I thought this was really well done, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed about the idea. The characters felt like real people that knew each other and came together to save something. It had everything that I wanted in this romance element and enjoyed the way Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar wrote this.

JazakhAllah Khair to NetGalley and Macmillan Publishing Group for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Can I rate this over five stars? Because it deserves a million stars. WOW. I already knew a book written by my two favorite muslim authors (aka my two favorite authors of all time) was going to be one of my top reads of the year and I was RIGHT.

First of all, the characters? Incredible. Amazing. Showstopping. Never been seen before. 10/10. I loved Tiwa and Said so much and I hold them so near and dear to my heart. And everyone else too! Like Safiyah and Julian and of course we can’t forget habibi Laddoo.

I also loved that we got a lot of friendship and family dynamics and that the relationship aspect of the book wasn’t solely focused on romance!! That being said, let’s ABSOLUTELY talk about the romance because the second I saw that Much Ado About Nothing quote in the opening I was like “oh this is gonna be a GREAT annoyances to lovers arc” and I was absolutely correct. Tiwa and Said are also just so jennajulien core and you know I will be hooked on any relationship that reminds me of jennajulien.

As a muslim, I really appreciate some of the little details about practices in the faith! Like performing ablution and how we start and end our prayers. I also just love the casual ‘inshallah’s and ‘mashallah’s AND the talk of how important community is in Islam and how much it can aid our imaan.

I couldn’t recommend this book more, for both muslims and non-muslims. And inshallah we’ll see more book co-written Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar in the future!

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar do not miss! I have read both of these authors' books and am so excited for the world to read this release!

Four Eids and a Funeral follows Said and Tiwa's love story - how they became best friends then ex-best friends, and then...rekindled? Their story is precious and showcase the way certain bonds we have with people are invincible. The characters are all relatable and likable, and authentic to how teenagers/young adults are. I loved both Said and Tiwa's personalities! They were angsty and passionate.

The writing in this book is amazing - the pacing of the plot, the overall story, and dialogue were all so well-written. I was engaged the entire time. Being Muslim and Bengali, I felt that the representation in this book was excellent and I truly felt so seen and valid in my identity.

5 stars, highly recommend this upcoming YA release!

This is a wonderful collaboration between two of my favorite YA authors!

Said and Tiwa used to be best friends, but something drove them apart when Said started at a new school. A few years later, the two are reunited when their favorite librarian passes away. Then the two team up to try to save the Islamic Center and might just repair their relationship along the way.

Said and Tiwa's summer is a fun exploration of friendship, teen love, and community identity. There are underlying themes of parental expectations and grief that were handled well. I adore these two authors, and I can't wait to read more from them!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

These authors should team up more because this was absolutely delightful.

I loved the inclusive representation, the angsty teen dynamics, and the varied Muslim perspectives.

I am forever a sucker for we-used-to-be-friends-and-now-we-have-beef-but-maybe-we-should-kiss - That's a trope, right? ;)

If you were wondering if you needed to read this book….you do. In my TOP 5 book and audio of 2024 for me!!!

@dibs_j and @faridahlikestea just know how to craft THE PERFECT impeccably written YA romance…forever auto-buy authors for me!! The relationships (familial, romantic, and platonic) in this book were one-of-a-kind and felt like a warm hug! Simply put I’m happy that books like this one exist, and that I get opportunity to read them (this one got me feeling extra sappy🥹)

⭐️FOUR EIDS AND A FUNERAL, out JUNE 4th⭐️

Thank you Feiwel and Friends for the eARC and @macmillan.audio for the gifted review ALC of this book!

"Let's get one thing straight: This is a love story."

What do you get when you cross the author of Ace of Spades with the author of The Henna Wars, stir in a 90's movie of similar name, and don't forget a cheeky nod to Shakespeare and Dickens and Van Gogh?!

You get Said and Tiwa, of course!

I absolutely loved this story! It starts with the love of a hometown librarian, which tugged at my heartstrings.

And from there, it gets messy and complicated and a bit of a whirlwind.

Each of the main characters have distinct voices, and I adore them. They felt so real to me - like maybe they could be kids I've taught in the past. And their struggles are about as real as it gets.

"It was the worst of times. It was the worst of times." Tiwa definitely has had some. "A multitude of people yet a solitude." Said knows that better than most.

But together? Well, anything might be possible.

"In a weird way, it's kind of nice, all of us here together. It's what Eid is about after all: community."

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan Children’s Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"Four Eids and a Funeral" by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar is a book that elicits an infinity rating as you're swept into a beautiful story that demonstrates the transformation of childhood friendship to a well-developed romance. The love story is the main focus of the book, though I also really enjoyed the exploration of Muslim culture and traditions, particularly during the celebration of Eid.

The authors’ writing style is a standout feature. The pace was pretty fast and consistent throughout the book, and the writing was engaging. I especially enjoyed the dialogue, mainly between Tiwa and Said, as this dialogue felt real and authentic. The characters leap off the page, each one crafted with depth and authenticity. Every character feels relatable and multi-dimensional, which is what makes up the backbone of a romance story.

At its core, "Four Eids and a Funeral" is a love story that transcends boundaries. The complex relationship between Tiwa and Said, evolving from childhood friendship to enmity and ultimately to romance, is absolutely heartwarming. Their journey is accompanied by a host of well-developed supporting characters, each contributing to the depth of emotions exhibited throughout the book.

While the resolution of the central conflict was resolved quite nicely with all the loose ends tied, it did feel a bit superficial. The central conflict seemed to be hastily resolved, detracting from the emotional weight built throughout the story. Despite this, I was still very much invested in the happy ending of the book.

Overall, "Four Eids and a Funeral" is a book I thoroughly enjoyed, and I can’t wait to read more from both authors.

I was delighted to get the chance to read this ARC about two Muslim teenagers who had once been best friends but had become enemies in recent years due to a series of misunderstandings. When the death of their favorite librarian brings them back together, and a fire at the local Islamic center pushes them to work together to save it, hostility slowly falls away, and long buried feelings start resurfacing. This was a lovely, sweet story about rekindling a relationship, and the importance of culture and community. Queer side characters normalize their presence without fuss. Highly recommend for any YA readers! Another hit for @dibs_j and @faridahlikestea. Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. #yabooks #multiculturalbooks #muslimcharacters #muslimauthors #yaromance #multiculturalya #queersidecharacters

This book was really excellent. I was frustrated whenever I had to put it down to do some other stuff. I didn’t see anything coming although I enjoyed the entire ride. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an earc for me to review!

This was definitely cute but definitely YA. At times it was a bit slow, but I loved the plot and the characters are endearing. If you have a middle schooler who loves friendship drama and high tension this is great and also a great peak into learning about different cultural and religious practices. I loved the concept of four eids, it was clever and really tied the story together. The novel is told from the shared perspectives of Tiwa and Said our F and M MCs. Their perspectives are shared in the present with an additional third voice narrating events of the past that allow the reader insight into how this became a friends-to-enemies-to-frenemies-to-friends- to loversish(?) story. This rollercoaster relationship begins with a friendship that is broken apart by distance, loss, and a misunderstanding, but is mended through a shared love for their community and each other. I have not read any other stories by either of these authors but it was a fun pairing and I recommend reading for anyone!

The overall premise of this book was pretty interesting, but the ending was rushed. There was little development of the romance until the last 100 pages or so, and they got together so quickly.

4 stars

These two fabulous YA authors partnering up for a collab?! It's a YES from me, and it should be a yes from you, too!

Readers get a reminder that this is a love story, and they might need that, because this is a friends to not enemies but not friends to lovers situation. Even the fabulous cover might make a prospective reader a little skeptical.

Tiwa and Said share perspectives in this fast-paced novel. They are both Muslim, and when their town's Islamic Center burns to the ground, they do not wallow in sadness; they get busy gathering community and political support and trying to make a positive impact. Through this process, they are forced to confront some of the issues they've had with each other as well as some of their personal struggles relating to (heartbreaking!) deaths in the family, next steps in their academic futures, and more. Both characters are nicely developed, and while this IS definitely a romance as promised, that's not ALL it is. For this reader, that is a real win.

I love both of these authors, and a mashup is such a gift. They both absolutely delivered and exceeded my hopes and expectations. BOTH writers mention further possible future collabs in their acknowledgements, and I hope this is a promise!

This was such a good book!!!!!! I love Tiwa and Said's chemistry and their past friendship! The concept of four eids instead of four weddings was so clever and it was so cute!!!

I really wanted to like this one; Faridah Abike-Iyimide is one of my favorite YA authors and Adiba Jaigirdar is one of my most read YA authors. I knew this would be an unstoppable duo. Unfortunately, I was just not jiving with this plot at all. I don't think second-chance and a co-parenting trope can really work in YA, I think it needs to be adult to make it feel more meaningful.

I found the plot of the book to be entertaining and nuanced. The writing style and pacing were enjoyable. I know that my readers will enjoy this book and it is a great example of well written, diverse Muslim representation.

I've been waiting for this book since it was announced and let me tell you, it was so worth the wait. These two incredible authors came together to make one of my favorite reads of the year. This book is a sweet story about Tiwa and Said, two friends who fell out years ago. As fate brings them back together, they navigate the hurt and love they have towards one another. This book was so wonderful. I loved all the characters, including the side ones who were well-developed. They did a great job at building a believable community. I also loved the format of the story, with its occasional flashbacks. It kept me engaged in the history between these characters while still firmly rooted in the present day. Their writing styles work so well together. I liked that while the story covered some traumatic/heavy topics, it maintained a sense of hope and even lightness to it. Despite the darkness, there is always something to remain hopeful about. It was a beautiful reminder and a lovely story. I hope the two combine their forces again in the future.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for sending this book for review consideration! All opinions are my own. Content warnings for character deaths, anti-Black racism, Islamophobia, and tragedies throughout the novel.

"Four Eids and a Funeral" revolves around Tiwa Olatunji and Said Hossain, two former friends who are forced to come together after years of fighting to save their town’s Islamic Center from demolition. Alongside dealing with their own family dynamics—which now includes balancing their relationships to Safiyah, Tiwa’s best friend and Said’s sister, as well as taking care of a cat together—Tiwa and Said have to navigate their complicated feelings for each other.

I love both these authors and their books (specifically "The Henna Wars" and "Ace of Spades" from Adiba Jaigirdar and Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé respectively, in no particular order), so I was super excited and grateful to receive this ARC!

As expected from these two writers, both of the characters’ voices shone through well— especially through the humor and dialogue. There were a lot of moments where I laughed out loud, and the bickering between Said and Safiyah as well as Said and Tiwa felt especially natural.

The levity paired well with the more grief-stricken moments, of which there were also a lot of standout lines that I highlighted and felt especially seen by. The two characters navigate different levels of loss, and the way the book voiced Tiwa’s feelings and anxieties of being outgrown throughout the instability of loss felt particularly poignant to me.

I did have a bit of trouble with this book’s pacing — the beginning and ending really held me, but there were moments throughout the middle where my interest was lost. This really happened with plot points that had to deal more with logistics, which made the stakes hard to grasp; sometimes the characters’ actions felt like they were planning a to-do list rather than going after their goals (and falling for each other).

I also wished some of the other side characters had more development and time to explore their relationships with the protagonists — specifically more scenes showing each of their individual relationships with Ms. Barnes.

By the end of the book, the big plot reveals absolutely had me fully emotionally invested, and I was properly angry for, sorrowful for, and rooting for both of the protagonists at that time. When the plot hit the more climactic moments, their chemistry sang; it was just harder to feel in the more logistical operational scenes.

Despite the pacing, I definitely still enjoyed the book and would still recommend it to others!

An easy read for a YA romance. I loved that includes varied Muslim perspectives, it has a number of humorous moments and your usual enemies to lovers plot. It was a bit hard to get into the story at first because it goes back and forth between Tiwa and Said's POV without much context but sticking with it, definitely pays off. It does feel like the resolution is quite fast and the book ends right away but is still a very adorable story.

I'm not much of a YA reader but the cover and the blurb caught my attention and I was so excited to read this!

The Good
I loved both Said and Tiwa and understood their struggles so much. So much of Tiwa's life was centered around the community center and when it goes up in flames it feels like her life is as well. Said struggles to reintegrate into the community he left behind and part of that is his inability to tell his parents what he wants to do with his life and how much he loves art. For both of them, you can understand why the Islamic Center was so crucial in their lives. Its importance was felt and emphasized throughout the story.

For the romantic aspect, I loved Said and Tiwa's relationship. From the beginning, they had great banter but you could tell behind the sharp words and barbs they loved each other. The flashbacks and stories of their shared past were great, it was woven so well into the story. Tiwa and Said had natural chemistry and it was easy to root for them to be together. I also liked the sapphic subplot between Safiyah and Ishra.

The Bad
While I liked the reveal towards the end, I did not like how it was resolved. Years of misunderstanding and hate caused by others resolved and forgiven in one conversation with bare-bones reasoning? It was not a satisfying conclusion at all.

Tropes:
— Ex-friends to lovers
— Second chance

Format: Ebook

The Rating
I give this book a 4/5🌟 rating. As someone who doesn't read much YA, I loved this! I need to read more from these authors.