Razia is growing up in a Muslim-American community in Corona, Queens in the 80s. As she grows from a young girl to a young teen, she discovers who she is through friendships and community, love and loss.

I enjoyed Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion. It is a coming of age tale told from a different perspective than I have read before. I did find the flow of the story a bit difficult to follow at first. The earlier chapters seem to be more short vignettes or looks into scenes of Razia’s life, but as time goes the chapters flow together more. Perhaps this is because we tend to remember instances of our childhood and our memories tend to flow more as we get older.

There were a few threads of the story that never got resolved for me, for example why was Shahnaaz all-of-a-sudden available at Bahar’s beck and call.

Despite these slight criticisms, I would still highly recommend this book.

I like a good coming of age story, but there were a few moments where the reader could question Razia's motivations. BUT I did not care. I loved this. I loved every moment.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love the coming-of-age storyline of this book following Razia's character. The writing was beautiful and the author was able to capture a lot of nuance, but I struggled to let the plot really suck me in. The conflict lies within Razia as she must come to terms with who she is rather than who her family wants her to be, but all the stories weren't cohesive enough for me to really pull me in. This book touched on a lot of topics including immigration, sexuality, class, race, and family identity and I thought the author did a really great job giving the reader a really strong character to root for.

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this eArc in exchange for my honest review!

Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion is set in Queens in the '80s and follows teenage Razia as she navigates her identity as a Pakistani girl in a culture-clashing high school.

The novel follows Razia but flows less like a solid and structured plot and more like a meandering through her coming of age story. In a way, it feels more natural and authentic by doing this. Razia's story isn't a perfect or typical story but she feels very real.

One of Razia's greatest struggles relates to her sexual identity and how it is at odds with her family. Her journey to accepting and understanding herself unfolds in an empowering way without being too "girl boss tm."

I would say the standout aspect of Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion for me would be the prose. From the first page I was genuinely struck at how beautifully written this work is.

Stunning. Every sentence is perfectly crafted, the characters were practically bursting with life. This book had me gripped at every second, and by God did I not want it to ever end.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a great read and I could relate to some of the ideas. I think it could have been better if the rising action/introduction hadn't been dragged out so much.

This unique and touching coming of age story lies at the intersection of so many identities: class, race, immigration and assimilation, sexuality.

The story follows Razia, a young Pakistani American teen growing up in the Corona neighborhood of Queens in the 1980s. At the start of the novel she and her friends are insulated in the bubble of their neighborhood, and as time passes friendships are shaken, lives diverge and reconverge, teens rebel, and the girls do their best to navigate their ever-expanding world as they realize they aren't aren't same as their parents, as those who grew up back in Pakistan. In many ways their lives are clearly worse: living in slums, struggling to survive, surrounded by concrete. They endure this for the promise of more freedom and more opportunity, yet their parents struggle to allow that freedom out of fear.

I really enjoyed the writing, which was beautiful and tender at times, quippy at others, and solemn when it needed to be. The author captured quite a lot of nuance, which I appreciated. One spoiler-free example is the way the yards are described in Corona. The initial descriptions tell us that the old Italian inhabitants kept beautiful glower gardens that they tended meticulously. When the Pakistani families moved in they stopped gardening, and the yards became overgrown and wild. At first it is framed as a negative, an explanation for why the old Italian neighbors disliked them. But later Razia notes that in Pakistan the natural growth was beautiful, unencumbered, and free. That was what their parents knew their whole lives, so they had no reason to think they should change now.

One thing that I would note is that there wasn't really one central plot/conflict running through, and it felt almost like a collection of short stories that converged into a climax at the end. I enjoyed all of the stories thoroughly and they all had an important role to play in understanding Razia and her family, friends, and community.

This was a really enjoyable read overall, and one I'll definitely be recommending.

Thanks to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for this ARC to read and review.

Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion follows the life of Raiza, a young Muslim-American who is struggling to find her way in the world. This story is beautifully written and handles traumatic experiences with such grace and care.

I would love to read more of Raiza’s story.

A worthwhile coming of age story that follows Razia through her teenage years.

Filled with complicated family dynamics, Pakistani culture, and bittersweet high school friendships this book is a wonderful read.

If there's a sequel I would love to continue Razia's story!

An ARC was kindly provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC. I really enjoyed this coming of age book. Raiza is a Muslim-American growing up in Corona, NY in the 1980s. The book follows Raina’s friendships and their trials and tribulations. She then finds Angela, who she has feelings for. However, it is not accepted by her family.