An utterly charming, heartfelt story from S.K. Ali – one which I adored! Zayneb and Adam both captured my heart early on and I love the contrasts in their relationship and how it brings them closer together. A definite recommend for me.

Zayneb Malik is 18-years-old and is currently suspended from Alexander Porter High in Indiana. She is suspended because she spoke up in school about her teacher being Islamophobic, breaking through the silence that has been haunting her for years. Because of her religion and culture, people make assumptions about her. Her father is from Pakistani and her mother is Guyanese and Trinidadian. Her family wants her to lay low and not to cause any issues. However, Zayneb is angry at the world because of all the injustices and inequalities. Zayneb is on her way to visit her aunt who lives in Doha, Qatar.

Adam Chen, currently 18-years-old in college, stopped going to class two months ago. He is flying from the University of London to visit her sister and father who live in Doha. His mother passed away when Adam was young from Multiple Sclerosis, the same disease he is diagnosed with.

Adam and Zayneb meet in an unexpected place. They both meet in London awaiting a plane to fly to Doha. Zayneb flew from Chicago and had a layover in London. However, their meeting was short. Eventually they reunite at a gathering where Zayneb's aunt introduces Zayneb to Adam.

Both Adam and Zayneb have a Marvels and Oddities Journal where they record their marvels and oddities of life. They both are Muslim as well. Although they have similarities, they also have differences which balance each other. Their personalities are completely contrary. Adam is calm, mellow and peaceful while Zayneb is passionate, fiery and is activist. At first, Adam and Zayneb become friends but eventually fall for each other.

Love from A to Z is a cute play on Adam's and Zayneb's names. The novel is written in dual POVs in a diary-like format with a date and either a marvel or oddity title. It covers social justice, Islamophobia, activism, chronic illness and finding yourself. Zayneb speaks up for what she believes. Even though her high school set her up to fail by siding with her teacher, Zayneb doesn't hold back for what she believes in. When she visits her aunt in Doha, she speaks up to a couple of people at the fitness area's pool about how women should have the right to wear shorts in the pool if men are able to.

S.K. Ali gives insight about what it means to be Muslim. Learning about someone's religion and culture is important. Reading about Adam's and Zayneb's experiences are important. It is satisfying to read about Islam and what it means to be a Muslim from a point of view of someone who is born into a Muslim family and also reading about someone whose family converts to Islam. Ali reminds people that Islam is a religion and it's not defined by a certain race or ethnicity.

Love from A to Z is a coming-of-age love story about fighting for what you believe in. I highly recommend this novel if you've read The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan and The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas.

I am not an own voices reviewer for this book, but I knew after reading reviews from others that were that this book was IMPORTANT in the way it mirrored their experiences and culture. Love from A to Z lovely, contemporary love story between two teens trying to navigate each other through the tides of anger, pain, joy, sadness, and the Muslim faith that ties them together. Adam and Zayneb and even the minor characters were three-dimensional, but another stand-out was the way Ali lovingly renders the city of Doha. By the end of the book, the city felt just as alive as any of the other wonderful characters. This is a book I will absolutely be recommending to anyone who loves contemporary romance.

Thanks NetGalley for this preview!

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were rich and complex. The imagery of Adam's creations and the settings were always beautiful and easy to picture. I felt such sadness when Adam talked about his mother and felt Zayneb's anger when she mentioned her teacher. This book took you right inside those emotions and made them real and raw. I was initially drawn to this book because someone close to me has MS and was diagnosed much later in life than Adam. I would have liked to hear more about his journey to accepting his diagnosis but I think he was beginning that in the story. I loved that they both had this journal that tied them together and showed them how even when people feel so different they can be super similar. I look forward to more books by S.K.!

Initial Thoughts- 4/20
so so so so good! happy that I read this and it being my introduction to S.K. Ali! She handled difficult subjects like Islamophobia, health, and grief with such grace. After reading the epilogue and the author's note, my heart is warm.

Full review to come!

i am struggling with what to rate this one. do i rate it 3 stars because that's what i would rate it, enjoyment wise, if it weren't YA and weren't about the things it is about? or do i rate it 4 stars, because i knew going in that it was YA and that isn't really my jam anymore? not to mention, i just feel like this book is so important, tackles so many things, can really resonate with a lot of readers, and that deserves the extra star too. i just don't know.

first off, why did i request when YA isn't my jam anymore? i can read YA if they have magical powers or they are saving the world from aliens or something, but for some reason teenagers living their normal teenage lives bug the ever living crap out of me. because teenagers are freaking annoying. well, i requested this because i loved the synopsis, the title and that COVER. do you see that gorgeousness? i was honestly sold on the cover immediately, didn't really need the synopsis because i was sold on the cover. so, i feel like i shouldn't judge this on its YA-ness when I knew it was YA going in. but... i can't help it.

while i thought Adam and Zayneb were super cute overall, i had a few issues with their relationship. i found their dynamic a teeny bit lacking, and that could be because i don't feel like we got enough of the development or build up. i never really felt a huge connection between them... i wanted a bit more time for them to get to know each other i guess.

i really liked Adam though, i felt like he was an easy character to get a handle on. i admit, i struggled with Zayneb a bit. i don't want to spell out why because this is YA and i really can't hold it against the author for writing, what i think is, a realistic teenager. just the way she acted sometimes and the way she treated certain people - it was never about anything serious, i totally had her back about all that stuff. i loved that she stood up for herself and what she believed in. honestly, some of those things that happened to her just broke my heart. i want to say i can't believe those things happen but of course they do, you see it in the news all the time. the thing is, i just cannot understand hateful people like the woman on the plane, or even the bus story with tying her scarf to the pole. wtf is wrong with people? it blows my mind, i can't understand being that horrible. but they exist and i think this book handles it well. other than that, i loved the characters in this book and their relationship. zahid was a highlight, i loved him. i teared up.

the format was interesting but i wasn't a huge fan of the lack of numbers for the chapters. personal preference i guess.

honestly, i did like this one. it was cute and i liked the ending, that was a satisfying epilogue (i laughed with the you don't know how to select fabric for a girl's hair). i would absolutely recommend this book, especially (but not only) to a younger audience. i think the good outweighs the bad in terms of recommending it, but the 'bad' outweighs the good in terms of enjoyment for me. but i do think it's a case of me, not the book, so. there you go.

I am in love with Zayneb and Adam’s story! On the one hand, it’s a super sweet love story between two adorable characters. But it also delves deep into the varied and complex experiences of being Muslim in America and abroad. Popular literature needs more stories like this one, where people of all mindsets can have their stereotypes challenged and see realistic depictions of lifestyles that are so often poorly portrayed in media. Engaging, entertaining, and thought provoking, this book made me look forward to so much more from S.K. Ali.

Love from A to Z is a beautiful love story that also juggles islamophobia, injustice, chronic illness, and so much more. Zayneb wears a hijab, which makes her a target at school and in public. She is angry because of this, and she owns that anger. She has a right to be angry and I loved watching her learn how to use that anger to make the world a better place. Adam has just been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, the same disease his late mother had. He is struggling with telling his family about his diagnosis while also figuring out what to do about his future.

Zayneb and Adam meet on the airplane on the way to Doha, Qatar and right away they feel something between them, They both journal about marvels and oddities in the world and they both are dealing with heavy emotions tied to heavy life events. Their relationship evolves over two weeks and while it is the focal point of the book, it actually takes a back seat to the other issues in their lives. The fact that they have found each other and are figuring out how to get together gives them both strength and courage to face what is happening in their lives.

I really loved this book. This is definitely a stand out in ya romance, and ya literature in general. Not only because it feature two Muslim characters as they date and fall in love, but also because it is eye-opening to what a hijabi-wearing teen goes through on a daily basis and what a person with MS deals with.

I loved that Zayneb is a fighter, an activist. I loved that Adam is sweet and caring. I couldn't put this book down until I knew they were both happy and okay. A great YA romance that also looks at the marvels and oddities of the world today and how to find peace while fighting for justice.

**I received an e-ARC from Netgalley**

This was so good. S. K. Ali is an incredible author, and I am so excited about all the future books she will put out. I absolutely loved Zayneb. She was a great protagonist, and I would read many more books about her. I also liked Adam although not quite as much as Zayneb. Just all in all, read this book!

There are books that feel like EVENTS. "The Hate U Give" felt like an event. "The Hunger Games" (though not a personal favorite) felt like an event. The "Harry Potter" series was obviously an event. This book feels like an event.

Zayneb is an instantly likable narrator, one who has experienced the brunt of being a Muslim in an Islamophobic teacher's class. She is fiercely protective of her faith and her culture, but she is also fiercely a part of a more traditional high school experience. I am not a Muslim, but I have studied the religion from a historical perspective quite a bit; I learned a lot from her practices and her.

Adam is also instantly likable. At one point Zayneb describes him as an onion, and says there are layers to him, layers of loyalty but also layers of sadness. He has good reason, as we discover, but he feels so real. He also pulls no punches when it comes to learning to live with MS, a disease that killed his mother.

I loved their relationship and the way it was built on mutual faith, respect, and understanding.

I have done a dreadful job of putting this into words, I know, but this book is a phenomenal YA book. I truly hope it fights the audience it deserves come April 30th.

Zayneb is sent packing to Qatar after confronting her Islamophobic teacher, and while her parents hope her early trip will do her some good, she doesn’t anticipate meeting Adam. Adam’s shouldering a secret that he fears will break his family apart. With nothing in common but a journal of Marvel and Oddities, destiny means little to Zayneb, but it seems like it’s working its hardest to keep them on the same path.

This book has so much brilliance packed into it, and I honestly don’t know where to start.

Zayneb is a headstrong lead, who comes across quite bitter at first glance. But I felt for her and saw myself in her in every way possible. When I was younger, I was very much like her: constantly angry at the prejudice, racism and Islamophobia in the world. She doesn’t know how to stay down quietly, and I admire that. I was never brilliantly outspoken the way she is, but her anger at the world is so relatable. Her story is remarkably lifelike and is an excellent portrayal of what it is like to be visibly Muslim today.

Then comes Adam, sweet, amazing Adam. He’s returning home after dropping out of university when he discovered that he has multiple sclerosis like his mother. Except he isn’t ready to tell his family his diagnosis because he doesn’t want them to suffer. Adam is so genuine and caring and thoughtful that you literally can’t help but love him. He wants the best for everyone around him, and his struggles and wins are so beautifully done.

Both of them keep their most profound thoughts locked away in the same journal, inspired by The Marvels of Creation and the Oddities of Existence, that unknowingly leads them on, what you could say is a marvellous and odd adventure. They’re so different from each other, and I loved how Ali made them work. They argue and disagree at times, but they eventually learn to understand each other. They both struggle with their expectations of themselves which creates some communication issues. But they realise their separate struggles don’t invalidate the other and the more they run into each other, the more they begin to understand each other.

There’re so many layers to this story, within Zayneb and Adam themselves and the people around them. Their friendship group is a nod towards the diversity of the Ummah and reminds people that there isn’t one type of Muslim and shows how ethnically diverse we all are. There’s a real discussion of heavy subjects like war, conflict and mistreatment.

Also, that Saints and Misfits reference killed me. I almost missed it, but my mind did the biggest double take.
Overall, Love From A to Z was gloriously refreshing. Saints and Misfit created a new love for Ali’s writing for me, but this book cemented S.K. Ali as a forever favourite. I’ve been eager to find to a romance story between Muslims characters that isn’t overly stereotypical. And this book hits every mark.

I loved this so so so much. I don’t even know how to explain why. But I will try.

The book starts with Zayneb enduring another attack from her islamphobic high school teacher. This one ends with her being suspended for a week. Her parents decide that she may as well leave early for their upcoming spring break trip to Doha, where she’ll be visiting and staying with her aunt.

Right off the bat I LOVED Zayneb. She’s fiercely protective of her culture and I admire that a lot. I have a respect for Muslims and their practices, but I don’t know a ton about it. I loved that this book helped teach me some and was easy enough to follow.

I have a very difficult relationship with religion. I grew up in an extremely conservative area and was taught that Christianity was the only ‘real’ religion. As I got older I let my faith slip away from me and identified as an atheist for a long time. I’m at a point now where I’m curious about religion, but still hesitant. Books like this are like a breath of fresh air. I love stories that allow me to glimpse the beauty in religion, in the Muslim religion in this particular story. Zayneb and Adam’s faith is absolutely wonderful and made me feel warm.

Zayneb and Adam’s relationship was so so cute and I loved that they respected the practices of their religion and there was no kisses. I felt like if an author can make you love a couple without having to write steamy make-out/sex scenes than they are an excellent writer.

Another thing I really really loved was the disability representation. Adam has multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease he watched kill his mother as a young boy. I don’t think I have read a book with a MC who has MS. It was interesting and heartbreaking. One scene where Adam is remembering one of the last days he had with his mother had me in tears.

I just really loved this book and I am really looking forward to more stories from S.K. Ali.

Endearing characters reel readers in while taking on racism, Islamophobia, first love, death, families, and more. S.K. Ali weaves themes together in a beautiful, poignant fashion. What a Marvel!

A fantastic sophomore novel by 'Saints and Misfits' author, S. K. Ali, 'Love from A to Z' is a story about bravery, justice, anger... and falling in love.

Zayneb has just been suspended from school, courtesy of her Islamaphobic teacher. However, this suspension allows her to travel to Qatar for spring break early to stay with her aunt, who teaches at an international school. Zayneb goes with a promise to herself that she will be less angry, but her heart yearns and aches for justice and full equality.

Adam is returning home from university in London to Qatar disheartened, unsure about the future, and carrying weight on his shoulders. Adam has learned that he has Multiple Sclerosis... the same disease his mother died of. Now, he has to go home and tell his father and little sister about his illness with the looming anniversary of his beloved mother's death.

There are some things that Adam and Zayneb have in common: they are on the same flight from London to Doha, they are both Muslim, and... they both took inspiration from a manuscript called The Marvels of Creation and the Oddities of Existence, each creating their own Marvels and Oddities journal. And, the more they spend time together, the more they are falling in love.

Brilliant and powerful, 'Love from A to Z' doesn't pull any punches about life as a Muslim woman or suffering a chronic illness, while simultaneously crafting a beautiful love story full of marvels and oddities. S. K. Ali is an author to watch, for she is doing brilliant, beautiful, marvelous work. She exemplifies the power of the written word and how books can change the world.

I was instantly drawn to this book after I saw that PERFECT cover.. and now after reading the story - these shades of blue will always have a special place in my heart. I'll carry Zayneb and Adam's story with me and use it to teach my children to make our world a better place.

"Never, ever quake in the face of hate, Zayneb."

Love From A to Z explores many topics that are desperately needed in YA. I know many teens will be able to relate and see themselves through these characters. I hope this story brings out your anger but fills you up with hope, too. Please read this book. <3

I was provided with an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.

This was a very enjoyable read. I loved that it dealt with a lot of different, but very important, issues, including racism, Islamaphobia, religion, illness, and relationships. Adam was such an amazing character and I loved everything about him. I especially loved his quiet positivity, and his love for his family. Zayneb was a little harder for me to warm up to, although I did with time. She has a lot of righteous anger that is justified, but also something I can't relate to (equal parts from having a very laid-back personality, and from never having faced the issues she deals with on the daily). This made it harder for me to bond with the character, but I also felt like I learned so much from her story.
All in all, I think this was a great book that should be read by people of all ages and backgrounds. It's always good to read about different cultures, especially in settings such as this.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this digital ARC.
Okay so while I did give 4 stars to this story, I have to immediately state that I am not the target audience for this book. It's not a matter of it being a YA book. It's about the subject matter. It's a love story between two Muslim teens and I don't think it's something that I can appreciate at full value. I think it's a well enough written story (I think it could flow a little better) and I found myself invested in their individual stories more than when they are together. They both have strong characteristics but I liked Zayneb and her journey throughout the book more than Adam's. Though, he does have a difficult road ahead, I still gravitated towards Zayneb's side of the story. Her fight against Islamophobia as a whole and with her teacher was a powerful story to tell and you really find yourself rooting for her throughout the book. The author clearly dealt with some of these situations personally and you can really tell. I am enjoying that more and more books are giving a positive voice to Muslims and their rich culture. It's a pleasure to see their traditions in a good light. I hope that this author writes more in the future.

I have mixed feelings about this book... here’s what I liked:
1. Adam - such a sweet character! Enjoyable to read his perspective. I enjoyed his side of the story
2. Diversity in YA - I always am interested in a book that is outside my personal culture. I always learn something and connect to it
3. The last 1/3 - the romance took off a bit more.
4. The Emma’s
5. The writing

What I didn’t like was the middle part of the book seemed to drag on, which I suppose many teen “romances” are a slow burn. Zayneb - she was kind of a downer through most of the book. I know she went through a lot but I found her attitude kind of brought me down. Glad I stuck with it, the final part of the story was sweet.

I can’t believe it, but I actually like this book even better than SK Ali’s first, Saints and Misfits. While Saints and Misfits was perfectly structured with dramatic plot and domestic Muslim issues, Love from A to Z drew me in with it’s lovable, complex characters and global issues.

In Love from A to Z, Ali tackles tough topics like Islamophobia against high school students and drone "war victims," but tempers the blow by wrapping it in a bittersweet love story.

Like in Saints and Misfits, Ali brings to light lesser known, but no less important Muslim groups: converts, and ethnically marginalized (non- South Asian and Arab) groups like Guyenese, Sudanese, etc. These are groups that even the global Muslim community need to recognize and respect.

Again, after reading a book by S.K. Ali, I feel empowered, through her gentle writing about confident and assertive heroine. I had a blast reading this book and I highly recommend it.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

Love from A to Z is multifaceted book that effortlessly moves between anger, fear, swooning, grief, and inspiration. It's a book about Islamophobia, about the act of resistance, and finding the marvel's all around us. Zayneb is one of my favorite characters in all of YA literature because her struggle with her anger and passion is one that I've been struggling with the last year - witnessing the injustice around you without letting the anger take over.

Love from A to Z is told through dual point of views - Adam and Zayneb - and we are able to experience Adam's fear of disclosing his MS diagnosis to his dad, as well as the full breadth of Zayneb's thoughts. One of the things I loved about Love from A to Z is this discussion of Zayneb's anger. Does she have to mellow out? Change her methods of resistance? Fresh from her suspension due to her Islamophobic teacher, Zayneb is questioning the way the world works, the justice of the world.