Written in the Stars by Aisha Saaed - Book Review
Posted by The YA Book Traveler , Monday, April 20, 2015 12:00 AM
Written in the Stars
by Aisha Saeed
Goodreads Summary:
Naila’s conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: She may choose what to study, how to wear her hair, and what to be when she grows up—but they will choose her husband. Following their cultural tradition, they will plan an arranged marriage for her. And until then, dating—even friendship with a boy—is forbidden. When Naila breaks their rule by falling in love with Saif, her parents are livid. Convinced she has forgotten who she truly is, they travel to Pakistan to visit relatives and explore their roots. But Naila’s vacation turns into a nightmare when she learns that plans have changed—her parents have found her a husband and they want her to marry him, now! Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew. Her only hope of escape is Saif . . . if he can find her before it’s too late.
My Thoughts 4.5 Stars
Holy crap this book. So....I hardly ever read the description of books so I was like "Hey, cool! This looks like a cute book about arranged marriages!"
Oh my God! This book went from cute, to upsetting, to horrifying.
BUT, this is one of those book that even though it was tough to read is a book I needed to read, and you should too.
It kinda reminded me in a way of the movie Hotel Rwanda (not in content but in importance). That movie was one that was life changing because I had no idea the horror that existed in the world in Rwanda. Even though the movie was great and powerful, I will NEVER watch it again.
This book kinda falls into this category. It was a book I feel I needed to read because it opened my eyes to the problem that many women world wide with struggle from forced marriages. I'm not sure if I could read this book again. Maybe.
The Story:
Naila has everything going for her. She's smart and has eyes set on college where she'll finally be free from her parent's very strict rules.
The family ends up going to visit their family in Pakistan and then craziness ensues. Naila meets lots of friends and family members some of whom she makes a real connection with and other whom she doesn't. Things get crazy, then more crazy and then really freaking crazy.
I was on the edge of my seat for this whole book and really was able to get into Naila's head.
Overall:
Overall, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND reading this book, but be warned. For a Westerner, like me, this book was also emotionally difficult to read because of the culture differences and the situation Naila is put in. But, I also think it an important book for everyone to read. The imagery, characters and relationships were all very realistic and I thought this book was very well written.
I agree 100% that some books are super necessary to read, even if they're so hard that we cannot think we'll survive the re-read!
This book is one that I must read for sure!
Great review Sarah!