Content Warnings for racism, homophobia, and a character being outed.

This book was sweet, but lacked real guts for me. I didn't feel an attachment to the characters or their plight. I wanted to know more about Nishat's connection to her family and her culture. I enjoyed Nishat and Priti's sister relationship. The subject of culture appropriation was dealt with well, but the plot of Nishat's henna business felt weak. There just wasn't a huge pull. She seemed to give up too easily to Chyna, because that's the way things have always been.
Overall, The Henna Wars was ok. Sweet, but not much substance.

Firstly I want to say thank you to Netgalley and Page Street Publishing for sending me an E-ARC of this book, I am so grateful for the opportunity. 

The Henna Wars took me by surprise. Please, don't get me wrong, I didn't request a book that I didn't think I would like but I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. It is such a heart-warming yet raw in places read that I did not want to put down. 

I must admit, it takes a lot for me to enjoy a contemporary book as they are not my chosen genre - fantasy is. However, on odd occasions I am taken aback by a book of this genre and it tends to stay with me for a very long time. The Henna Wars had this effect on me. Whilst a Contemporary easy to read book, The Henna Wars focused on some very hard hitting topics including homophobia, racism and religious beliefs. At times I did find parts fairly difficult to read - I was quite uncomfortable however each of these topics were dealt with in a delicate way which gave each one of them the justice that they deserved. 

The characters really stood out to me in this book. I absolutely loved Nishat and her sister, I loved their relationship and the fact that they stood by each other despite everything thrown in their way. I really enjoyed the love and the loyalty between them as well as really seeing their connection grow when times were hard for either one. I must admit I wanted to punch Chyna through most of the books but it pains me to say, she was a good character one which I really feel the author depicted in order to get the desired effect from the reader. Flavia, annoyed me to start with but she did really grow on me in the end. I did enjoy seeing her journey and relationship build with Nishat. Honestly, Adiba Jaigirdar really does know how to write a good character. 

The writing style of the author was one that I enjoyed. I found it very easy to read and when I picked it up I struggled to put it down. Due to the fact i read this on my kindle, I read the vast majority of it whilst I was in bed. Therefore I did find that I went to sleep a lot later as I kept telling myself I would read just one more chapter. Despite the difficult topics that have been explored in The Henna Wars I still found that this was an easy read that I got through a lot quicker than I have with other books of a similar genre. 

The Henna Wars is one that I will be recommending to other people. I will also be looking out for other books from this author in the future.

I loved The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar! This book is about Nishat, a Bagladeshi girl living in Ireland with her family. Nishat is insanely close with her younger sister, Priti, and they attend a nearly all-white high school. After the Bangladeshi wedding of a family friend, Nishat comes out to her parents. Meanwhile, as part of a school project, Nishat starts her own henna design business and also starts to fall for a rival henna designer, Flavia, a biracial classmate whom Nishat knew in grade school. But the racism and blatant cultural appropriation perpetrated by Flavia's cousin soon gets out of hand and Nishat get bullied right and left while continuing always to stand up for herself even if no one else will.

This book is so intersectionally diverse and at it's heart it is a love story between two young women. Nishat is a strong character who knows exactly who she is, even in spite of the racism and cultural appropriation of her fellow students. The Henna Wars deals with a lot of deep topics and the author provides a trigger warning upfront that the book includes "instances of racism, homophobia, bullying, and character being outed." I highly recommend this book and I also enjoyed learning more about Bengali culture!

NetGalley ARC | One of my most anticipated YA books of May 2020, The Henna Wars actually let me down.

I love that The Henna Wars examines deeper topics--racism, cultural appropriation, bullying, and coming out--with an educated and strong multicultural presence.

Unfortunately, the storytelling is non-existent and poorly written. Besides the actual content, The Henna Wars reads more like elementary junior fiction than YA.

You can read my complete review here: https://theuncorkedlibrarian.com/currently-reading-april-2020/

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

That made me...unbelievably happy. Not sure if it's a 4 or 5 star yet, gotta think on that for a bit, but I loved it. I think maybe I wanted a little more out of Nishat's friendship with Jess and Chaewon, mostly because they all made up so fast and it felt a little superficial to me. I think the part I wish the text addressed was that Chaewon's idea was also cultural, also extremely valuable to her, but Nishat didn't really respect that and was so focused on herself. I grew to love Nishat, but I wish she had acknowledged her own disrespect. But otherwise, I did really love this book. The relationship between Nishat and Flavia made me so happy! I could not stop smiling! And once I really got into this book, I couldn't stop reading! I'm so appreciative for Netgalley approving my request to receive a review copy. It was wonderful, a beautiful discussion of coming out, culture, and cultural appropriation. I only wish it had more pages :)

-Book Hugger

I loved reading this f/f romance set in Ireland between Nishat, a Desi girl, and her long lost best friend, Flavia. But what if you throw a school business competition, conflict with friends, being ignored by your parents after you were forcibly outed...then a lot happens. Nishat isn't perfect, but she struggles to find her way and embrace her culture through a henna business, she vows to win no matter what, how far will she go?

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

It is hard for me to get into the YA genre lately, but I wanted to give this book a try, since it is a diverse read.
Before starting this book, I was really hoping it wouldn"t be a cringy YA story where I’d be rolling my eyes with every turn of the pages. Luckily, it wasn’t!

If you love a diverse contemporary YA story, this is for you.

I enjoyed it and read it in one sitting, but there were things here and there I enjoyed less.
I could relate to Nishat. We might not be from the same culture or religion, but I know how it feels not to be accepted, and or rejected, by family, friends and religion, because of your sexuality.
The feelings she went through hit close to home at times, because I went through more or less the same situation. So I liked that it was a relatable story.

It was a fast read but it was maybe a bit too fast? Events quickly jumped from one moment to another, without having lighter moments here and there. But it is a short read, so it makes sense that you can't always go too much in depth like you can with a bigger book.
Some of the highschool drama wasn't necessary in my eyes. I wasn't too crazy about the almost insta love either. Then again, it is a short book so no time to waste.

All in all, it was a short enjoyable diverse read that put some heavier subjects in the spotlight, but I think it would have been better if the book had a few more chapters to shape the story a bit more in depth.

This is a gorgeous read! Im a huge proponent of love stories over coming out narratives (the latter is ofc necessary, but we need more than that), and while (*spoilers*) there is a horrible outing, the plot is also about rivalry and finding love. I also loved the relationship between Nishat and her sister - totally reminds me of mine and my sister's relationship as teenagers - they might fall out and make mistakes, but ultimately they always love each other.
I enjoyed the nuanced ways in which the novel talked about racism and homophobia - how and why people might not think they're being racist when they ofc are, cultural appropriation and the different ways in which racism can tear its ugly head.
Overall, Henna Wars is a nuanced and intelligent novel wrapped in a sweet love story and compelling writing.

Title - The Henna Wars

Author - Adiba Jaigirdar

Genre - YA LGBT Romance

With the lockdown upon us, it has been quite a productive time for me to get along with my reading schedules. What can be called as a cherry on the cake is when the book hooks you up from start to finish and leaves a smile on your face throughout. Henna Wars is one such book and here is my take on one of my best reads this year.

The story starts with us getting introduced to Nishat whose family has moved from Bangladesh to Dublin and has been living a pretty interesting life. We see Nishat coming out to her family about her sexuality which isn't quite openly accepted by her parents. On one of the wedding ceremonies, Nishat comes across her ex-classmate with whom she starts developing a crush on. What brings the twist here is when Flavia joins the same school and is now pitted against Nishat as they both decide to work on similar projects aka Henna designing.

As I had already mentioned earlier, the book is what one would call a feel-good book. The characters are quite lovable and for someone who has grown up in a South Asian household, a lot of incidents are pretty relatable. The three central characters Nishat, Priti and Flavia are just adorable and one would start rooting for them from the very beginning of the book. Although I'm someone who hardly picks up a book in romance genre, this one did hook me up quite easily.

With a theme that ain't pretty new, a high school rivalry, the book does not get too in depth with the nitty gritty on the school life but rather focused mainly on the relationships of Nishat with Flavia and also her family. Though the book does turn annoying at one point of time, it comes back on top pretty quick letting the readers to say that All's well that Ends well.

So would i recommend this book? If you haven't got hands on it, do get it as soon as possible as this one promises a fun ride for someone who loves to read YA Romance and can pretty much get lost in books and characters.

THE HENNA WARS is so well written!!!! This story brought me so much happiness when reading it. I love seeing other representation in the literary world. The characters... the imagery... plot points.... 5/5!!!!!! You won't regret picking up this novel!!!!!

I wish I had a book like The Henna Wars growing up.

Nishat is a Bangladeshi girl, living in Ireland with her parents and her sister, Priti. While attending a Bangladeshi wedding one day, she realises that she needs to tell her parents the truth about her sexuality so that they don’t continue to expect and plan for a wedding for Nishat, just like the one they’re at.

Nishat has dreams of being accepted by her parents, of everything being okay, but in truth when she does come out to them, nothing is the same. Thankfully, she has Priti on her side, and as it turns out, a burgeoning interest in Flavia, a biracial classmate (her mother is Brazilian) who has returned to Nishat’s school after a couple of years away. Except, she also happens to be the cousin of the girl who has been bullying Nishat for years, Chyna.

When the girls are given a class project to start their own business, Nishat decides to start her own henna business, something Flavia copies because she likes art. There’s a discussion on cultural appropriation that I wish went on further, but really there’s so much goodness in here, it’s a small quibble.

As it turns out, their decisions to run the same henna business set Nishat and Flavia in competition with each other, accompanied by the push-and-pull and fear of two girls realising they like each other.

Their relationship is set also set against the theme of family – predominantly Nishat’s, though I’ll get to Flavia’s as well. ‘Muslim girls are not lesbians’ is something her parents believe, and when they urge her to reconsider her ‘choice’ my heart broke for Nishat who just wants to be herself – for herself, and with her parents. But this is a familiar cultural refrain, in that I’ve heard plenty about what Indian girls should be doing and shouldn’t be doing growing up, and standing up for the choices I made was not an easy thing.

As the book progresses, both Nishat and readers learn more about her parents, and the choices they made, which give their own words and actions perspective in this book. I enjoyed that immensely as these are complex characters, and there’s more to them than being the ‘parents who come around to their daughter’s sexuality’.

Priti, Nishat’s younger sister, is such a joy. She is her greatest supporter and her protector, but at the same time she isn’t afraid to call Nishat on things she’s done in the book to open her eyes. It’s understandable that Nishat is so wrapped up in her business project and dealing with Flavia, but family is important to her and it’s Priti that makes her realise just what she’s missing out on.

The book tells us just enough about Flavia’s family to make me think there’s a whole book in her own relationships. Her mother wants to prove to her father’s side in the family that he made the right choice marrying her, putting undue pressure on Flavia and her sister. But, I can understand that too. Chyna herself is at her core racist, and Flavia realising that about her cousin was as much a relief, as it was sad.

I did think that their relationship moved very quickly into intense like, but that was a minor hiccup in a book I recommend everyone read.

In addition to this, the author explores the complexity of friendships with teenage girls in Nishat’s friendships with Chaewon and Jess. Like with her family, Nishat’s struggles block out that she isn’t being friends to Chaewon and Jess, and it results in a break down of their relationship during the book. I like that it simmered in the background, but it was always there until Nishat was ready to realise what she’d done and repair it, as did Chaewon and Jess for their actions.

Bullying is another part of this book. It’s the insidious kind where rumours are spreading like wildfire, before Nishat comes out, and then again after. Adiba Jaigirdar ties it all together though, making for such a wonderfully compelling read.

Adiba Jaigirdar has created incredibly relatable characters, struggling with who they are in a world in which they will always stand out whether it be because of the colour of their skin, the food they eat, or their sexuality. That’s the beauty of this book as Nishat struggled with the consequences of coming out to her parents, but she’s also struggling with being bullied (long before anyone knew she was a lesbian), with friendships and her relationship with her sister. All of this will appeal to a wealth of readers who just may need to read a book that makes them smile and makes them feel hopeful.

The first thing I'm going to say about The Henna Wars is how beautiful the cover is! This might be my favourite contemporary book cover ever, I honestly can't stop looking at it, there's so much beauty in the details. I'm so glad I loved this novel so I can justify purchasing a copy even after reading it, just to have that cover on display on my shelves.

Now onto the actual novel, this is a brilliant debut that deserves every ounce of hype! I'm quite shocked that this is a debut in all honesty as the author has sensitively discussed some possibly triggering topics in such a smooth manner. The Henna Wars includes a character being publicly outed as LGBTQ+ to their entire school, cultural appropriation as well as homophobia and racism. I thought the cultural appropriation was discussed and explained in a particularly detailed manner which will educate readers of any age.

The positive sisterhood was another aspect I've found missing in my recent reads. It was wonderful to read about two sisters who were determined to be there for each other, no matter what. The unconditional love between Nishat and Priti, especially when Nishat was struggling with her feeling of belonging within their family due to her sexuality, was uplifting and heartening to read about.

I don't think I had read an f/f story that had a competitive edge to it before reading this novel, the Henna war definitely added an interesting dynamic to this slow burn romance! The teens within the story are given the task of creating a business, this brings out the competitiveness in all the students and begins to show the cracks in some relationships too. As well as including the romance between Nishat and Flávia, the novel also explored the friendships between teenagers and how quickly they can break up and rebuild.

The Henna Wars is a very honest and authentic take on teenage life with a beautifully diverse yet at times painful f/f romance. I would highly recommend this debut to all contemporary fans!

There's been a lot of buzz surrounding this debut, and it's so well deserved. This book deals with Nishat, who comes out to her parents and has to deal with them struggling to accept her, as well as cultural appropriation at her school, when she starts a henna design business for a school assignment but one of her classmates does too. It was a fairly heavy book at times, between Nishat's family's homophobia, the racist bullying Nishat deals with at school, and her being outed at school, so please be aware of that. But it also had many cute moments, and I really enjoyed it.

What I especially appreciated about this book, is how realistic the relationships between the teenagers are. I vividly remember being a teenager and not really having friendships extend beyond school, and how easily friendships could change and end.

I also really appreciated the sibling relationship in this book. I always love seeing sisters in books who love each other and have each other's backs.

Rep: Bengali/Bangladeshi lesbian main character, Brazilian-Irish (Afrolatinx) bisexual love interest, Bengali/Bangladeshi side characters, Korean side character

CWs: racism & racist bullying, homophobia & homophobic bullying, public outing, cultural appropriation

This is a diverse queer contemporary story about a Bengali girl living in Dublin, coming out, having a crush, navigating school while bullied by bigoted homophobes and racists. There's a lot about family, her sister is very important to her and to the story. Nishat, the mc, doesn't make the wisest decisions most times, and doesn't speak her mind much since "it wouldn't change anything". The frustration was real. So, while I was angry at her for the miscommunication, I kind of understood why she chose not to say anything, but how can you know if something can make a difference if you don't do anything?

The writing style was easy to get into, and all the info about the Bengali culture and food really made me see everything that makes it beautiful and fascinating. I must be honest, I don't think I really know where is Bangladesh, but now I feel like a know a bit more about the culture. I love learning something new while enjoying a nice book. Mixing both things is perfect!

The love story might sound like the dreaded trope of instalove. It's more of an instacrush and then we have a really slowburn kind of love story. It was a bit frustrating because it's the first crush, all encompassing, and Nishat didn't manage it very well. I admit to have been quite angry at her for most of the book, but the last chapters made up for all the anger and shakes of head. It was pretty cute in the end. The sum of all the parts of the book make it good! It was like a journey inside Nishat's head with all the doubts, the sadness, the anger, the hopelessness.

This is a book I would certainly recommend to everyone.

You know what I love the most? A really good queer love story. This one has it all.

The Henna Wars follows the young Nishat who has to land a business project for High School and decide to commercialize her passion for henna art.

The narrative of the story is told by Nishat’s mind, allowing us to get to know the real issues she is struggling with which are her coming out to her parents, the racism in school, the homophobia, and the cultural appropriation her the henna by her main competitor, Flavia.

More than a love story, The Henna Wars deals with many subjects with wisdom and relevance: the look upon the Bengali community is never judgmental nor critical despite the homophobic contents. Homosexuality is a real issue among the children of immigrant parents: no one will react the same because of their own story, their own history, their social backgrounds, their cultures, their religion. I’m so glad that we can have more and more books about this in YA literature. It reminded me of a book I loved in 2019 which is called ‘The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali’ by Sabina Khan which is also an excellent book about being gay in the Bengali community.

Being gay is complicated, and it’s even more complicated when you are already facing racism on the daily basis. Not only Nishat is struggling to be accepted by her own parents, but she must face her nemesis Chyna, a white racist and homophobic girl. She is extremely brave and courageous, and I loved her for that. She is a true heroine.

The problematic of cultural appropriation is very well shown: it’s never never (…) never a good “homage” or “artistic inspiration” but it simply is a perverse form of racism. The author presents the subject with a critical eye but a pedagogical approach in order to explain that’s is not right, whether you mean well or not.

One of the most refreshing things about this book is the glorious and adorable relationship between Nishat and her younger sister Priti. They are fusional, they support each other no matter what, protect each other, and have each other back in time of need. Family is everything you want it to be. For Nishat, her sister is what makes her whole and it made my heart melt.

Also, thumbs up for that amazing scene in French class, as a French reader I loved it and it made me laugh so damn much!

The Henna Wars is the story of Nishat, a young adolescent girl from Bangladesh who lives in Ireland with her family and goes to school in a Catholic girls' high school. Only Nishat has a secret, a secret that she no longer wishes to keep for herself, and that she wishes to confess to her parents: she is a lesbian, and wants them to accept her for what she is, even if that challenges some of their beliefs and aspirations.
Chance of the calendar, Nishat meets almost that same day Flávia, a young girl half Irish, half Brazilian, and falls for her immediately. However, a competition in school around henna is damaging their relationship, and the question of cultural appropriation becomes central.

I'm not a big fan of contemporaries, I prefer fantasy, but for once, I found this book particularly addictive. I loved the personality of Nisha, and that of her sister Priti. The latter is very present in this book, and she is really an engaging character, who advances history in a good way, while remaining a young girl of 14-15 years old with teenage worries. She was a bit of the sunshine of this book, a true love!

Nishat is the narrator of this book. We will therefore follow the least of her actions, and this narration works particularly well here. Each situation is more intense, and we really understand the impact it has on her. We feel her confused, happy, angry, dejected, determined, and we live these feelings with her.

This book deals with difficult subjects, and difficult for some people to understand. For example, it is still difficult to differentiate between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. I myself still make the distinction between the two difficult, and this book is a perfect reflection of it. The line between the two is really thin, and crossing it is easier than you think.

I have a big soft spot for stories about or dealing with Asian cultures. This is my first book that deals with Bengali culture, and even though I already knew some details, like henna designs for special occasions, I don't know much. It is therefore with great pleasure that I embarked on this henna war, which is an excuse to speak of cultural appropriation, sexuality and racism.

If you like diversity, you will be served! In addition to the Bengali and lesbian heroine, we have Brazilian and bisexual love interest and a Korean secondary character. In addition, the author is Bengali herself, so she is an ownvoice!

A few warnings are still in order: this book deals with racism, homophobia, harassment and a character who is outed.

In conclusion: A touching book, which deals with difficult subjects with tact, and which I recommend 100%. Thanks to Page Street Kids and Netgalley for allowing me to read this in advance.

A great novel written about the struggles of coming/being forced out of the closet in high school. The intersection of sexuality and cultural and identity is well explained here. I think this is a great read for any teen that may be grappling with their identity in high school or anyone wanting to live unapologetically themselves.

Oh my god I loved this book!!! I devoured it in 2 days it was that good!
It had me all in my feelings from the very beginning and the story was just told so perfectly.
Even though it is so beautifully cute there are some very important themes that were dealt with amazingly throughout the book such as racism, homophobia and cultural appropriation.
My heart kept going from full and happy to breaking and some parts got me so emotional, I was on the verge of tears!
This is definitely one of those books I think I could read again and again and never get bored.
The romance was perfect, the friendships realistic and the sisterly bond was lovely to read about.
Have I mentioned I love this book?
If you're thinking of reading this DO IT, you won't be disappointed.

*Thanks to Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I’ve been looking forward to The Henna Wars for so long! I mean, f/f enemies-to-lovers? This book dealt with more serious issues than I was expecting, but I very much enjoyed it. The Henna Wars was a cute read with a heartwarming narrator, a lovely sister relationship, and ownvoices Bengali culture.

Nishat has just come out to her parents and already feels left out at school because she’s one of the few people of color. She meets a girl, Flávia, whom she knew in primary school at a wedding, and they click instantly. It turns out that she goes to the same school as her now, but their budding friendship comes to a halt when they compete in a school project with rival henna businesses.

I know that the whole point of Flávia having a henna business while not being South Asian was supposed to show cultural appropriation, but it honestly made me so uncomfortable seeing her and her white cousin, Chyna, flaunt Nishat’s culture in front of her. And t!hat’s the point! I’m just always so unsettled in these situations, so reading about it was a little difficult to get through. They do eventually have a conversation about why it’s wrong although Chyna only begrudgingly agrees (and only because Flávia points out that she doesn’t treat Flávia, her brown cousin, like this).

I really adored the strong sister relationship! Nishat and Priti are probably some of my favorite fictional sisters honestly. Priti is there for Nishat through thick and thin, and even when they argue, they always aim to support each other.

It was difficult reading about their parents not really being accepting of Nishat’s sexuality because of the ideals of their culture. I liked how Nishat notes that they were willing to upend their entire lives in Bangladesh and come to Ireland for a better life, but won’t allow her to be happy and live her life to her full capacity. This very much depicts the struggle of LGBTQ+ children of immigrants to make their parents happy but being unwilling to sacrifice a part of themselves to do so. However, their parents do eventually come around a little and are in the process of learning more about Nishat being a lesbian.

The romance was very soft! Flávia brings out some of the best in Nishat towards the end when they’re no longer competing. They bond over being brown in majority-white communities and the feeling of being in-between, with Nishat being Bengali-Irish and Flávia being biracial (Afro-Brazilian and white).

The Henna Wars was an incredibly adorable read that also deals with racism and cultural appropriation. It depicts a lesbian child of immigrants who strives to show her parents that she is who she is, and hiding her sexuality would make her miserable. Overall, this was a lovely debut, and I can’t wait to see what this author has in store for the future!

Sometimes you read books that are just cute and warm and heartbreaking. And your soul just THRIVES. 😍(Look, what is a little reading without pain.) I really fell in love with this, from the sapphic representation to the addictive and wonderful writing to the absolutely amazing sisterly bonds. And can we please admire this cover for ever it is so ridiculous CUTE I JUST !!!

Family is a really powerful theme in this book, because Nishat is lesbian and is coming out to her conservative Muslim parents. And they...do not take it well. It's a family shame, they can't talk to her, they barely look at her. The story is strongly about coming out, and you feel the ache so acutely. It's just such a gut-punch to think your parents don't love you enough. They mostly dealt with it in cold silences, but Nishat is just wracked with anxiety. But look WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT PRITI. Aka, the love of the world, the light of this solar system. I cry. She is the perfect sister. Nishat and Priti absolutely argue and they can be mean to each other, but their relationship is this warm and tight hug of unconditional love.

THIS is the sister story you want. No, you NEED. (I have a lot of sisters and the dynamic of their love and bickering and then intense defence of each other was perfect.)

Nishat gets basically an insta crush on Flavia when they meet, and like it is adorkably cute and adorable and loooooved them. Flavia is Brazilian, and Nishat from Bangladesh, and the book is set in Ireland. But their relationship barely gets moves from cute flustered glances, before they end up at odds: for a school project, the class is required to start a little business. Nishat chooses henna because it's her culture, it means things to her, her grandmother taught her, it's part of who she is. Flavia (and her heinous cousin Chyna) also start a henna business. Because it's trendy. Cue: war.

I loved the way the book dealt with cultural appropriation, really talked about it and laid out the facts cold and hard and honestly. There's a difference between enjoying and participating in a culture not your own, to profiting and otherising it and appropriating it. (Also shout out to Chyna's NAME literally being appropriation. Ugh I despised her.) I love that this was #ownvoices and I love that it featured two POC girls figuring out where they stand and what respect for other cultures means. IT was just so deftly and well written and told.

It had utterly funny moments, important moments, heartwrenching moments. It had IT ALL. I adored the sister squabbles, the jokes, the foodie appreciation. I loved Nishat figuring out who she was, and being messy and making mistakes, but also being so amazing 🥺The whole book went by FAST too. I just loved it and definitely recommend.