Counting Down with You was such a delightful book. There is so much to like here with super relatable characters, their sweet fake dating to real dating relationship, support by well-rounded side characters, and awesome anxiety rep, readers will easily fall for Karina and Ace's story.

A classic rom-com YA story with fake dating is exactly what I needed. Cute story about Karina who is a junior in high school but burdened by her family’s expectations. Her parents are out of town for a month so she’s finally getting to breathe and do some things she doesn’t get to usually. She doesn’t want to be a doctor - instead she loves literature- so when her English teacher asks her to tutor someone she cant say no. In comes Ace and then her world gets turned upside down. He pushes her out of her bubble while her parents are out of town.
Cute story but it does tackle different issues from anxiety, sibling issues, family expectations, etc. Give it a try!

This was a great story for this summer!! Lots of humor and romance and I just fell head over heels for it. This debut will steal your heart and soul and just make you want to laugh so much. After you have falling in love with the characters and their story is done you will want to start the book all over again from the start!

Ahhh, I feel that one of the reasons I read so much YA – besides just enjoying the boldness & honesty of the genre – is that I never got to have some of this when I was growing up. I've been reading so much YA by South Asian authors lately, maybe because I'm less familiar with that culture, and I've been loving them.

The premise was enough to interest me – a classic fake relationship in high school story – but what really sold me were the details, especially the creation of 16-year-old Karina Ahmed, a Bangladeshi junior who lives & breathes literature but has uncomfortably resigned herself to following her parents’ wishes to pursue medicine. An assignment tutoring the school’s popular bad boy (? hmm to be determined) Ace Clyde somehow evolves into a relationship while Karina’s parents are on a monthlong trip overseas.

There are some rom-com staples that are comforting - the incredibly devoted best friends, problems with siblings, parents who just don't understand, a seeming opposites attract relationship, and a guy who really SEES you. But I also appreciated the wealth of details about Karina's life and customs that aren't overexplained or treated as alien - the food, the clothes, the practices.

In some ways, things are just a bit TOO perfect (seriously how are these teens so in touch with their feelings? And his name is ACE ffs, but I'm not mad about it) until the parents are figured in, and here's where I feel the honesty really works. While tiger parenting is a stereotype, there's rarely nuance about everything else that comes with it - the desire to please one's parents, the overt sexism inherent in many of the Eastern cultures, how some families are less/more strict than others, the second generation sisterhood of cousins commiserating, some cousins NOT, even how an older generation may be more openminded than a younger one.

The line that struck me was when Karina finally realizes that she's heartbroken about her parents because they've disappointed her, not the other way around. I think there comes a time in most people's lives, but definitely in the lives of second generation immigrants, that they have to understand that their parents aren't just human, but they've very wrong.

Karina also has anxiety, which I thought was fascinating to see played out in how she deals with it, and how others may perceive her. Those among us who are anxious will recognize that extra level of awareness that is layered onto ordinary life. Her coping mechanisms aren't going to work for everybody, but she is also still figuring it out.

Oh, also I can't help love a good martyr story ... as long as I know there will be vindication at the end. Some good wallowing and then catharsis!

Counting Down With You has been high up my TBR ever since it was announced simply because it has one of my favourite tropes — fake dating. To add to it we have a South Asian MC with anxiety and I couldn’t have been more excited. Needless to say I flew through the book and had the time of my life reading it (and crying over the last few chapters).

I can’t explain it but reading Counting Down With You was exactly like the feeling of cotton candy dissolving in your mouth. This trope filled YA cotemporary hit all the sweet spots for me. I experienced a whole spectrum of emotions throughout the book and I’m glad Tashie Bhuiyan delivered.

❛T-27 days. I’m going to try to make every single one of them count.❜

Karina, the protagonist I wanted as a brown girl, the protagonist I saw myself in. Her anxiety and how she dealt with it spoke to me. I got the constant apologising, the feeling of not wanting to let others down, feeling overwhelmed by the expectations. (Speaking of, I should really try aromatherapy). I loved her for her passion in English and I loved that she fought to pursue it. All the while I also understood her want to make her parents proud and not dismiss their sacrifices. It’s a heavy burden to live up to your parents’ expectations and try not to disappoint them, especially as the elder child.

Karina’s experiences were raw and real — I admire her for both silently following what her parents want her to do and for standing up for herself and taking control of her life. As an Indian studying in STEM her story felt all the more personal to me. Tashie brought a wonderful character with strong emotions to life. Teens who struggle under parental and societal expectations, resultant anxiety and the feeling of not wanting to take their life for granted will definitely relate to Karina.

Ace, the white boy to deserve rights, might seem like the typical bad boy at first but I ended up liking him for his gentle and aspiring personality which is hidden beneath the leather jacket, cool rings and annoying smirk. He listens to Karina be it about her dreams or when she’s making him realise how privileged he is, gives her the space she needs and respects her boundaries. He’s not the white-guy-who-saves-brown-girl, Karina can very much handle her problems, Ace is just a catalyst to push her towards grabbing her chance at happiness, bringing out the spark in her.

Their relationship is pure serotonin!! The banter, soft conversations and flirty moments are a delight to read. Tashie used some of my favourite tropes for developing their romance, making me squeal. I mean, Ace buys Karina books, coffee and sweets while they’re *faking* it and I can’t even get a second glance? Thanks Tashie, for making me feel so single. It does get cheesy sometimes but I do love an occasional dose of it. And to be honest, we all could use an occasional cheesy rom-com in our lives.

Tashie included beautiful poems to bring out the English major in Karina. The words and meaning behind them served as a great outlet for her feelings.

While her relationship with her parents might be shaky, Karina had a great support system. Dadu is my favourite character, a stellar example of how grandparents love their grandchildren a lot. Her high school friend group, Cora and Nandini were always there for a hug or to just support her. I liked the development of her relationship with her brother Samir, as she makes him realise he’s favoured and has it easier compared to her.

I do think this book will appeal to teen and Gen Z readers more, because of the writing style and internet slangs used, which definitely made me grin.

Personally, I would've liked if we'd gotten more of the girl group and a little more conflict towards the ending, but I liked the flow enough to not complain.

TLDR; Counting Down With You has left me warm all over. If you like a tropey romance with a different take that touches your heart, a story about love and the strength to choose what’s right for oneself, Tashie’s debut is the perfect book!

Counting Down with You is a book that made me go “oof.” While the story is billed as a fake dating romance (which it is, to its credit), to me, it’s fundamentally a story of a teen girl finding the courage to be fully herself and to witness what is possible when she isn’t being suffocated by her parents’ expectations.

The first thing that really spoke to me in this book was the representation of anxiety. The constant feeling of being on edge, of fearing the worst, of wondering if you’ll ever be enough for anyone, hit really close to home. Karina’s panic attacks and breakdowns were very visceral in a way that resonated with my own experience, to the point where I also found myself struggling to breathe a bit when I was following her emotional journey.

Unlike Karina, I did not have abusive parents, but I still felt the weight of so many expectations that held me back from making choices because I wanted something rather than because I was afraid of any negative consequences that might follow. I also had a STEM to liberal arts pipeline experience. So in that sense, Karina’s experience spoke deeply to mine, as a second generation Asian American trying to step off the path that I’d once assumed was the only one for me, terrified of disappointing the people I loved most by choosing happiness.

Not gonna lie, I did not particularly like Ace’s character at the beginning (and I didn’t really find the “bad boy” label that fitting because he was just a rich white boy acting out a little but not actually doing that much “bad” stuff), but he grew on me over time. While teen me definitely would have written him off based on appearances, adult me acknowledges he was perfect for Karina in helping her personal growth and bringing out her inner spark. I appreciate that the two talked about boundaries and that Ace respected Karina’s boundaries even when he disagreed with how she reacted regarding her parents’ treatment of her.

I loved pretty much all of the supporting characters and Karina’s relationship with them. Her besties, Cora and Nandini, were the best friendship squad a person could ask for, providing a mixture of good-humored teasing/roasting and unconditional love and support. Karina’s brother, Samir, surprised me in good ways with his maturation over the course of the story, and I guess I’m a sucker for sibling bonds in fiction. Her Dadu (paternal grandmother) was one of my all-time favorite characters because she was brimming with love and wisdom and acted as one of Karina’s staunchest allies against her parents’ harmful treatment. Dadu is my personal hero.

To sum up the book in one sentence: Counting Down with You will break your heart and then heal it.

I always get so excited whenever a South Asian author comes out with a book featuring a South Asian lead. It gives me the most warm, fuzzy feelings when characters that looks like me go on adventures and fall in love because WE CAN!

We’re following Karina, a Bangladeshi-American teen as she learns to deal with her anxiety and tries to pursue her dream of studying English (against her parents’ wishes) while somehow being pulled into fake dating the preppy bad boy she’s tutoring.

This book is absolutely adorable. Ace and Karina are definitely my new favorite book couple. Where can I find an Ace Clyde for myself?? I adored the dynamic between them and I appreciated that in spite of there being a class and lifestyle difference between Karina and Ace, there was never a power imbalance in their relationship. They both made an effort to understand the other's problems and Ace always chose to respect Karina's boundaries when it came to her family and anxiety. THIS BOOK NORMALIZED APOLOGIZING FOR OVERSTEPPING BOUNDARIES AND MAKING MISTAKES IN RELATIONSHIPS! That is such an important representation in media for young audiences.

I loved the writing in CDWY and how it completely immersed me in the story. I could relate with some of Karina's struggles in this book. It highlighted the pressure of carrying your parents' expectations on your shoulders, especially when you feel like you can't meet them or you'll never be good enough. It was heartbreaking to see Karina have to sacrifice her passions. However, Dadu was literally the best person ever- I LOVE HER! I love book grandmas in general and how supportive they are.

I also really enjoyed the friendships in this book. Cora and Nandini were so fun!

Overall, I would definitely recommend! You can tell a lot of love was poured into every setting, dialogue and relationship. CDWY was a good read :)

I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book from the publisher and Caffeine Book Tours as part of my participation in their blog tour.

Counting Down With You is a story about Karina or commonly known in her community as Myra as she navigates her teen life against the wrath of traditionally strict parents, fighting for her dreams and her first love. This story follows the mc’s story as she embarks on a journey through fake dating with a boy who upholds a certain reputation at school and ultimately bringing out the best in each other.

The author mentioned that she wrote this book based on her personal experiences yet there were some parts where I could really relate to some of it too. Karina has a brother Samir who pretty much excels and it can be really frustrating to constantly being compared with him. It really feels as though her parents had such high expectation on her and pressured her to pursue a major she absolutely have no interest in. I have heard and read some reviews that said Karina’s parents behave that way mainly because of their religion and I don’t agree with it. Because one’s act don’t automatically justify their faith in the religion they embraces.

The muslim representation honestly surprised me as I didn’t have a huge expectation in the first place because most often than not, it usually makes me a bit disappointed. I would usually find and nitpick over a single flaw. But I’m totally over it because I have to accept that not everyone is the same when it comes to faith. Even seeing myself reflected in a character and being represented no matter how small is more than enough.

I have to say that the romance aspect isn’t my most favourite aspect in this book because I was rooting for a bigger cause and that is Karina’s fight to pursue what she loves most. This is the part where I can relate most because I was just like her but I wasn’t persistent all the way. Instead life has taken me to a whole different path, way different than I could ever imagine. There is a slight regret but I’ve learnt to move on so learn from my mistake and be like Karina. I’m not saying that I dislike Karina’s relationship with Ace but considering that it all pretty much went smooth sailing so I don’t have much to talk about.

All in all, this is a fun and interesting book that highlights on so many important messages. Like Karina isn’t a damsel in distress waiting for a knight to set her free because she is the knight. So, don’t limit yourself and go all in. I would recommend you to read this book and expect more works from the author in the future as I will too.

Title: Counting Down with You
Author: Tashie Bhuiyan
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 out of 5

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.

Karina is my girlfriend.

Tutoring the school’s resident bad boy was already crossing a line. Pretending to date him? Out of the question. But Ace Clyde does everything right—he brings her coffee in the mornings, impresses her friends without trying, and even promises to buy her a dozen books (a week) if she goes along with his fake-dating facade. Though Karina agrees, she can’t help but start counting down the days until her parents come back.

T-minus twenty-eight days until everything returns to normal—but what if Karina no longer wants it to?

I enjoyed this read and learning more about Karina’s life and culture. She’s a fascinating character and a lot of fun—especially when she’s with her two best friends. I did not, however, find Ace believable or realistic in the slightest. Sure, he was wonderful and perfect, but…a 16-year-old boy who’s perfect and always does the right thing is the opposite of believable. He’s not a bad boy. He’s super nice and respectful, and he apparently falls for Karina without knowing a thing about her. So, while I enjoyed this read, I never lost sight of the fact that it wasn’t believable.

Tashie Bhuiyan is based in New York City. Counting Down with You is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 5/17.)

From start to finish, this was fantastic!

This is definitely one of the best books I've read this year, hands down. Everything about this was amazing: Karina was a wonderful main character, her two friends were so amazing and supportive, Ace as a love interest was everything you could want, her brother may have started annoying but grew and learned in the best way... Also, everyone should have a grandparent like Dadu. It was hard at times to see how hard Karina tried to please her parents and yet they were so hard on her, so it was great to have Dadu always in her corner. Honestly, Dadu shined as a character.

The anxiety rep in her was, as far as I could tell, really well done. It was very descriptive and at times visceral, but so realistic. I liked the thread of the countdown and how it had dual meanings-- Karina's countdown method for her anxiety and the countdown until her parents come back from Bangladesh. It pulled a lot together really nicely.

The romance was really sweet, too! Ace was a wonderful love interest, and I liked how he did make mistakes but always apologized and worked to fix it and keep it from happening again. The discussion of boundaries and how he always respected when she drew a line no matter if he understood or not was really good. It was a great example to give to teen readers of a healthy relationship.

Literally my only critique is the tiniest thing ever: the use of slang terms/phrases. I would be very interested to hear from actual high schoolers how they feel about the slang in the book, because it felt kind of extra to me. But, I'm so well past my high school years and teen slang isn't something I use anymore, so I can't say it was inaccurate or poorly done. I would like to hear what actual teenagers think, to know if it was a little over the top or if it's actually how teenagers speak.

📆Fake dating
📆Opposites attract
📆Muslim rep
📆Anxiety rep

The author has a note at the beginning of the story; it's not autobiographical but influenced by her experiences. I loved this realistic YA book. The story hooked me from the get go and the writing gave me all the feels; from the internal conflict between her parents' desires for her life and what she wants; to the sweet romance that developed. I loved all the characters surrounding the main character - especially her grandmother. Highly recommend reading!

On the surface, Counting Down With You has everything I want in a great book but, when I went a little deeper, there were a few issues in the book. I love fake date books, and Bhuiyan created an adorable scenario that leads to Karina and Ace’s dating rouse. Ace was a charming romantic lead, and his relationship with Karina was filled with sweet and swoony moments. I enjoyed how their romance slowly developed. Karina and Ace’s transition from strangers to fake dating couple to love was slow-paced and realistic. Plus, I appreciated how the author created a diverse cast of characters. Karina’s family is from Bangladesh, and she attends an American school where she interacts with people from all backgrounds and sexual orientations. The author created an entertaining book that allows teens to learn about other cultures without writing a lesson book. There were some issues with the book. I had a hard time with Karina’s narrative voice, there were several times that her word choice felt unnatural, and she didn’t sound like a teen. Also, I had a problem with the final resolution of Karina’s struggle with her parents. (Spoiler alert!) Karina’s decision to hide parts of her life from her parents indefinitely wasn’t a satisfying resolution. I understand that Karina’s parents would be accepting of her relationship with Ace, but for the book to end with her pretending the relationship didn’t exist wasn’t satisfying. The good outweighs the bad in Counting Down With You, but the novel didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

This is a story about many, many things, but at its romantic heart, it is a story about fake dating suddenly showing the potential to become real love. Karina Ahmed agrees to tutor Ace Clyde (long known as the high school's resident "bad boy" who doesn't care about his education) for their English class because of her deep love for literature and poetry. When Ace introduces her as his girlfriend to his family, Karina is horrified, and afraid her parents will find out. But with her parents out of the country, Karina finds herself with the chance to explore how she truly feels about her life, her future, and Ace.

I really appreciated that the main character, Karina, is a character with anxiety. The book discusses how her anxiety manifests itself mentally, emotionally, and physically, and rang very true for me as someone with anxiety. I think it's so important to have more YA main characters with realistically depicted mental health, and I thought that was well done here.

Karina's two best friends are really great characters. They are girls who all have each other's backs no matter what. There is no drama, nothing coming between them, and they provide an incredibly beautiful support system for each other. This was really refreshing and lovely to see in a YA book.

I also found the romance between Karina and Ace charming and I was definitely rooting for them. I really liked that Ace, instead of finding Karina's anxiety off putting or too much to handle, chose to do research and find new ways to help her cope when she felt overwhelmed.

The ending, while enjoyable, felt way too pat for me, though. It just didn't seem possible, given everything the characters had gone through and were still up against, that everything would work out the way it did. I would say this book had a lot of potential, and it mostly lived up to my expectations.

I would absolutely recommend Counting Down With You to anyone who likes teen drama type books. The characters are realistic, and it was especially nice to see such an accurate portrayal of what it’s like to live with an anxiety disorder. The writing verges on the somewhat overwrought at times, but given that the point of view is that of a teenage girl, that’s forgivable. The poetry interspersed throughout is a cool element. Overall, it’s a great book, with a storyline that will pull you in immediately.

I absolutely adored this book. Karina is such a great protagonist and Ace is totally swoon-worthy but Karina's Dadu totally stole the show. The anxiety rep was well done and very authentic to my own experience.

I loved reading about Bangladeshi culture and traditions and I cannot wait to see what Tashie puts out next!

Counting Down with You was one of my most anticipated 2021 reads. It’s not everyday you get a Muslim-Bangladeshi rep in a book, and combined with fake-dating trope on top of that? Yes please. Eventhough it didn’t quite reach my expectations, overall, I still enjoy this book and would recommend it to everyone.

Things I like from this book:
+The family relationship, especially between Karina and her grandma (and also her brother at some point). It’s definitely the best part of this book. Karina and her parents have somewhat complicated relationship, and throughout it all, her grandma is Karina’s #1 supporter. I love every scenes that feature them.
+the friendship between Karina, Nandini, and Cora are also great. They always support each other and their friendship are the kind you wish you have. I wish we knew more about Cora and Nandini though, since we knew almost nothing about them.
+Last but not least, the anxiety rep. As someone with anxiety, I could relate a lot with Karina--including the struggle and the coping techniques.

Things I wish were better:
+Definitely the romance. Counting Down with You promised fake-dating trope (and it does deliver, in some ways), but I don’t really get those tension that you usually get when reading books with fake-dating trope. They also went from fake-dating to catching feelings super fast (maybe in a week?). Also not helping is the fact that the romance are too cheesy to my liking. This is a "it's me, not you" problem though, so I hope you guys enjoy it more.

Anyway, like I said, I still enjoyed this book, so y'all definitely should give it a try!

Dadu (grandmother) comes to stay with Karina and Samir while Ma and Baba visit family for a month back in Bangladesh. Ma and Baba are very strict with Karina, wanting only the best for her, which includes becoming a doctor. With her parents on vacation, Karina finally feels like she can breathe. She wants to major in English and starts tutoring Ace every afternoon in the subject, which blossoms into a strong friendship between them and helps her find the courage to stand up for what she wants. A strong story and a satisfying ending.

Tashie Bhuiyan is a Bangladeshi American, and seems to represent the culture and the struggles well through her main characters. I enjoyed the story and would love to see a sequel or novella that follows Karina to college.

Can we please forget and move on from the fact that I almost binge-read this book during my exams? It will be very much appreciated, thank you.

OMG, I am mild panicking because idk where to even start with this book! South Asian MC, with a diverse cast and fake dating trope??? There was nooo way I was gonna pass up reading this book and I am soo glad I read it. I swear I had more coherent sentences when I was thinking about writing a review... now I just wanna scream and say GO READ THIS BOOK IT IS A GEM.

Starting with the characters (because they are soooo freaking adorable, cutiess), well I loved them. Karina and Ace both were sooo cute I cannot. They were going above and beyond with the cheesy comments and I was there to witness it all and I was even texting me friend how in love I was with them. Even though I loved them both, it was Karina who stole my heart completely . Her poetry, her thoughts, how she dealt with her troubles, the way she time and again asserted her boundaries was so refreshing to read! Throughout the book she was this one constant that inspired me soo much I cannot even start. Not gonna lie, there is a weird obsession going around with kids taking up studies only in STEM. I have witnessed it first hand and even though I was glad that I wasn't forced into it, it is still pretty bad. Like it's ridiculous when people have no clue whatsoever beyond Biology and Engineering and it is so hard on people. Karina's struggle, her thoughts of just doing everything for her parents - everything just hit so close, it was difficult. All I wanted to do was go into the novel and just hug her, give her strength, fight her stupid relatives (I guess this relatives problem is a universal thing... I wonder if it can ever get sorted) and just like shake her parents and tell them to treat her right.

And then there was the whole romance aspect, and I can't even begin to talk about it. I mean, oh my, I genuinely thought that these stuff will be dealt with more 'openness' for people in abroad but apparently not. I dunno why but dating is some sort of weird stereotype that people run from here, you just cannot date, and if you date more often than not it is a secret . And while reading there was this whole conflict going around in me that I can't even describe, I still don't know what was that one thing that wasn't setting with me, no matter what. And then there is Ace... what do I even talk about him? Why is he so sweet? The best thing that I loved about him was how he was accepting the fact that there are stuff he doesn't understand and might not understand but that doesn't mean he gives up on trying. That is honestly the best thing about him. Oh and the fact that he is into music and astronomy... can he be anymore dreamy?

And then there are Karina's friends and her Dadu whom I just adore so muchhhh... I am not crying honestly. I love the fact that they stood by her when she was having a hard time, dealing with anxiety, dealing with her strict parents and overall down self-confidence. It was not easy on any of them and I am so happy for Karina that she got so amazing friends. And Dadu was just the best grandparent one could ever hope for. I just love her! As for the plot, there's not much to tell because it had the almost same outline of a fake dating trope. What enhanced the plot was the amazing character development, and the general setting of the book. The book, according to me, was character driven and honestly that is the best thing about it. Towards the end it felt rushed and I really wanted to read moreeee. Like I desperately need more content on them and the side characters. I loved this book just sooo much <3<3 Ohhh and I see that a new book is coming by Miss Tashie and yes I am counting down the days.

Trigger Warning: Anxiety attacks, strict parents, verbal and mental abuse by parents

Thank you so much to Miss Tashie and Inkyard Press for providing me with an arc of this book <3

5/5 stars

Forever obsessed with the story of Karina and Ace. There is...too much to share here but a few things that I loved:

1. The FRIENDSHIP between Karina, Cora, and Nandini. Too pure.
2. The sibling relationship between Karina and Samir.
3. Karina and her grandmother, Dadu, were everything.
4. ACE — the way he is so much more than he appears on the surface and I found that beautiful.

Karina is a Bangladeshi-American teenager whose parents are very strict on her, but who leave for four weeks to visit family in Bangladesh. She thinks she's going to have a chill four weeks...enter Ace. First just a boy she tutors, then someone she's fake dating, Ace is the school's resident bad boy.

The book contains anxiety rep that's very explicit; family dynamics that are relatable (I am sure) to many Asian immigrant families but also to anyone whose parents have different expectations for them than they have for themselves; banter; and some absolutely gorgeous poetry as well.

Overall, I CANNOT recommend it enough!

Heat Factor: It’s a lovely warm–first bloom of love and all that.

Character Chemistry: At first glance they’re opposites attracting but then it turns out they’re actually quite similar.

Plot: Karina (Myra) is a second generation Bangladeshi teenager dealing with a lot of pressure to succeed within a very narrow set of parameters. When she’s asked to tutor Ace, the school “bad boy”, she’s initially horrified–but she soon discovers that they have way more in common than she thinks…

Overall: This book is actually achingly sweet. It’s a Young Adult, so you’re in for some major teen angst, but in this case that angst is pretty understandable.

I always have to prepare myself for YA romance because I’m reading with my grown-up brain and it doesn’t normally compute very well with idealistic and irrational teenagers. At first, I kind of thought that’s what this one would be like, but it really threw me for a loop once I read on.

Karina’s experience is very raw. She’s both held to very narrow and strict standards but also somewhat dismissed and unseen. She wants to be her own person and knows what she wants outside of those parameters but she knows that being that person would very likely change everything about the way she exists within her family—and while there are a lot of things that chafe about her existence, she understandably isn’t willing to risk the things she does love about her family. For her, she knows that if she pushes her family to choose between accepting her as she is or abandoning her, they may very well choose to abandon her. And that’s terrifying.

Ace is in a prison of his own making, really. His family split apart years before, and because of a failure in communication, Ace has essentially isolated himself from everyone in order to protect himself from feeling hurt. His brother has taken out a lot of his anger and sadness on Ace in a really vengeful and harsh way, and Ace has zero interest in engaging. So while he has a reputation for being a “bad boy”, he’s actually a very sweet kid who plays piano like a master and loves astronomy. What he needs is someone to believe in him—an anchor—and Karina is that person.

What I loved about this book is how, beyond the sweeping teenage gestures and extensive time spent agonizing over every little interaction that comes with a Young Adult romance, we’re looking at two people who are bravely carving a place for themselves in their own lives after spending years trying to just float along trying to please people at their own expense.

One thing that made this book really beautiful is that with Karina, her struggles are so balanced and nuanced. I loved that the solace and peace she found in her Muslim faith, but she was also honest about the parts of being a Muslim immigrant that weren’t easy for her. She LOVES her family, but she can see very clearly that the way she exists in her family is hurting her—and that it won’t change without loss and pain. She loves who she is and she loves her life, but she wants more—more options, more freedom. Some of it is part of being a teenager, but in her case it’s more than that. And I just found the way the author unpacked her situation to be very thoughtful and tenderly done.

Karina and Ace’s love story is kind of like a chemical reaction, and neither one is the same after they’ve fallen in love—which is kind of uncomfortable and wonderful for both of them. And it’s adorable.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.