¡Gracias a NetGalley por mandarme una copia avanzada de este libro a cambio de una crítica honesta!

Fatima Tate es una adolescente musulmana negra que vive en Albuquerque, Estados Unidos, y a la que le apasiona hacer repostería. De primeras, la premisa del libro me gustó: Fatima conoce a Raheem, estudiante universitario, y se enamoran. Spoiler: Raheem no es quien dice ser, y amenaza revelar su relación a sus padres y a su comunidad si no se casa con él.
Creo que ha sido un libro en el que la trama se desarrolla muy rápido, y que se hubiese beneficiado de tener por lo menos 50-100 páginas más para poder contar mejor la historia, y que los personajes evolucionen un poco más, especialmente Fatima y su crecimiento emocional. Eso sí, me encantaría saber más sobre Zaynab, la mejor amiga de Fatima, y su historia con su novia :)

TW: luz de gas, abuso emocional, islamofobia, homofobia, clasismo

I really want to be raging furious and upset by the lying, premarital hetero sex, normalized/celebrated lesbian Muslim, internalized Islamophobia, gaslighting, abuse, and labeling of Muslims as "conservative" and Islamic principles as "ancient and ridiculous" (keep in mind the characters and author are all Muslim). But honestly, the writing is so terrible that to feel that much emotion is just not that warranted for what the story is. I'm so disappointed in the entire writing quality of the book, that I couldn't appreciate the characters or story as written.  I know elements of the story probably ring true, my privilege and arrogance don't blind me to recognizing that, and whether I agree or relate or identify with the Islamic representation is subjective, but it is not a good sign when reading- that screen shots are not enough, and I have to break out paper and pens to note the contradictions, plot holes, and inconsistencies.  The cover is the best part, with its beautiful Black Muslim inviting YA readers to crack open the book and spend time with Fatima who dreams of following her culinary dreams despite family and toxic relationship obstacles.  Sadly though, the text does not live up to the expectations the cover sets forth.  It reads like a very early draft where the plot points, the climax, and the conclusion are laid out, but the dialogue, backstories, and relationships are yet to come in this very mature 304 page book.

SYNOPSIS:

Fatima Tate dreams of culinary school, but her mother demands a more practical degree of nursing.  The only child of a nurse and mechanic, Fatima goes to a virtual charter school and has a best friend since 5th grade, Zaynab. who goes to a private school, yet constantly chauffeurs her around, covers for her, and whose relationship with Amber is a major thread in the story.  One day, when Zaynab fails to pick Fatima up from her shift at the soup kitchen, Raheem, her crush who she has never really spoken to, offers to drop her off, he uses the excuse of not wanting to miss Asr salat to get in her house, and by the time the prayer rug is put away the two are kissing and holding hands.  It has been a busy day for Fatima, she was also invited to join a teen cooking competition, and with that, all in the first chapter, the direction of the story is set.  Add in the twist that her parents don't know about her joining the cooking competition, Raheem being revealed as a narcissistic, controlling, wealthy, manipulator who has his mom properly meet Fatima's parents resulting in the two quickly become engaged, and Fatima at some point having to finalize her college plans and take a stand.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I wish there was more OWN voice Black Muslim culture inclusions.  As with all the potential themes of the book, the writing just feels so superficial.  The only thing quicker than the instant romance, is the reader's (my) instant disdain for the creep that Raheem is: from his arrogance to his ghosting, his hypocrisy to his gaslighting.  There is no angst, attraction, sympathy, intrigue, nothing in his character makeup or in the relationship he and Fatima have. 

The cooking thread is equally lackluster, I think most bakers have heard of refrigerating cookie dough, and where I should have been hungry or had my senses tingling, I found myself annoyed by the almost childish portrayal of the food scenes.  If it was meant to show passion or a divide with her parents, it was all talk and no show.  At times the text says how close Fatima is with her parents, how much she respects her mother's strength and her father's kindness, but lie after lie to them and their distance from the heart of the book, definitely do not show a complicated relationship, it once again, yep you guessed it, reads really flat and one dimensional. 

Islamically there are concerns with the premarital relations, but even before that with the male and female being alone, the lying, the lgbtq+ relationships.  I never understood why Fatima refuses to pray in congregation and attend Jummah it just says she doesn't join the community prayer, but she also doesn't pray with Raheem, which might have actually been sweet.  She is noted to pray fajr late and it is a point of contention, she wears hijab, and says a lot of inshaAllahs, but once again the text sprinkles in these touchstones, but they don't seem to shape her identity, it feels like it is just the paradigm that she knows.  She finds the mahr concept to be "ancient" and "ridiculous." The one character that speaks out against same sex relationships wears abayas, black abayas to be exact. She is also labeled the "haram police."  Zaynab doesn't pray, doesn't cover, but presumably identifies as Muslim.  Raheem says he is fine with her lesbian identity, but fears Fatima's relationship with her will ruin his future political career.  The book never has any substantial commentary on the Islamic view of queer relationships and labels any one that has a problem with them as being "strict" and "conservative."  The book says "love is love" and leaves it at that.

Constantly the reader is told that Fatima and Zaynab are best friends since 5th grade, no backstory as to why Fatima left for virtual school and Zaynab for private.  We never see Fatima add anything to the friendship, Zaynab drives Fatima, feeds Fatima, consoles Fatima, it is all very one sided.  So many story lines just fall off the page without resolution or insight.  At one point Fatima is angry at Zaynab and doesn't want to share her presumably with Amber, but then is mad that Raheem is wanting to take her away but nothing is ever done or explained or internally pondered over, it is just forgotten.  I really despise how we are also told that Zaynab and Amber are the ideal couple, but nothing ever shows it. NOTHING. They are always fighting, Fatima is always on edge to even ask Zaynab about Amber.  Zaynab and Amber fight about their graduation party and it magically all works out.  Amber is shocked to know that Muslims won't accept them, and they seem to break up, but then they are together at the end so how did that get resolved?

Major plot holes: When Fatima's mom asks Fatima if she knows Raheem, she says no and four pages later her dad asks her what she thinks about Raheem and she answers him.  This inconsistency mitigates the "reveal" at the end that they knew each other at the soup kitchen.  Speaking of soup kitchen, the reader sees she goes once and then stops for finals and never resumes going, so how is it such and important part of her or Raheem's life? Does he return? Fatima gets driving lessons and a car, and is then driving alone, time line doesn't work, nor does what she is driving get articulated if she returned the Lexus.  Extravagant gifts aside, it never fully explains where Raheem's grandfather made his wealth, it seems lacking because he doesn't want Fatima to work, but his mother does.  At the walimah it is very awkward between Zaynab and Fatima's mom, almost to the point I thought they might not know each other, or might have issues with her lifestyle, but by the end it is clear they know each other well, so I think the scene is just written poorly.  I went back and read it and the familiarity of the families later is definitely unclear and not consistent throughout.  For Fatima's graduation Raheem gets permission to take her to dinner alone, for someone who is constantly watching money and loves cooking, it felt like it would be a big deal to be able to go out alone with her finance, to a fancy restaurant and savor all the flavors and ambiance.  Nope, the scene is skipped, no details, no nothing.  Lots of little details are skipped quite often, for example five people are qualified for the finals, only three names are given, just throw two more names in there, no dot dot dot it reads unfinished.  At one point when Zaynab once again saves the day and picks up Fatima, they come back to Zaynab's house with Starbucks and meet at the fridge to get Pepsi's out, like three sentences later, Starbucks on the table forgotten.

Zaynab does have a slight character arc, but throughout needs someone to constantly side with her, and I don't know that she is very independent at the end.   I don't think there is a decent relationship in the book between any of the characters, which is unfortunate, and religion and the masjid (labeled "patriarchal") are often portrayed in a negative light.  It seems like this book checked a lot of boxes and for whatever reason didn't get the polishing it needed.  It is unfortunate because OWN voice Black Muslim books with authentic rep and joy and complexities and nuances are so desperately needed, and this one just felt underdeveloped and raw.

FLAGS:

Language, closed door premarital sex, talk of sex, talk of condoms, child out of wedlock, cheating, lying, hetero and same sex couples, dancing, music, physical abuse, verbal abuse, gaslighting, controlling, stereotypes, internalized Islamophobia, male and female friendships, manipulation, blackmail, judging, deceit, hypocrisy.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

The cover will tempt younger readers to pick up the book, my only hope is the poor writing will cause it to be abandoned before the haram is glorified, normalized, and celebrated.

"Fatima Takes the Cake" by Khadijah VanBrakle is a coming-of-age novel about a 17-year-old Muslim girl named Fatima Tate who loves baking, her family, and her friends. She meets Raheem, a 21-year-old Muslim man, and their relationship leads to an arranged marriage. The book features well-developed characters and includes LGBTQIA+ representation and cultural aspects of Islam. The story is engaging, fast-paced, and enjoyable. Absolutely loved Fatima’s character as well! I loved that she stood up for herself and didn’t let her community ruin her life by staying in a marriage that obviously wasn’t any good for her. Loved loved it !

This is great for its intended audience. I believe young adult readers will enjoy reading about Fatima's dreams to becoming a baker while facing a romantic struggle. This novel will definitely keep them on their toes. Young adult readers will be to relate to Fatima and be able to make their own connections with Fatima's character.

Unfortunately, I personally was not a fan of this novel, but as I mentioned I do believe many young adults will enjoy reading this novel. For this reason, I will be recommending this novel to my students.

I personally did not like this novel because there were so many opportunities where Fatima could have talked to her parents about her feelings. I also feel that Fatima's mom was too interested in how much money Raheem's family was and how quick she was in taking Raheem's side over her own daughter's. I understand Fatima's mom didn't want her to struggle and it's easy to get blindsided by money, but I feel that the mom was just too focused on that instead of her daughter.

A gorgeous cover with baking inclusions, realistic friendships, muslim representation and overall an authentic and heartwarming story. What more do you want?

Thank you to the author and the publisher for this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I have enjoyed other books from this publishing company so I wanted to give this one a try as well! It is from a different perspective and one that I am not too familiar with as well as the cover being gorgeous!

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Fatima Tate. She is a seventeen-year-old who wants to be a baker and helps out at the local soup kitchen. At the soup kitchen she meets a guy who is already out of high school and they begin to talk.

I can’t say that there is a lot of character development in this book. It’s short and things move rather quickly, especially when it comes to the relationship. The relationship moving quickly into an engagement could be a cultural thing. I can’t remember if they specified in the book or not. Obviously there is some grooming from this guy and blackmail. He definitely is a dirty slimeball of a dillweed and he has no redeeming qualities. At least she had a support group that she could about certain things with.

I always like baking as part of a plot because it makes me hungry and each recipe always sounds delicious! I’m glad that she was able to hold onto something she enjoyed through the rough patches of her life.

When it comes to the Muslim rep I can’t speak on it. There have been some reviews that chime in on that aspect of the story and you can read them on Goodreads if you like.

Overall, this was a decent book.

When I started this one, I was hoping to read about a girl growing into her own strength an believing into something. I am not Muslim myself therefore I hoped this would give me a better insight into everyday life and growing up in a religious household.

Unfortunately, this book did not.

There were huge parts where i was wondering if Fatima was religious at all or if she just followed traditions and rules because her parents expected her to. Also: Where were the emotions? I neither believed Fatima being in love nor her best friend having genuine feelings for her girlfriend.

Also why put in a gay Muslim character dating a non-Muslim when you never discuss the obstacles that come with that? As Zayneb was pushed very far into the background this felt really pseudo-representative.

I did not even really enjoy the baking scenes and i love food descriptions.

I know where this book wanted to go but unfortunately it did not reach its goals.

I was very excited to read this book. Yes, I am one of the who still picks books by the cover so I was automatically hooked by seeing a Brown girl. However, I'm not sure this book was really for me. I couldn't get into it. I love baking and love a good story of going against the grain and what my family wants but this was just not it. Maybe I'll give it another shot when it officially comes out.

This was SO good and SO voicey. I adored the friendship at the core of the book, and the character's exploration of romance and sex is needed for readers. Plus, the baking aspect made the story so cozy!

Technically as a 20 yo, not-rich Black Muslim girl, this should be the representation I've been salivating for. spoiler alert: it's not. this book made me genuinely angry but here's my attempt at explaining why cohesively:
*the lukewarm Muslim protagonist. sure, she prays and wears hijab. But she seems to have no connection to Allah or Islam as a whole; she sees all of the rules as "ancient" impositions on adherents' freedoms. To see her not take a stand as either an active Muslim or to just fully reject it is unsatisfying and cements her as a weak and uninteresting protagonist.
*features damaging representation of Muslim men. Their local masjid is said to be "patriarchal" and the people there would never believe a girl's word over a man's. Fiance is abusive, controlling trash, MC's dad is sweet but henpecked, oblivious, and pathetic for much of the story. They are the only two Muslim men in the book and would like to see one positive or at least neutral portrayal.
*riddled with the oft-seen trope of more practicing Muslims being evil and judgmental while less practicing Muslims are open and kind. The haram-policing gossip (who flits in to cause drama whenever the plot of getting dry) is repeatedly said to be wearing a black abaya. trash-fiance's narcissistic mom and MC's toxic mom also appear to have an Islam-centered morality. Meanwhile, the MC we're supposed to root for gets annoyed when a nonMuslim man is respectful enough to not shake her hand, hugs a male friend and really has no religious qualms about having a secret boyfriend and all that entails. the whole thing reeks of internalized islamaphobia and I'm tired of it.
*So much of the story feels unrealistic and/or contrived. The meek MC who is not allowed to leave the house without her parents' permission lets a random man drive her home and come inside? That neither narcissistic Fiance nor bland Fatima seem like they'd ever volunteer at a soup kitchen? (the soup kitchen is also pretty much never mentioned again after chapter 1) That Fatima and her parents are so super poor as a family of three, but somehow they're always stocked with ingredients for Fatima's baking (that her mom doesn't support)?That BFF and her mom haven't been excommunicated by the conSERvaTive community? That fact that BFF just so happens to see Fiance with his secret baby!! this is simply bad writing.
*and is it just me who believes that actual human beings aged 13-19 don't refer to themselves and their peers as ""teens""?
*I'm just so very disappointed at the so-called Muslim rep that never serves us, actual regular practicing Muslims.

This book talks about the struggles and choices a muslim teen has to make upon graduation regarding her life, schooling and future partner. She has her own dreams and desires, but has to balance that with what her parents want for her. I enjoyed this book and feel it would be good for young adult readers. I loved the friendship between Fatima and her best friend, who happens to be a lesbian. I’m hispanic, but can definitely guess that’s a big issue in the Muslim culture. Glad the author was able to talk about this in her book. I also enjoyed the baking parts and the recipes provided at the end of the book. What upset me was how easily Fatima goes along with everyone’s wishes and doesn’t speak up for herself. First time reading a story based on a Muslim character and interests in reading more.

This had a lot of great baking in it. It also has a young girl falling in love and learning that things aren't always as they appear to be.
Fatima is lucky to have family and friends who stand by her when she needs them the most.
A good look at different cultures and family strength.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC

I was excited for this book based on the premise however the tempo of this book was not consistent. I loved the baking aspect this book offered as well as the beautiful and realistic friendship between Fatima and Zaynab. I was frustrated at the beginning of the book because I could predict what was going to happen and the main character wasn’t being true to herself. I was glad when she decided to follow her heart and stand up for herself. As someone who is looking to expand they types of books I am reading I feel as there were cultural references that I didn’t fully grasp.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book deals with two lovely Muslim teenagers, Fatima and Raheem, who battle societal and religious challenges in their quest for love. Their banter had me swooning until Raheem turned into an abuser. Fatima courageously finds her way through the situation with the aid of her fabulous friend, Zaynab, who is my favourite character. This is a must-read coming-of-age story.

Please read reviews from Black and Muslim reviewers.

I am in love with this cover, and I think that this book could have been a bit longer - I would have loved to see more of Fatima's life in school and with her friends before the book started.

I really liked the name of this book. When La Niña first started speaking, she used to pronounce cake as Tate. I was reminded of her cute pronunciation with the name of the protagonist.

Fatima is an aspiring baker, but it is a part of herself that she keeps hidden from her traditional, orthodox parents. Mother Sharifa would like to take up a sensible profession like nursing. There is a Teen Baking competition that Fatima wants to participate in but her mom won’t let her. So she forges her mother’s signature and goes for the competition.
When Raheem Harris, a fellow volunteer at a soup kitchen on whom she has a crush, expresses a desire to marry her, she and her parents are thrilled. Only best friend Zaynab thinks there is something off about him.
The man of her dreams, however, shows his true colours after the engagement, threatening to tell her parents about the one time they had sex, a revelation that could destroy her reputation and ruin her prospects.

The book is written in the first person present tense PoV of Fatima. Even though the book is light-hearted, it manages to raise issues such as racism, freedom and culture, following one’s dreams and bullying.

I enjoy baking, even though I’m far from perfect, and I enjoyed reading the sub-plot relating to the baking processes, the competition etc, more than the main plot about Raheem.

Fatima was relatable. The issues that she faces are issues the average Indian girl is familiar with. Living in America, Muslims, like Indians, are torn between the contrary worlds of freedom and restriction. But she was also annoying, when she refused to heed Zaynab’s objections.

I appreciated the fact that even though Fatima’s mother disapproves of her dreams, she still nurtures them and fights for them. Her actions underscore the importance of making a career in doing whatever makes one feel alive.

The metaphors were linked to baking, which was cute at first, but began to feel gimmicky after a while. Here’s a sample:
You could hear yeast rise in the silence around the three of us.
Faster than a butane torch can burn sugar.
I’ve seen milk curdle in the time it takes for him to answer.

Zaynab’s mother Sarah Baker is very cool with her daughter’s relationship with white girl, Amber. She is in sharp contrast to Fatima’s own parents.

I was confused by one thing. Raheem’s plate is piled high with hamburgers. Do Muslims eat hamburgers? Isn’t pork frowned upon?

Also, the conclusion felt weak. I didn’t get a sense of Raheem as a menacing character. Also, the big reveal didn’t bring on the threatened consequences for Fatima.

A heartwamring debut that does not sway from an authentic portrayal of the life of young, Black American Muslim teen. Fans of I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter and Judy Blume will adore this book as it rings true and genuine and hots you with ALL the feels so familiar to this age.

I love that the author has written a book specifically for teens who are viewed as not Black enough while also being judged about being not Muslim enough. The latter becoming apparent when looking at other reviews of this book.

I appreciate that the author makes room for the tensions between conservative and modern Islam.
Of course I can only speak on this from an outsider point of view, but I can recognise the struggles of my Islamic friends, as they too deal with these issues on a day to day basis. I hope the topics the authors addresses in this books will open up a dialogue, because this is a conversation that needs to be had.

There are parts of the book, specifically the relationship between Fatima and her parents, I would have loved to read more about. They did end up eventually supporting her, but that switch felt rather sudden and I would have to see more of that development arc for her parents. Other than that, great book to read,

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited for this book. It sounded like a fun read, a mix between Elizabeth Acevedo and Thareh Mafis non Fantasy novels. I personally love this types of books, for me, they are extremely inspiring and loveable.
But this book wasn’t any like I imagined it. It was kind of boring, more wannabe inspiring.
The characters weren’t likeable. They weren’t anything but like the blurb promised. I though I would meet a strong and complete female character with a passion for baking, who wants to enjoy the beautiful moments of her life.
But she wasn’t really complexe, sometimes a little wannabee feminist, sometimes just really meh, boring.
I really wanted to love this book, probably I couldn’t enjoy bc I‘m to old. I think this books can be nice for some people, but not for me.

This was so disappointing. The muslim rep was, unfortunately, not positive at all. The plot went nowhere. I did not connect with any of the characters and the relationships were all off. I knew there was something not right from the very beginning so the story was predictable. I wished the book would talk about her culture more but there was none of that. We basically did not know anything about the protagonist except for the fact that her passion is baking. This book was not for me and quite difficult to get through.