Tanaz Bhathena
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Susan is the new girl—she’s sharp and driven, and strives to meet her parents’ expectations of excellence. Malcolm is the bad boy—he started raising hell at age fifteen, after his mom died of cancer, and has had a reputation ever since.REVIEW
Susan’s parents are on the verge of divorce. Malcolm’s dad is a known adulterer.
Susan hasn’t told anyone, but she wants to be an artist. Malcolm doesn’t know what he wants—until he meets her.
Love is messy and families are messier, but in spite of their burdens, Susan and Malcolm fall for each other. The ways they drift apart and come back together are testaments to family, culture, and being true to who you are.
This was an utterly interesting and engaging tale. There are so many ways to classify this story. It's an immigrant experience story. It's a love story. It's a story of heartbreak. It's a coming-of-age story. Whichever the case, I thought Bhathena did them all quite well, and I really enjoyed meeting Susan and Malcolm.
Both Malcolm and Susan were well written and multidimensional characters, who I grew to care for. On the surface, they seem so different from each other, but both were dealing with some issues, which were keeping them from moving forward.
Susan had been the perfect daughter back in Saudi Arabia. She got top marks, and would never dream of running around with boys or lying to her parents. Then, she found herself in a new country with an absent father and a mother who was growing more and more distant. She was struggling to adjust to this new learning and teaching style, hiding her collegiate dreams from her parents, and engaging in a secret relationship with Malcolm. Her parents' arguing and impending divorce was the straw that broke the camel's back, and forced Susan to evaluate her dreams and needs. It was a really meaningful journey with took with her, as she learned to assert herself more, learned to appreciate the grey areas, and also come to terms with the fact, that nothing was guaranteed.
And then, there was Malcolm. He was still dealing (poorly) with his mother's death, as well as his father's past abuse and infidelities. Though, he was no longer as self-destructive as he had been in the past. he still bore the reputation he earned. By being with Susan, he started seeing things through a much more mature lens. He started believing the praise and recognition he was receiving, and started working harder to achieve at the level people thought he could achieve. I really loved watching Malcolm grow, chapter by chapter. I don't know, maybe it's because he was an underdog, or maybe it's because I am all about second chances, but his story really warmed my heart.
For me, this book was really about growing up, and the way maturing changes us and the way we navigate relationships. It was about making mistakes and owning up to them, but obviously, I also adored all the way love was integrated into the story. Bhathena showed the upside and downside of love. She showed how it can be really messy, but still really beautiful. I definitely appreciated the way Malcolm and Susan's romance played out, because I thought it was very realistic.
And, wow! What a fabulous ending. I absolutely loved what Bhathena did there. I knew she wouldn't make it easy for me, but she left me super happy in the end.
Overall: A fantastic look at love, growing up, and taking chances to achieve one's dreams.
* ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tanaz Bhathena was born in India and raised in Saudi Arabia and Canada. Her critically acclaimed novel A Girl Like That was nominated for the 2019 OLA White Pine Award and named a Best Book of 2018 by The Globe and Mail, CBC, Quill & Quire, Seventeen, PopSugar, and The Times of India among others. Her second novel The Beauty of the Moment releases on Feb 26 2019. Her short stories have appeared in various journals including Blackbird, Witness and Room.
A wanderer at heart, Tanaz can often be found traveling to different countries, learning bits and pieces of a foreign language, and taking way too many photographs. She loves slapstick comedies and any kind of music that makes her dance. She lives in the Toronto area with her family.
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Malcolm's growth sounds so wonderful!
ReplyDeleteHis growth was incredible during this book. He was a case of believing all the bad things about himself, and it just took a someone believing in him to get him moving in the right direction.
DeleteThis book was already on my TBR and from your review, I'm going to love this story and the characters too.
ReplyDeleteI liked it a lot. It's an interesting perspective Bhathena gives us too. There was a lot to love in this story.
DeleteI like how the two main characters seemingly have nothing in common when in reality they are both dealing with family issues at home. And I’m intrigued by the ending that impressed you so much!
ReplyDeleteI am smiling just thinking about the ending. It just made me so happy, like, contemporary perfection.
DeleteVery pretty cover and I do love a fabulous ending to a great story.
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
The cover is stunning and is a nod to Susan's artwork in the book.
DeleteI am so sad the giveaway is US only Sam because you made me want to read it! And the cover is just so lovely! Sophie @bewareofthereader
ReplyDeleteSorry about that. Hopefully the book becomes available in your country.
DeleteA book about growing up that features a delightful romance and cultural diversity, sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting reading about an immigrant's experience outside of the US too, and Susan came with a lot of experience feeling like an outsider. Too Indian when she lived in UAE, but not Indian enough for her relatives, and then she moved to Canada, and her outsider status continued. I was really captivated by her experiences and insights.
DeleteI've seen this one around and it sounds cute. The cover is very eye-catching as well. The book's already on my TBR -- it would be fun to win a copy. Thanks for the chance!
ReplyDeleteIt was fun and cute, but also quite deep and emotional at times. Both Malcolm and Susan were dealing with a lot, and I just loved getting to be part of their story.
DeleteI hadn't heard of this book, but the cover is adorable! I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! I love it when an ending is really great and pulls the book together!
ReplyDeleteI love that the cover is inspired by Susan and her art. Covers are often so random, and I am always excited when they are actually tied to the story.
DeleteThis is new to me but love all the things it seems to cover. And a great ending??? That always sells me on a book. Great review!
ReplyDeleteYou know how I am about endings, and this one was made that much better because it wasn't expected.
DeleteThis sounds like a truly fantastic read!! I loved your review <3
ReplyDeleteIt's a romance and a coming of age plus so much more. Bhathena deftly wove so many things into the story, and she brought an interesting perspective to this tale as well.
DeleteI am glad you loved this book as much as I did :D I loved the relationship between Susan and Malcolm and the fact that this book was about so many other things, apart from being just a love story :)
ReplyDeleteAt this point, I expect a YA book to be about more than just the romance, but I think the setting and the incorporation of the character's culture which really set this apart for me.
DeleteIt sounds like both of these characters are in such difficult situations when they start out and like they have so much room to grow and develop here. But at the same time it sounds like the love story and themes are unpacked really well. I hadn't heard of it before but this sounds really good!
ReplyDeleteBhathena really does take on a lot of issues, and they fit well with the rest of the story. I was curious about this author, because her debut garnered quite a bit of buzz, but this book was more my speed, and I am really glad I read it.
DeleteThis sounds wonderful, Sam! It really sounds like it hits on a lot of big topics. Malcolm and Susan both sound like great characters.
ReplyDeleteThe number of topics Bhathena got in there without it seeming overwhelming was impressive.
DeleteThis sounds like a wonderful story and has such a whimsical cover. Thanks for sharing it:)
ReplyDeleteThe ending made my heart explode and those final impressions really are lasting.
DeleteThis sounds like a really good story and I love the cover! The animals drawings really make it special.
ReplyDeleteMary
The cover is inspired by Susan's artwork, which I thought was cool. I like when the covers have an actual connection to the story.
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