THE HENNA WARS

"What I want more than anything else in the world is to feel like being myself isn’t something that should be hidden and a secret. What I want is for my parents to be outraged that someone betrayed me, not ashamed of my identity."My thoughts:I absolutely love Rom-Coms & this book was one of the best. It's the kind of book that stays with you for a long long time after you finish reading it. The characters are so amazing & adorable. Nishat & Flavia were very cute but the character I loved the most was Priti, Nishat's sister. Loved the relationship between the two sisters, how Priti loves Nishat unconditionally & is protective of her. She was the bestest sister & yes they do fight like all siblings but whenever Nishat needed her she was always there encouraging & supporting her.✨This book had me bawling my eyes out, crying both happy & sad tears while reading it till 4am. Had a massive headache the next day due to all that crying & little sleep but have no regrets.😅 I just love it when books make me cry which may be weird but it is just that it shows that I could feel & experience atleast some part of what the author was trying to express through their writing. This book & its writing made me experience that multiple times & that was beautiful.✨This book is a gem that everyone needs to read.💖

This story was always going to be intensely close to my heart, because it talks about a queer, desi girl. It fulfills and surpasses every expectation in how very genuine it is. It perfectly captures the desi experience and the culture we are brought up in. It is so rare to see this kind of representation of LGBTQ+ characters who are very rooted in and are proud of their culture; which made me enormously happy. Nishat is also Muslim; which is, again, very rarely seen in media. This entire combination seems so niche but immensely accurately represented; which is what you get when you allow POC authors to write their own stories. It is hard for me to explain how amazing I find all of this; because for someone who has been chasing representation in popular media for ages, it all feels like a dream.There are so many things that I absolutely adored in this book. Nishat’s relationship with her sister—Preeti, her love for henna and the reason behind it, the quintessential high school experience but from the eyes of a child of immigrants, and the confusion of figuring out your own feelings and deciphering others’. It is an amalgam of extremely relatable things that flow beautifully creating this intricate and, yet, simple story. The way every character acts and reacts is so true to themselves. There is not a moment or interaction that feels forced or has a sliver of pretence.As much as I love this book, there are moments that I do not fully believe in because they do not seem sincere. One of these is the past that Nishat and Flávia share, which is a precursor for their relationship in this book and it sometimes comes across as a thin plot. I also would have liked to see more of the reasons behind Nishat and Flávia’s attraction to each other. Since, the book only shows us Nishat’s POV it makes sense that we will not get an accurate sense of what other characters are thinking or feeling; but I would have liked some in-depth look into the bevy of characters that surround Nishat.Along with its painfully, sometimes, accurate portrayal of a South Asian character, I adored this book for its take on cultural appropriation. It shows how agonizing it is for people whose culture is being appropriated because of its history and various connotations. It also talks about the hypocrisy that comes with it. People conveniently pick and choose what parts of a culture they like; and claim it as their own gimmick, while derogating other parts of that same culture.I found this book riveting and a fresh gust of sweet wind that caressed my face and made me feel at home. I wait eagerly for the next story that the author will bring to us, hoping for it be about another desi queer teen looking for acceptance but not asking for it.

(I voluntarily reviewed an eARC of the book on For The Love of Fictional Worlds)If you have read the blurb of this beauty – then there will be a part that will definitely resonate with you, especially if you are a Desi who has grown up being stuck between the traditional ways of your parents and society; but also has been able to open yourself up by having your thoughts and opinion influenced by the whole wide world through the powers of internet – yes, I am talking to the generation who is living in the finite divide between being open and being true to your own traditions.Nishat, our protagonist is a the first generation Bangladeshi Muslim living in Ireland, a predominantly white and Catholic community – they are a minority community and face a discrimination that, no matter how subtle still makes Nishat and her sister Priti feel uncomfortable in their own skin and identity.The fact that Nishat is homosexual is open to the readers right from the get go, from Nishat admiring a girl she had a crush on as a pre – schooler, though she admits she didn’t exactly know it was a crush then, at a Bengali wedding of her cousin – we also read about Nishat’s conviction to come out to her parents – a fact that took a lot of courage, especially considering the way it turns out at first – for a proud Muslim family, this is something that is abominable and Nishat’s understanding that though she is firm in her own sexuality; it breaks her heart to see her parent’s acting like she doesn’t matter, that “this” will bring shame to their family. Just saying, IT IS hard to change a whole way of thinking, but do know that a parent’s love can surpass any hurdle.The book, however, is all about a business competition being held in Nishat’s school. Nishat’s idea of opening a henna business, the art of henna being passed down to her, not just within her culture; but also in her family, by her own grandmother – is something that she knows she can actually be good at!But when her crush, Flavia uses the same idea for the competition – she sees it as a betrayal and stealing of her culture. The icing on the cake? Flavia’s business partner is none other than Chyna, a white girl who is not just racist but is also a bully to Nishat! Along with this, Nishat also has to handle the fact that she has been outed via “text message”to the whole school – a catholic all – girl school, which has quite the effect on her mental health!The Henna Wars was nothing short of stupendous – as a Desi reader, it was easy to see reflection of my own culture within the book – Nishat’s culture, so close to my own, felt coming home within the pages of the book. The sensitive way that the author has handled the issues of homophobia, racism and the cultural appropriation is commendable (yes, I had a couple of issues, but they were not major ones in the whole scheme of things)– and it is a book that is recommended to EVERYONE!

Not your typical coming out story. Nishat is a Bengali Irish girl living in Dublin with her Mum, Dad and her sister who also her best friend. The book starts with Nishat struggling how to tell her parents she’s gay, and what to do when an old friend comes back into her life.I really loved the relationship between Nishat and her sister Priti. It’s so wonderful, they’re like best friends. They tell each other everything, annoy each other, make each other laugh and stand up for one another.This is great book for people who are looking for representation, where they main characters are also POC. This book really tackles the topic of homophobia and racism head-on. I was in tears so much reading this. The writing it really powerful and emotive.One thing I didn’t like was that was a lot of Americanisms in the book. Things like Mom and the weather being in Fahrenheit and some other small things. Like that’s fine if the books set in America but it’s in Ireland. That’s not how they talk.Other than I loved the book and thoroughly recommend!

I'm 76% of the way through this book. I bought it for the interracial and queer representation which is fantastic! However it's been a long time since I was in high school. The round-and-round narrative of this book reminds me of it almost too clearly. Flávia's character I feel is muddled and incomprehensible. I can't say whether or not it gives a good representation of early teenage relationships because I never had one. I'm sure for many it does. For me though it doesn't quite hit the mark. Up until now it was unputdownable. But I'm beginning to find it interminable. Nishat's life is just knockback after knockback with no respite, and, as most teenagers are and as I certainly was/am, she's quite self-centered. It really becomes tiresome, seething adolescent fingers into you like some kind of indescribable memory. Frankly I don't want to relive being sixteen. And I guess, it's a complement to the author that Nishat's experience is so tangibly relatable.On a positive note, it's really nice to see the relationship she has with her sister, for, *spoiler* most of the book. Once again I never had that and it hands a new experience to me.I'd recommend this book highly if you seek a linear narrative; something that seems simple at a glance. If you're past your teenage years, this'll have you feeling like you're back in those zero arch support Converse shoes, having tread pavements for hours. And I guess, if you're still a teenager, this will speak to you in a way you're not used to. It'll understand you. Let it.

This is one of the most realistic YA novels I've ever read. All the characters had so many layers, they were lovable while still being deeply flawed which made them feel entirely human. The book tackles so many important issues like homophobia, cultural appropriation, racism and more. The difficult parts of the book are well balanced with sweet light and fun moments too.It's a very powerful read and I would really recommend it!

An amazing f/f rivals-to-lovers story that I honestly had such a fun time reading. The relationship was really cute and the book felt really informative regarding cultural appropriation and brought my attention to a number of things I haven't ever had to think about before. Really happy I read it and I recommend it wholeheartedly.I also loved the relationship between Nishat and Priti as sisters, they were so close and their bond felt real and was heart-warming throughout.

Absolutely OBSESSED with this book! The amount of accurate desi representation in here is insane!!! I’m blown away by how much I relate to the protagonist even on page 1! I would advise readers to have a translator open near because some parts of the book are in a different language (Bengali and Portuguese) so having an idea of what it means will be hard unless you are fluent!Nevertheless it is a fantastic sapphic book and one that deserves to be read at least once!