I liked Karina's character although she did frustrate me sometimes but I liked her strength and how her anxiety was dealt with, I loved her friend group and I wish they were included more like I feel I didn't see enough of them.

I really liked Ace and his character in general but he did feel a little underdeveloped, his relationship with Karina was cute but not anything special. I think what stood out most was Karina's relationship with her grandma which I really loved.

The pacing was a little off to be honest some parts felt very dragged and just unnecessary, I got really bored in the middle and the ending felt a little rushed. I liked the muslim rep in the book but I do have some things that felt off to me and just annoyed me in general. Overall a good debut.

Karina Ahmed has a plan. Keep her head down, get through high school without a fuss, and follow her parents' rules--even if it means sacrificing her dreams. When her parents go abroad to Bangladesh for four weeks, Karina expects some peace and quiet. Instead, one simple lie unravels everything.

This book was so freaking adorable! Karina and Ace were such easy characters to root for. They formed a really fun and sweet dynamic from the start. Karina struggles with breaking the mold of who her parents want her to be and Ace really teaches her to step outside of that bubble. Truly this book was so wonderful to read.

Stayed up way too late last night reading this one and reading the anxiety attack scenes was very triggering, but this was a very good and realistic portrayal of what it can be like. It is over 400 pages, not a quick read. The author is a Bangladeshi American which is the same as the protagonist, so it is another #ownvoices. Lots of diversity, lots of cultural references, also lots of mentions of books, movies, music, and food. It reminded me of YA RomCom movies from the late 90s, but way more respectful and also a little bittersweet. Comes out May 2021, but I recommend you add it to your lists.