Tanaz Bhathena

In this debut novel set in Saudi Arabia, where the law forbids romantic relationships outside of marriage, two teens fall in love with tragic consequences. "Unlike any YA book I've ever readEfascinating and disturbing."--#1 "New York Times"-bestselling author Jodi Picoult.

A Girl Like That

Jamieson

"My story is different from Zarin and Mishal's. Yet it does not make their stories any less true, nor does it diminish the reality of living in a world that still defines girls in various ways without letting them define themselves"


The author’s note of this book struck me so much because I thought it so perfectly and so succinctly captured the heart of this book – women existing as whole, oftentimes messy people who are fighting for respect and the right to exist outside of what society has dictated for them. Set in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, A Girl Like That explores cultural, religious and national rhetoric and ideas about womanhood. This novel focusses particularly on rape culture and ideas about female sexuality, and how the ongoing social perpetuation of these ideas limits and harms women. 

The story is witnessed by the ghost of Zarin Wadia, killed in a car crash with her best friend Porus. We follow the events leading up to the crash, with Zarin serving as a spectral presence. The story is about her – but you can never quite forget she’s dead. This book feels heavy with hauntings, not only the site of Zarin and Porus’ death but also the various girls throughout the story. They’re haunted by the social idealisation of their womanhood, by the weight of expectation on their shoulders, and by their histories which often erupt, violently and messily, into the present.


  ❝ It is strange, I thought, how we always recognize our best memories in hindsight ❞



One thing I loved about this book was its insistence on portraying it’s central female characters as imperfect and oftentimes messy, mean, or even cruel. I liked how, corresponding to this, the narrative also insisted on showing that these girls deserve to be respected and own their personhood regardless of their personal failings.

These women all existed within the social framework in different ways, some rebelling against it like Zarin, others falling into and thus oftentimes perpetuating, like Mishal. But the narrative doesn’t wholly condemn them because it recognises sixteen-year-old girls are imperfect people, and it’s unrealistic to expect them to overthrow a system which is so thoroughly and aggressively designed to limit them. The hopelessness and the dread that permeates this book felt heavy, and yet necessary for the story that Bhathena was trying to tell.

I also enjoyed reading this for the depiction of Saudi Arabia. I believe this may be the only book I’ve ever read set in The Kingdom, and I found the setting highly interesting because of it. Bhathena grew up in Jeddah, the setting of this book and I think it shows in the crafting of some settings, that blend of love, hate and nostalgia for a hometown that I can recognise. The main character is also Zoroastrian, a religion I had never even heard of. Learning new things through fiction is one of my most favourite things so I was immensely pleased that I had so many learning experiences through this book.


  ❝ When people say you’re wrong so many times over so many years, when they call you a bad person, you begin to believe them. You begin to hide your face again – to anyone – you will be judged. Sometimes, it gets so bad that you begin to wonder if life is worth living ❞



In terms of critiques, I do think this book had some pacing and story set up issues. The beginning is slow and confusing, with too many names and characters thrown at you at once.

I also thought some storylines were done a lot better than others. The perspective of two of the make characters added little of interest to the narrative, and I thought it would have been more impactful to stick with Zarin and Mishal. I also think some discussions were a little underdone, though this is a relatively short book so I also think given the page count it’s understandable.

Overall, I thought this was a really powerful and unique YA contemporary. Few books come to mind to compare this to, because I feel it was writing in a setting and a culture that is so underrepresented in mainstream YA. Bhathena’s attempt to tackle gender politics and the societal construction of womanhood, and the expectations of this construction, was carefully and cleverly done, and I applaud her for writing so many complex, interesting and imperfect female characters while relentlessly and imploringly showing the reader their humanity, their value, and their right to define themselves.

Nadine 

How refreshing to read a contemporary novel set in the middle east (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) with South Asian (Indian) protagonists from a minority religion (Zoroastrian). 
Through a series of flashbacks alternating with the present the story of how two teens ended up dead on a motorway unfolds.

Grace O'Callaghan

CW: Violence, attempted rape, drugs, domestic abuse

If you’re looking for a fun and easy read, this is not the book for you. We follow Zarin, a girl known for trouble. She smokes and meets up with lots of boys, everyone knows you shouldn’t associate with a girl like that. But that’s only part of the story. 

It’s so refreshing to read about a place outside of the western world, Saudi Arabia, in YA. I thought I’d try and branch out by reading from a perspective I don’t often see. It was so interesting to see the similarities and differences between Saudi Arabia and the western world. I think it has made me appreciate the freedom I have a lot more.

Zarin is now one of my favourite characters. She’s arguably an ‘unlikeable’ protagonist, but I couldn’t help but root for her. Everyone clearly has an opinion on Zarin. That she’s risky and doesn’t act the way a girl should. But when we get to read from Zarin’s perspective we see how hard her life has been and that she’s mean and sarcastic on the outside, but is very hurt on the inside. I just really loved seeing her character progress from someone who doesn’t really care about much, to someone who is willing to love.

I also really enjoyed Porus. He was so caring towards Zarin and never pushed her to do anything she didn’t want to do. He really took the time to break the shell that Zarin has built around herself to the more vulnerable parts of her. Their relationship was so beautiful and so tragic. It wasn’t rushed but was given the time to develop and blossom.

This isn’t a very plot heavy book. It’s more of a character study of Zarin and themes that are usually shied away from in YA. It dealt with religion, mental health, rape culture, domestic abuse and so much more. One of my favourite scenes was a debate Zarin was having in school about whether victims of domestic violence should be able to defend themselves and possibly injure their abuser in the eyes of the law. It was just a very mature debate about something very serious and very important.

This book is also a #ownvoices review for Zoroastrianism and living in Saudi Arabia. But I did however read a few reviews from people that weren’t happy with the way Muslims were depicted in this book. I am not Muslim myself so I don’t know how accurate it was so I’d suggest reading some #ownvoices reviews to find out.

Overall this was a very heartbreaking and heavy story. I’d definitely recommend it, especially if you’re looking to branch out and read stories set outside the western world.

Mollee Clingenpeel

I personally really enjoyed A Girl Like That and would definitely recommend it to other readers, while keeping the trigger warnings in mind: sexual assault and abuse. My favorite part of this book was absolutely learning more about a different culture, and I wish there were more books out there that took place in other cultures. Full review on my blog https://literarymermaid.wordpress.com

Celia Adams

This was really different from what I normally read but I was intrigued when I saw it in the book store. It was so interesting to delve into another culture, and not in a fantasy or historical setting. I actually learned a lot about the culture and nationalities just by reading the book. The story was interesting, and it was a great move to start the book telling us Zarin had died because if it had been a twist ending it would have felt like a cop out. This way, the plot was sneakily about why Zarin was lingering at the scene of her crash and not moving on, rather than be about the events of the book. The way the book moved through her life and the people around her bordered on heartbreaking, but told the story in such a compelling way it drew you in even when it was disturbing. Overall, I thought it was a great story that focused fully on Zarin development and everything that happened in it was purposeful, so all the drama and romance was necessary to the story and not existing for the sake of it.

Roos Kuijper 

This book is so good! It had all the feelings, it makes me frustrated with the world, angry and sad. This book felt so unique!

Jessica 

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Review also found here at Booked J.

Breathtaking, mesmerizing and utterly heartbreaking. A Girl Like That is bound to be one of the most loved contemporary releases this year and for good reason. Armed with a sort of cattiness that you'll only find in teenagers, this is a story worth looking into because it rings true to real life. Bhathena captures youth beautifully and embraces all its complexities, crafting a witty and vicious coming of age story.

It's bittersweet and captivating, something that you simply cannot put down. A Girl Like That is truly and completely special.

And because of the subject matter of this book, it's not going to be for everyone. There are a lot of trigger warnings I should specify: sexual harassment, abuse, death, drug abuse, bullying and more. As always, take care of yourself if you find any of the above mentioned subjects triggering.

Needless to say, a lot is tackled in the pages of A Girl Like That and each topic is very important to discuss. Bhathena doesn't hold back in her portrayal of each and will certainly hit you straight on with emotion. She handles each topic as carefully, yet honestly, as a good writer should--showing us that she has a very promising career ahead of her.

Let's start with characters: I loved them. Zarin, our main character, and the story's signature girl-like-that, is a highly layered young woman with a trail of gossip following her. Due to her reputation, one that is fueled only by her smoking habit and the fact that she has kissed a few boys, she has very few friends and her home-life is not much more warm to her. I knew right away that I would love and feel sympathetic towards her and sure enough, my heart broke for Zarin from start to finish.

The things that she is subjected to in her brief life pains me. It pains me even further that when we meet her, she is already dead. I wanted to cry multiple times throughout this book and honestly did.

So much about her will call to Bhathena's readers. She is very much so just a girl. The way that her peers and her only living family members treat her is appalling. The exploration of various levels of abuse and bullying was pretty spot-on and will make you think.

One thing was certain--this story was not only thought provoking but deeply moving. It takes a true talent to craft such a story and Tanaz Bhathena is certainly a talent. She truly destroyed me with this story and how it all ended; reminding us that sometimes, people who are treated unfairly are left with nothing. And that at the end of the day, sometimes the people who treat us in such ways are left behind and never face up to their actions.

Overall, this book made me feel many things and I cannot stress how much I loved it. And how much I had hoped the ending wouldn't be so.

Fascinating and disturbing.” —Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Small Great Things and Leaving Time A timeless exploration of high-stakes romance, self-discovery, and the lengths we go to love and be loved. Sixteen-year-old Zarin Wadia is many things: a bright and vivacious student, an orphan, a risk taker. She’s also the kind of girl that parents warn their kids to stay away from: a troublemaker whose many romances are the subject of endless gossip at school. You don't want to get involved with a girl like that, they say. So how is it that eighteen-year-old Porus Dumasia has only ever had eyes for her? And how did Zarin and Porus end up dead in a car together, crashed on the side of a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? When the religious police arrive on the scene, everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is questioned. And as her story is pieced together, told through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that she was far more than just a girl like that. This beautifully written debut novel from Tanaz Bhathena reveals a rich and wonderful new world to readers; tackles complicated issues of race, identity, class, and religion; and paints a portrait of teenage ambition, angst, and alienation that feels both inventive and universal.

A Girl Like That

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