nargiskalani A Book review, ARCs, Bookish pictures, Bookphotography, Usborneya

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Book: How to Save a Life
Author: Sara Zarr
Genre: Young Adult/Realistic Fiction/ Contemporary
Publication Date: October 18, 2011
Review copy sent by USBORNEYA.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Jill MacSweeney just wishes everything could go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she’s been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends—everyone who wants to support her. And when her mom decides to adopt a baby, it feels like she’s somehow trying to replace a lost family member with a new one.

Mandy Kalinowski understands what it’s like to grow up unwanted—to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, one thing she’s sure of is that she wants a better life for her baby. It’s harder to be sure of herself. Will she ever find someone to care for her, too?

As their worlds change around them, Jill and Mandy must learn to both let go and hold on, and that nothing is as easy—or as difficult—as it seems.

My Review:

“It’s just so out of control. Life, I mean. The way it flies off in all these different directions without your permission.”

First of all thank you so much USBORNEYA for sending me this book to read and review.

This book was unexpectedly amazing and deep. The story started normally with a teenage girl who is 18 years old and pregnant. She is giving up her baby to a good family and travelling there to spend the rest of the weeks of her pregnancy with them.

Why did I kept reading it? Because although the story seems like straight forward, it has a lot of emotions and daily life struggles. Struggles of a young pregnant women. Struggles of mother and daughter who lost their rock of family… a husband ..a father.
Sara Zarr expressed all these raw emotions so deeply and beautifully … like I felt them while I was reading… like I was there you know..experiencing it all.

When at the end of the book, the theme of this story came up…I was like Woah…this is so unique and beautiful… like our society needs awareness about this in a world that we are living in today.
Loved the characters… the emotions… the simplicity of this book and yet it was so influential.
We need to read more books like these you know❤

I strongly recommend this book to you all.

My Ratings:

4/5

About the Author:

Sara Zarr is the acclaimed author of four novels for young adults: Story of a Girl (National Book Award Finalist), Sweethearts (Cybil Award Finalist), Once Was Lost (a Kirkus Best Book of 2009) and How to Save a Life. Her short fiction and essays have also appeared in Image, Hunger Mountain, and several anthologies. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband.

Find the author at:

Website / Instagram / Goodreads / Twitter

Get the booK:

Amazon / USBORNEYA

nargiskalani A Book review, Bookish pictures, Bookphotography

Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali – Book Review

Book: Love from A to z
Author: S.K.Ali
Genre: Contemporary/Young Adult/Romance/Fiction
Published on: April 30th 2019
Book sent by the author. Won the book in a giveaway conducted for the street team members of this book.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A marvel: something you find amazing. Even ordinary-amazing. Like potatoes—because they make French fries happen. Like the perfect fries Adam and his mom used to make together. 

An oddity: whatever gives you pause. Like the fact that there are hateful people in the world. Like Zayneb’s teacher, who won’t stop reminding the class how “bad” Muslims are. 

But Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn’t bad. She’s angry.

When she gets suspended for confronting her teacher, and he begins investigating her activist friends, Zayneb heads to her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar, for an early start to spring break.

Fueled by the guilt of getting her friends in trouble, she resolves to try out a newer, “nicer” version of herself in a place where no one knows her. 

Then her path crosses with Adam’s. 

Since he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Adam’s stopped going to classes, intent, instead, on perfecting the making of things. Intent on keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister. 

Adam’s also intent on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his grieving father. 

Alone, Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals. 

Until a marvel and an oddity occurs…

Marvel: Adam and Zayneb meeting. 

Oddity: Adam and Zayneb meeting.

My Review:

“Human rights. For everyone. Because that was the only way the world made sense. When the arc of care went far and wide, it journeyed and battled to exclude none.” 

First of all I now own the hard cover of this book sent by the author and I will always protect this precious book❤😭. I am so thankful to Sajidah Ali for going out of her way to make sure that I receive this book❤. 

This book is not just a love story. It’s an experience, full of all kinds of emotions you go through in your life. It gives you hope that there is a person out there who is meant to be your equal, your partner. You will meet that person at the right moment and that you will know it. 

That’s not all. This book is about family, Love, kindness, justice, it explains Islamophobia, bravery, MS an illness and how to deal with it, it’s about peace and metaphors and so much more. It’s about the rights of the Muslims and not just us… for any religion which is hated. We are suppose to be able to live our lives freely you know. We all are humans first. We all have a right to dress however we want. So, Zayneb here… was a fighter and I loved that about her. 

The characters?? Omg I loved all of them. Yes, when I say all I mean all other than Fencer… well you will know why I don’t like him when you read the book. I love Zayneb and Adam for who they are. Loved their friend circle. Omg! Adam’s sister Hannah was the sweetest and so pure. Aunty Nandy was so so fun and loved her advices. Zayneb’s memories of her grandmother reminded me of my grandmother who passed away in 2017. The three Emma’s were cool too… 😋.

“Maybe that’s what living is–recognizing the marvels and oddities around you.” 

 
The whole concept of marvels and oddities was so unique. I realised while reading that I mostly collect marvels of my life in my own mind and celebrate them. 
I literally had a tear falling down my eyes when I was almost towards the end of this book. This whole journey of Adam and Zayneb… it was full of lessons we all learn in our own lives. 
I will never get over how inspiring this book is and really this is now my all time favorite book. Thank you Sajidah for writing this book and inspiring us readers with your story❤.

My Ratings:

5/5

Follow the author at:

Website / Instagram / Twitter