from existence and having to face the grief alone without the support of your extended family.
Rohan deftly captured the true meaning of home and all its contradictions when your loved ones are scattered around the world. I almost wish the author focused less on the romance aspect of the story and instead devoted more time on the fascinating politics of Maria's family and the complicated human bonds in Maria's circle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2020
I picked this book solely only because I saw a hijabi girl on the cover. I want to read more Muslim rep books where Muslims embrace their religion and it is not used as just a plot for justifying teenage rebellions or spreading Islamophobia.
Safe to say, this book exceeded my expectations.
Maria is a Pakistani, hijabi girl who is figuring out life, surrounded by grief, disappointments, sadness. Maria's feelings are depicted perfectly, her confusion over liking a boy, her grief for being abandoned by father, her yearning for simple childhood days. I love the way the author has portrayed as a girl who embraces her hijab and her religion.
There is also supernatural element to the story. Which isn't apparent until the second half of book. It came as a surprise. I was even more ecstatic to read further, a muslim rep story with fictional creature! How often do we get that!?
Ehmet is annoying at times. He literally pushes Maria and there is no explanation for that. Then he hurts another friend and no apology for that either. His inability to control emotions in his other form is understandable but he's shown as this sweet, caring guy at the beginning who disappears and instead become this angry furball. Not cool.
The story did end on a cliffhanger, so I'm hoping the next book will cover these shortcomings and well get more insight into Ehmet's mind.
Safe to say, this book exceeded my expectations.
Maria is a Pakistani, hijabi girl who is figuring out life, surrounded by grief, disappointments, sadness. Maria's feelings are depicted perfectly, her confusion over liking a boy, her grief for being abandoned by father, her yearning for simple childhood days. I love the way the author has portrayed as a girl who embraces her hijab and her religion.
There is also supernatural element to the story. Which isn't apparent until the second half of book. It came as a surprise. I was even more ecstatic to read further, a muslim rep story with fictional creature! How often do we get that!?
Ehmet is annoying at times. He literally pushes Maria and there is no explanation for that. Then he hurts another friend and no apology for that either. His inability to control emotions in his other form is understandable but he's shown as this sweet, caring guy at the beginning who disappears and instead become this angry furball. Not cool.
The story did end on a cliffhanger, so I'm hoping the next book will cover these shortcomings and well get more insight into Ehmet's mind.
September 8, 2020
This book had south Asian and Uyghur representation, and I am very thankful for Hear Our Voices Blog tour to bring this book in my life.
This book is about hijabi Muslim girl with a dysfunctional family (just like every desi family), complex friendships, and a touch of fantasy. The story focuses on Maria and Ehmet with their individual personality and characters. Maria was perspective and has good analytical skills, even though there are hardships in her life she makes it habit of being kind to others, which just shows another depth and layer on her as a person. Ehmet is the werewolf in the book and has his own fears and dreams, so this makes and exciting character to read.
This book shows very clearly how being different makes you stand out and how it makes you feel isolated some times.
This book isn't about religion, women oppression in Muslim culture. This shows a whole lot of different aspect to explore and wander in desi culture. Also for all the fans of Shar Rukh and Aishwarya, they being mentioned brought a smile on my face. That part of local culture, Bollywood makes you happy from inside.
This book is about hijabi Muslim girl with a dysfunctional family (just like every desi family), complex friendships, and a touch of fantasy. The story focuses on Maria and Ehmet with their individual personality and characters. Maria was perspective and has good analytical skills, even though there are hardships in her life she makes it habit of being kind to others, which just shows another depth and layer on her as a person. Ehmet is the werewolf in the book and has his own fears and dreams, so this makes and exciting character to read.
This book shows very clearly how being different makes you stand out and how it makes you feel isolated some times.
This book isn't about religion, women oppression in Muslim culture. This shows a whole lot of different aspect to explore and wander in desi culture. Also for all the fans of Shar Rukh and Aishwarya, they being mentioned brought a smile on my face. That part of local culture, Bollywood makes you happy from inside.
August 27, 2020
I was provided with an arc for this one, and I really enjoyed it. It took me a little while to get into it at the start, but I quickly became interested in the relationships between the characters and the slow unveiling of their traumas and backstories. Of course, I became particularly invested in the main character, Maria, who was trying so hard to keep going with strength and self-respect, even though her world had undergone massive upheavals.
The supernatural part of the book wasn’t huge, but it added another layer of complication to Maria’s situation, which I liked, and provided the catalyst for some pretty dramatic situations.
I also enjoyed feeling immersed in Maria’s perspective as a Desi Muslim, navigating life in a Western society and family relationships still heavily influenced by culture and religion.
And as a treat, I’ll tell you there were several very satisfying slaps and plenty of yearning!
The supernatural part of the book wasn’t huge, but it added another layer of complication to Maria’s situation, which I liked, and provided the catalyst for some pretty dramatic situations.
I also enjoyed feeling immersed in Maria’s perspective as a Desi Muslim, navigating life in a Western society and family relationships still heavily influenced by culture and religion.
And as a treat, I’ll tell you there were several very satisfying slaps and plenty of yearning!
September 7, 2020
“Having hope is a gamble I’ve seldom won”
The Book follows Maria, a Hijabi and Ehmet, a werewolf, both are close friends and dealing with teenage struggles, secrets, family issues and mostly the death of a their third group member. Throughout the book we get to see events leading up to the death of their friend and there are multiple perspectives.
“The best way to move on is to only think of the moment I’m in, nothing that happened before it and nothing that might happen after it. The past and the future are realms of unhappiness and only the present can be saved”
I really liked the smooth metaphorical writing style. The only downside was that the werewolf story line made me feel lukewarm as it didn’t feel that necessary, I think this would have been better as a contemporary rather than a supernatural. Maria is my favorite, she is a strong and complicated character and I absolutely love her comebacks and quick remarks. Overall this is a heart touching book providing Great representation for South Asians, Muslims and Uyghurs. What I loved was how the author didn’t use Muslim characters for Islamaphobia and had a devout Hijabi as a protagonist .
Your heart after dark is out NOW!
The Book follows Maria, a Hijabi and Ehmet, a werewolf, both are close friends and dealing with teenage struggles, secrets, family issues and mostly the death of a their third group member. Throughout the book we get to see events leading up to the death of their friend and there are multiple perspectives.
“The best way to move on is to only think of the moment I’m in, nothing that happened before it and nothing that might happen after it. The past and the future are realms of unhappiness and only the present can be saved”
I really liked the smooth metaphorical writing style. The only downside was that the werewolf story line made me feel lukewarm as it didn’t feel that necessary, I think this would have been better as a contemporary rather than a supernatural. Maria is my favorite, she is a strong and complicated character and I absolutely love her comebacks and quick remarks. Overall this is a heart touching book providing Great representation for South Asians, Muslims and Uyghurs. What I loved was how the author didn’t use Muslim characters for Islamaphobia and had a devout Hijabi as a protagonist .
Your heart after dark is out NOW!
September 11, 2020
Received this e- arc as a part of the tour conducted by hearourvoices. Here's me telling you the good and bad about this book.
Synopsis:
Maria Chaudhry is a Pakistani Desi girl who has moved into Canada .She is entangled in her personal and friendship dilemmas . Already a part of a messed up family , her friendship and love life too is affected due to JCs death and Ehmet's sudden ambivalence.
Good aspects:
The representation of Muslim and uyghur.
The MC is a proud, yet vulnerable Hijabi Muslim girl, who loves her religion with all her heart. It's rare to find such a character in a YA contemporary.Her relationship with dogs and the fact that no one literally sees beyond your Hijab (veil) is well represented.
The uyghur cultural and folklore representation is one we've never seen as yet. The author has she'd light upon the torture Uyghur Muslims face in China. With dying justice hashtag compaigns , hopefully these kind of books can still keep the movement alive.
The writing of Mahtab Rohan is lucid and beautiful for a debut novel.
The could have been better aspects:
This book is being marketed as a paranormal fantasy. I believe it's more of a YA contemporary with a tinge of paranormal and fantasy (yet entertaining). It might be underwhelming for a person who expects a paranormal fantasy, else it is definitely worth a read.
P.S: expecting more of the Werewolf and Uyghur culture in the prequel of the book.
Synopsis:
Maria Chaudhry is a Pakistani Desi girl who has moved into Canada .She is entangled in her personal and friendship dilemmas . Already a part of a messed up family , her friendship and love life too is affected due to JCs death and Ehmet's sudden ambivalence.
Good aspects:
The representation of Muslim and uyghur.
The MC is a proud, yet vulnerable Hijabi Muslim girl, who loves her religion with all her heart. It's rare to find such a character in a YA contemporary.Her relationship with dogs and the fact that no one literally sees beyond your Hijab (veil) is well represented.
The uyghur cultural and folklore representation is one we've never seen as yet. The author has she'd light upon the torture Uyghur Muslims face in China. With dying justice hashtag compaigns , hopefully these kind of books can still keep the movement alive.
The writing of Mahtab Rohan is lucid and beautiful for a debut novel.
The could have been better aspects:
This book is being marketed as a paranormal fantasy. I believe it's more of a YA contemporary with a tinge of paranormal and fantasy (yet entertaining). It might be underwhelming for a person who expects a paranormal fantasy, else it is definitely worth a read.
P.S: expecting more of the Werewolf and Uyghur culture in the prequel of the book.
September 25, 2020
Maria was a really good character. She was friendly and supportive, but more than that she was a good daughter. She was responsible, and acted maturely. It was nice to see a character who acts their own age for once. She was also super religious, which i really loved. The relationship she had with her religion really touched my heart. The part where she explained how namaz soothed her was beautiful.
Ehmet is so annoying. I can't even. He pushes maria, and he hurts people a lot. I gave up on him around the end of the book.
The story was the most compelling part of this book. It was short, but still really complex. It was layered. It had the whole family/friend aspect to it, and the paronormal was also persent. On top of that it dealt which cultures of different places.
What i like the most about the book was the representation. The main female was muslim pakistani and the main male character was uyghur muslim. That way the book get to dive into much deeper topics like toxic brown culture and how muslims are treated in concentration camps. Being a muslim myself, i really appreciate the rep and i can really relate to a brown muslim girl who loved her religion and finds confort in her love.
Ehmet is so annoying. I can't even. He pushes maria, and he hurts people a lot. I gave up on him around the end of the book.
The story was the most compelling part of this book. It was short, but still really complex. It was layered. It had the whole family/friend aspect to it, and the paronormal was also persent. On top of that it dealt which cultures of different places.
What i like the most about the book was the representation. The main female was muslim pakistani and the main male character was uyghur muslim. That way the book get to dive into much deeper topics like toxic brown culture and how muslims are treated in concentration camps. Being a muslim myself, i really appreciate the rep and i can really relate to a brown muslim girl who loved her religion and finds confort in her love.
January 2, 2021
Thanks author for providing me with an arc!
I started this book with much expectations, I mean, a Hijabi girl on the cover and paranormal elements! I even liked it in the start, the talk about the crimes against the Uyghur Muslims and the familiar mentions of India. However as the story progressed, I just couldn't make sense of it. Maria was a little confusing for me, I never saw where did the things she did were coming from. Ehmet was interesting to read about initially, but eventually he too lost his charm for me. Although the friendship portrayed was kinda enjoyable. The paranormal elements I was excited for, did not work out for me. The book ended at a note hinting at a sequel and so I hope the author works on the flaws and comes up with a better book because I do see the potential.
2.5/5
I started this book with much expectations, I mean, a Hijabi girl on the cover and paranormal elements! I even liked it in the start, the talk about the crimes against the Uyghur Muslims and the familiar mentions of India. However as the story progressed, I just couldn't make sense of it. Maria was a little confusing for me, I never saw where did the things she did were coming from. Ehmet was interesting to read about initially, but eventually he too lost his charm for me. Although the friendship portrayed was kinda enjoyable. The paranormal elements I was excited for, did not work out for me. The book ended at a note hinting at a sequel and so I hope the author works on the flaws and comes up with a better book because I do see the potential.
2.5/5
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