Book Review | A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathenaby Tanaz Bhathena.
A Girl Like That is a timeless exploration of high-stakes romance, self-discovery, and the lengths we go to love and be loved. This novel 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 isolation that feels both inventive and universal. Read on to know more about this book and why you should read it.
About the book
- Title: A Girl Like That.
- Author: Tanaz Bhathena.
- Botopsy rating: 4/5⭐
- Length of the book: 364 pages long.
- Genre: Fiction/ Young adult.
Outline
When Zarin Wadia dies in a car crash with a boy named Porus, no one in her South Asian community in Jeddah is surprised — what else would you expect from a girl like that?
Zarin is many things: smart, risk-taker, an orphan, a lively student and she is also the type of girl that parents warn their kids to stay away from. Then 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.
My views
This book, A Girl Like That, is a good, engrossing read with an engaging plot and unusual writing style. I was pretty absorbed into this book while reading. In a very subtle and unique fashion, this book addresses the common problems in society from racism to class to bullying; and how fingers point at a woman, whenever something goes wrong.
I liked the tone through which this book approaches many topics like love, family and individualism. And not to mention the fact that this book broke my heart as no other book did. This book starts with death and ends with death, the remaining story consists of whatever has happened in between.
Writing style
The writing style of this book is unique, lucid and candid. The author chose to narrate Zarin’s story in the voice of many characters associated with her throughout her life. The narration is the aftermath of the accident in which Zarin dies. Despite the fact that a reader knows from the start that Zarin is going to die and she had it coming, the author in her writing manages to captivate the reader till the end.
Characters
All of the characters of this book are remarkably reproduced. It’s rather surprising how the author manages to seamlessly squeeze in numerous flashbacks that paint a complete picture of everyone’s life. Within a couple of chapters, I was instantly connected with not only Zarin but also all the other characters. But the character that had a lasting effect on me is definitely Zarin and without a doubt, she is one of the characters that will stay with me forever. I have learnt a lot from this character.
Recommendation
Reasons to pick this book:
- It is a fast and engrossing read that will surely put you out of the reading slump. Plus, it has an appealing cover.
- It is a young adult that does not revolve monotonously around love interests.
- It is a brave book that speaks in volumes about many aspects but its main theme revolving around women and society.
Reasons not to pick this book:
- If you don’t like harsh and gruesome scenes.
- If you don’t like complex characters and multiple point of views.
Finally, this is a wonderful and fast read; that on the hindsight contains a lot of lessons to learn. I’ll definitely look forward to reading more of her books. Pick this book and brace yourself for, this book will break your heart in a good way, of course.
