2.5/5 stars rounded down.

I get what the author was trying to do with the story, but it just didn't hit. The themes barely went beyond the surface and the writing leaned more towards showing than telling. I'm not Muslim, so I can't speak on the accuracy of the depiction of Islam, but I do wish some of the phrases were translated so I could understand what was being said without garnering from context clues. I wouldn't say this was an entirely bad read; I liked Fatima's relationship with her best friend and her father. But everything else didn't really work for me.

Sweet as a dessert

It was a light and entertaining read. At times the mother infuriated me but especially Raheem.

However, I think that the story remains on the surface when it could have gone a little deeper and the matter of the contest lost importance at times.

That cover was just too beautiful to resist! I think I really enjoyed this book. It was rough in some ways because of the emotional manipulation and blackmail in the latter half, but Fatima’s friendship with Zaynab is 100% one of my favorite elements of this book. Their friendship is so strong and I love the various ways they support one another. The baking scenes were also really fun and it all around had the feeling of watching a baking competition on tv. I really liked how everything worked out and I’m really glad I had the chance to read this.

*Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

The cover art and the synopsis really intrigued me, but after reading the summary of the book, I thought that there would be more to the story and I was excited to see what would happen to the characters. However, the synopsis pretty much spoils the majority of the book which made the plot feel a little flat and predictable.

I felt like things developed way too quickly for the plot to happen smoothly and oftentimes I had trouble deciphering what was going on. There wasn’t a lot of time to let the plot rest and it was very fast-paced the entire time.

I thought that the characters were unlikable, especially the main character. The main plot could’ve been resolved much faster if Fatima wasn’t so passive about her problems.

Also, there were a lot of Islamic terms and expressions that I had to look up on my phone throughout the book because there were no definitions or context provided for non-Muslim readers to understand. It would’ve been great if there was a short sentence explaining what the words mean or a translation to avoid confusion while reading and to keep the reader’s focus on the book and not have to Google the meaning of the words.

Thank you Netgalley and Holiday House for providing me with this ARC.

First off: This cover??? How gorgeous!!😍😩

This is one of those books that really surprise you. Just looking at the cover I expected a YA book with a generic competition as its major plot point (in this case a baking competition). But omg this book is so much more.

Fatima is a young impressionable Muslim girl who struggles keeping up with her parent‘s wishes of becoming a nurse and their expectations regarding marriage although she dreams of nothing more than becoming a patisserie chef.

I’ve found it very refreshing that Fatima was portrayed as what she is - a teenager on the brink of adulthood who, from time to time, likes to defy parental rules and harbors crushes - no matter her religion or cultural background.
At the beginning of the book Fatima meets the older Raheem while volunteering and it soon becomes evident that they feel more than friendship towards each other.

Raheem seems to good to be true, and when by a twist of fate Fatima and Raheem are ought to be married, Raheem turns out not to be the Prince Charming Fatima thought he was but instead shows he’s manipulative and controlling side.

In the end, Fatima shows her strength and successes in standing up for herself when Raheem betrays her trust and tries to lessen her worth as a young woman.

This book is so realistic. It doesn’t matter if you are a religious Christian, Muslim, Jew or belong to another denomination, or non at all - chances are that teenagers are going to participate in premarital activities of some kind. I absolutely love that the author takes this stand and also normalizes the existence of queer people within religious groups.
There were just so many things I liked about this book that it would go beyond the scope of this review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I requested this book because the premise sounded really promising and like something I would enjoy.

After receiving it, I read a few of the reviews that weren’t huge fans of the book but I still anted to read it myself.

The story itself was okay but nothing special. It was fast paced and I just flew through it. Somehow I couldn’t really connect with Fatima and thought at some times that she was a bit annoying. .

I don’t really have a lot of thoughts about the story. It wasn’t the worst book ever but it also sadly wasn’t the best one if recently read.

Thank you to Netgalley for this EARC!

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=2.5 | 😘=3(🙅‍♀️) | 🤬=3 | 13/14+

summary: so this girl enters a baking competition even though her parents don’t want her too and also they’re setting her up with this creepy dude and there’s friendship drama and stuff

thoughts: this was fast-paced and engaging (I read it in like two sittings), but that’s probably the only positive feedback I could give? overall, it’s pretty cringe-worthy—like, it needed a gen z sensitivity reader or something. the protagonist was so painfully oblivious to the clearly toxic love interest that it was pretty insulting to teenage girls everywhere. they’re not stupid, and I genuinely couldn’t stand it.

I recieved an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

To start with what I liked, this book didn't introduce the love interest in the conventional way. Chapter 1 he's already kissing the MC, and from then onwards we get a narrative of things being so good, so great, that it makes us think maybe it's TOO perfect. It disguises itself as a flaw, but it's actually intentional (I think) that in the end helps with Fatima's realizations about him.
However, the writing style and the way the characters think, behave and speak felt too juvenile for me, including the adults. And this could be an issue of the author's writing style, but I prefer to see it as an issue of age target. If this were marketed towards the 13-15 year old audience, it would be fine. But the characters are way too old to be the way they are, and most of them end up coming out as childish. This was a bit too much for me, since I don't gravitate towards those types of stories at all.
And as of the ending, I really think what this book tries to do is very important, but I don't think the execution was quite okay. Through the book, the MC is very adamant about her whole life crushing down if something gets out, we get multiple snippets into people's reactions to believe that it would be like so, and when her secrets get revealed.... nothing bad at all happens? I feel gaslighted as a reader lol. It's disingenuous to say to abuse victims that nothing will change if they fight with abuse, that their lives will continue just like they were before but without the abuser in them. The final chapter makes it seem like the only thing possibly going wrong-ish in Fatima's life is missing Raheem, or feeling stupid, but it had already been proven that this guy had A HUGE impact on their community and what people thought about lots of things, that he had the money to ruin her life, that he could find out where she was at all times, that he knew where she lived and wouldn't doubt to show up unannounced to her house. All of this just disappears in a Scooby Doo-like scene of "and I would've had my way if it wasn't for you, meddling kids!", which does more bad than good to the whole abuse conversation.
A few more rounds of editing, or an agent that dared to keep spinning the author's ideas until they were more solid, would've changed the quality of this book drastically.

I feel bad because this book just isn’t it. The cover is beautiful, the premise is good for a YA book but the writing fell flat and this book is not captivating at all. Sadly, I would not recommend.

Fatima is a good muslim daughter. She keeps her grades up, volunteers at the soup kitchen, and *mostly* does her prayers on time. She really wants to be a pastry chef, and practices all the time (in fact taking her goodies to the soup kitchen). While there, she sometimes works alongside Raheen, who she thinks is cute, but of course, she wouldn’t say anything.

So, she is surprised, when she finds out her mother is trying to set her up to be married, and it turns out to be Raheen. The only problem is, he is being very aggressive with her, kissing her before they are betrothed, and even more than that.

I have to say that I was cheering for Fatima to realize that there was something off about Raheen, as her best friend told her. I was a little frustrated how much she did listen to him, but also happy that she realized something wasn’t quite right.

I love how this character grows, as she should, and realizes that she should follow her dream, no matter what.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out June 13, 2023.

**Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC. This review is my own opinion**

The book jacket summary sounds so good and intriguing, but once I started reading, the writing felt...bland. I'm in search of good rep of Muslim characters and stories, but Fatima was a flat character to me. I tried this for a few weeks; I'd put it down, pick it up, and wash/rinse/repeat. I just can't get into this book and that sucks! The Muslim sayings and terms are never explained, so I had to keep Googling what they meant, which would pull me form the story every time. The author is assuming their readers know what the terminology means. Sadly, I'm DNFing this one.

Fatima Tate Takes the Cake is a heart warming coming of age story. It packs a punch in a bit under 300 pages. Fatima is navigating graduating high school, family obligations and the expectations placed on her culturally. Her Muslim mom is pressuring her towards a career and a life that she really doesn’t want. She is trying to decide to give in or fight for what she wants. Throw in a guy that seemingly meets not on her dream but her parents ambitions is almost perfect. Then again appearances can be deceiving. Journey with Fatima as she fights for who she is. A story of friendship and family. Goodreads doesn’t offer half stars but it’s a solid 3.5.

I received this ARC from Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.

This book is just so GOOD

Fatima Tate a young Muslim woman, wants to be a baker but her parents clearly doesn’t approve her choice of career , and want her to study medicine.
The only moments, she truly can be herself and exercise her passion is at the soup kitchen where she’s a volunteer. But it’s also the place where she meets Raheem, a young Muslim. After some time getting to know each other, they began do date in secret. But one day she learns that a young man is interested of marrying her , this man is Raheem. Both their family are going to organise this marvellous events for their family but also for their community. But all of this could turn very wrong, and choosing between nurse school or her passion won’t be her only problem.

First I feel like I need to precise that I am atheist for some reason so I don’’t know anything about this religion.

There is a lot of thing I liked in this book, first the friendship between Zaynab and Fatima is just incredible, you can really feel that no matter what they will always be here for each other and that’s the best thing knowing what happen in this book. The fact that Zaynab is lesbian is just what makes me confident in thought that no matter your religion is, that you are Christian, Jewish, Muslim… you shouldn’t hid your homophobia behind your religion ( I think people saying that an LGBT character have nothing to do in this book, haven’t understand at all this book and I can only compare them to Imani )
Fatima is kind of a rebellious character but in a good way. She’s standing up to what she believes is right for her like going to her baking competition behind her parents back knowing fully that they want a better life for her but can you really be happy in a job, where yes you can gained more money out of it but where you’re not fully dedicate or passionate by it. But also with Zaynab when Imani or Raheem are completely disrespectful to her .
The relation that she has with her religion is beautiful and you can feel the love she has for her community but also for her family even when she did things that she shouldn’t, she has the need to do the right thing even if don’t end well for her and I think the relation that she has with her family permitted for her to do her final choice about the marriage with her and Raheem and I’m very great full for this happy ending.
I’m also very grateful for that sorority in this book obviously with Fatima and Zaynab but also with Fatima and Chloe. She could just left Fatima with her problem but no she helped her and gave her some advice so she could finally be free.

The only negative thing are the baking scene, I just feel like it could be a little more natural. I felt like reading a recipe and nothing more, I couldn’t really feel the passion in this scene but it wasn’t enough to knock out a star.

It is important to note that as a reviewer, I cannot speak to the accuracy of the representation of Muslim or Black characters in the book, as I am not personally familiar with those experiences. Readers from these communities may be better positioned to assess the authenticity and inclusivity of the portrayal.

Fatima Tate Takes the Cake is a thought-provoking novel that addresses important themes with a strong emphasis on self-empowerment, friendship, and pursuing one's passions. While the tempo of the book may be uneven at times, the well-rounded characters and engaging story make it a worthwhile read.
3.8/5 rounded up to 4/5.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

An honest, emotive debt that portrays the harsh reality of many girls - those with parental expectations, or abusive relationships, for example - while at the same time empowering them to pursue their dreams, no matter how big or small.

Can I just say that one of my favourite things about this book is that it portrays an incredibly realistic look at many Muslim communities across the world without making it seem as if said communities are without reason, a monolith, or exclusive to Muslims? There was a great range of characters here, who all practiced being Muslim differently - and I loved that! There will always be many different people in the ‘same’ community and this book did a wonderful job of showing that.

Fatima, our main character… I loved her. She was constantly being told that she wasn’t ‘enough’ - thin enough, black enough, Muslim enough, rich enough, etc. I’m sure that many of us can relate to her experiences in some way. But she focused on her dreams even when it was difficult, tried to be cautious, and her decision at the end was one that stayed true to her character and what she values. We see her give in to others but ultimately follow her on a journey of learning to prioritise her own heart.

Farina’s friendship with Zaynab was really heartwarming and I love that they were always there for each other, and cared deeply for the other’s needs and wants. Zaynab being a lesbian with a girlfriend and being accepted by her mother was a lovely addition to this book - as a queer Muslim, finding characters who are queer Muslims always makes my heart warm. We have always been here and we always will be - thank you to this author for including this subplot when it will no doubt be controversial among some Muslim reviewers. Making queer Muslims feel seen is so important and they definitely understood that.

I hadn’t even heard of the town Fatima lives in before this book, but I loved the glimpse we got of it - it added to the setting and atmosphere, and I learnt of many new foods and places.

I only have two ‘criticisms’, but neither warrant knocking off a star. The first was that the baking scenes, as pointed out by some other reviewers too, felt very ‘clinical’ - as in, I felt if I was reading a recipe rather than reading about a girl baking. Such technical details weren’t always needed - I would’ve preferred if those sections had been more immersive, for example, by using more references to the senses to really make the reader ‘taste’ the magic.

The second is that the first chapter does feel a tiny bit rushed. I don’t mind that we went in with Fatima already having a crush on Raheem, but I wanted to see a little more of their dynamic before their first kiss.

Overall though, this book blew me away. I would recommend everyone read it, even if they can’t relate to all aspects of Fatima’s story. It teaches powerful messages without being preachy and is nuanced enough to make you question certain aspects of society, but not enough to bog down the book. Plus, there’s amazing friendships, a great, breezy writing style - and, of course, baking! What’s not to love?

I discovered this book with great pleasure. It's a cute story about a girl who's chasing her dream to become a pastry chef. It was interesting to see the place of islam in her life and the pressure on girls in these communities. Definitely going to buy it for the library i'm working at in France !

With such a cute cover I was excited for this title but after reading I immediately knew this book….. just wasn’t it. The MC, Fatima, lacked depth and there were a bunch of other issues that made it hard to read. I will leave it to other reviewers with a more personal experience to explain those issues. This book is a pass for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- the story was…something. i cannot comment on the Muslim rep and it’s accuracies, as i am not Muslim, but when looking up reviews by own voice readers, they cite that the representation fits the “western narrative,” which slanders their religion and practices. it’s to the point where this should not be in books anymore, especially in 2023. we don’t need authors butchering representation or slandering it to fit a certain audience.

🦇 Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

❝ Is it haram to follow your dreams? ❞

❓ #QOTD Did you turn your childhood dreams into a reality, and if not, what stopped you? ❓

🦇 Growing up in a traditional Muslim household, seventeen-year-old Fatima Tate is used to living a life that adheres to her parents' wishes. They see her passion for baking as a hobby, even though Fatima hopes to win a state baking competition hosted by the Culinary Institute of America; the college she hopes to attend despite her mother's desire for her to major in nursing. Her parents would freak out if they knew she was flirting with college student Raheem, who also volunteers at the local soup kitchen with Fatima. Their secret flirting by text heats to a simmer until their parents are involved. Eager to give their daughter a happy, stable life, Fatima's parents encourage their engagement. It's not until the ring is on her finger that Fatima realizes the happily ever after Raheem is offering comes at a price.

💜 Growing up in a traditional Muslim household myself, I hoped Fatima's story would defy some of the stereotypes too often placed on the religion, traditions, and culture. Every coming-of-age / YA story positions readers at a pivotal turning point in a character's life. For Muslim characters, that turning point feels pre-defined by the expectations elders place on us. Fatima does, eventually, define her own path, but after trying to earn her parents' approval and understanding for the entire novel, it feels too instantaneous by the end (especially given her mother's consistent stance about Fatima's future from the start).

🍰 Many baking-focused books published in the last year—books like Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success, Recipe for Persuasion, or Arsenic and Adobo with talented Cuban, Indian, and Filipino main characters—bring flare and flavor to their novels by focusing on culture through food. Reading these books, you can smell distinct spices fill the air, taste every kick of cinnamon, clove, or coriander against your tongue. Every food-focused page makes you salivate until you wish you had the very dishes and sweet treats mentioned before you. I was so eager to see familiar Middle Eastern flavors and dishes highlighted in this novel, to see Fatima complete the step-by-step process of making treats with orange blossom water, phyllo dough, cinnamon, or rose water, but none were mentioned. The beauty of the books I mentioned above was the chance to connect with someone else's culture through food, but I fear non-Middle Eastern readers missed that chance with this story. Instead, the cooking scenes sound clinical, like reading out the instructions of a recipe step-by-step. For a character who claims baking is her everything, she's not at all passionate about the art.

🎂 That's hardly the biggest problem. Growing up as a Muslim-American in a strict, traditional household, I understood everything that Fatima experienced; following rules and traditions, not wanting to "make trouble," not wanting to disappoint my parents, feeling the pressure to meet their standards. (Like Fatima's best friend, I'm also Muslim and queer, which comes with its own challenges.) Despite growing up in the same circumstances, I couldn't connect to Fatima beyond that surface level. The story starts with her crushing on a boy, but she's so instantly blinded by him—despite all the immediate red flags popping up—that we don't see a version of Fatima that's level-headed. Instead, we exist in her ongoing, anxious mindset—anxious about a boy, hiding her feelings for him, displeasing her parents, her family's financial situation, all of it. There's so much focus on those sources of anxiety and on Raheem's wrong-doings that we never get to see the beauty Islam has to offer. For the sake of non-Muslim readers, I also wish a few Arabic terms were explained at the story's start.

☪️ A book that could have proven the worst misconceptions about Islam wrong only made those misconceptions worse. Fatima views religious customs as "ancient" impositions that make it seem she's shackled to old ways, yet she made the choice to wear a hajib (a choice no one else can make for her). She prays alone in her room instead of with her family, doesn't seem to attend mosque, and notes how "patriarchal" the local masjid is. Readers are given two extremes of Islam: the overly traditional "haram police" or Fatima, who seems to wear her religion as an obligation or facade, rather than as a faith that unites her with a beloved community. There's no positive Muslim representation at all in this book—a book that aimed to give "a much-needed voice to young Black Muslim women." I agree; those voices need to be heard. Muslim voices need to be heard. But not like this. I'm not only disappointed. I'm hurt.

🦇 Recommended to anyone who loves a semi-food-focused YA coming-of-age story with an insta-love connection.

☪️ Muslim Representation / OWN Voices
🍰 Great British Bake Off Vibes
🎂 Contemporary/YA Fiction
🧁 Queer Minor Characters
☪️ A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. @holidayhousebks @pixelandinkbks @peachtreeteen #FatimaTateTakestheCake

I was initially drawn to Fatima Tate Takes the Cake by Khadijah VanBrakle because of its striking and absolutely gorgeous cover ( well that and my slight obsession with all things baking related ). Before reading the publisher's blurb I was expecting a fun and frothy YA romance , but it soon became clear that this book would tackle some much tougher issues.
Fatima is a seventeen year old young Muslim woman growing up in a conservative family in Albuquerque. She dreams of becoming a baker, but her family expect a more conventional career, ideally nursing like her mother. When Fatima brings a batch of her baked goods to a local community soup kitchen, the manager arranges for a local chef to taste them and she is so impressed that she invites Fatima to take part in a local baking contest for teens. Knowing that her parent's would never agree, but irresistibly drawn to the prize of a course at the local culinary school, Fatima decides to enter with the help of her best friend Zaynab.
When a seemingly charming university student named Raheem offers her a lift home from the shelter, the two hit it off and begin texting and meeting up without her parent's knowing. Imagine Fatima's surprise when her parent's announce that his family wants to arrange their marriage , but as soon as his ring is on her finger Raheem seems to change and Fatima feels like her life is spinning out of control . Even her best friend has doubts about him and is encouraging Fatima to end the engagement. Escaping from one conservative family to an even worse situation is no escape at all, but will Fatima be able to see that in time?
This book had so much potential yet it still fell a little flat to me. I couldn't get a real handle on the role of her religion in Fatima's life ( as opposed to that of her family) and Raheem was so clearly an unpleasant guy that I could not understand the poor choices that Fatima kept making when it came to him. I liked the friendship between Zaynab and Fatima a lot, and thought it was interesting to see a gay Muslim character, but I would have liked a little more discussion of how difficult that could be in a small religious community.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher , all opinions are my own.