This is one I couldn't connect with so I stopped at 31%. At that point I really wasn't invested in the story and had no clue what was going on. I requested this because I wanted to learn about another culture and get a good story at the same time. Sadly, this just didn't deliver for me. I will say I don't think this is a bad story. It should do well with its target audience. The narration was enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audiobook ARC.

This book was fine, I liked the characters, and I appreciated the story’s focus on culture, community, repairing friendships, and processing grief, however, there were a few issues I could not overlook.

My first gripe was that they never really addressed the racism and microaggressions that happen to Tiwa. This occurs multiple times, is called out once in private, and is never brought up again. There were so many opportunities to really delve into this.

Next was the root cause of Said and Tiwa’s rift. I personally didn’t think that the reasoning for what was done was justified.

But I think my main issue with this is that it is marketed as a love story when it didn‘t need to be. This could have been a story about healing a friendship and platonic love. To be quite honest, I would’ve preferred that since the romance elements were very few and far between.

BOOK REVIEW - FOUR EIDS AND A FUNERAL by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ready for a great YA RomCom with some teen activism on the side? Four Eids and a Funeral is precisely what you need! I really enjoyed The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba, so I was pretty excited to get approved for this read. Childhood friends to enemies to lovers? Oh, heck yes!

So, we've got Tiwa and Said, former besties who now give each other the cold shoulder. Enter a beloved librarian's funeral and boom! Cue the hilarity, drama, and a whole lot of cute moments. Imagine being stuck with your ex-BFF while trying to save your town's Islamic Center – it's as chaotic and wonderful as it sounds.

The story is told from both their perspectives. Tiwa is a powerhouse, passionate about her community and Said is trying to figure out his life - cue every teenager ever. Their banter is a vibe, and their rivalry is brilliant.

Despite some moments where I was like, "Really, guys? That's the reason you fell out?" the overall vibe is so heartwarming. It's about love, forgiveness, and realizing your old friend might just be your soulmate (aww). So, grab this book, maybe some tissues (for the cute moments), and prepare to fall in love with Tiwa, Said, and their four chaotic Eids.

YA perfection. Childhood friends to enemies to lovers? Check. Angsty? Check. Fight the patriarchy? Check. Unbelievably heartwarming? Double check.

Everyone should be able to see themselves in fiction

Four Eids And A Funeral
By Faridah àbíké-íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirda

So this book was cute. The FMC was a little abrasive which factored into the storyline but maybe a little too much for my liking. I enjoyed listening to it, the audiobook narration was well done.

But this book wasn’t written for me and I think it will be a hit with its intended audience. I think it’s not often that a Muslim kid can see themselves as a main character in a YA romance book. And it’s even less often that a Muslim Queer kid gets to see themselves in a book, and there was a prominent side character example in this book. I enjoyed learning about Eid traditions and seeing these kids fight to keep a center open for them to practice their religion, while falling in love of course. I also think they did a good job of showing some of the struggles that Muslims face in their own community. The FMC struggled to be accepted because she didn’t wear a hijab, even though she was so active in the community. I am very glad this book exists. The represention matters and everyone should be able to see themselves as a character in a love story.

I really enjoy Faridah's other books, and Adiba is a new to me author. I love that these two were able to cowrite a book that honestly read as very seamless in terms of writing styles. The audio narration was pleasant to listen to and I think both narrators have captured the essence of Said and Tiwa.
Tragedy strikes, and our characters are faced with the loss of someone close. Our two main characters have fallen out in their friendship so the story takes you on their journey of navigating loss, grief. friendship, and love.

I personally really enjoyed the inclusion of the Islamic culture and seeing into some of the celebrations and practices. It was great to see this from the perspectives of young adults. Tiwa is so passionate and you can feel how much she loves her community and the people she loves. She is fierce and I really enjoyed her character. Said is brought back by his sister for a funeral from boarding school and you get to see his character navigate his future and taking charge of what he wants and not what other people expect out of him.

I will say the main reveal when we find out why our two main character fell out was a bit annoying to me and I really don't know why the characters felt that was necessary. I don't want to spoil anything. If you read, you will probably understand, but you may find yourself irritated at the final reveal.

I wish I would have seen a little more romance or chemistry between the love interests because while I liked the characters separately, it didn't really feel like they were even that "in love* so to speak.

Regardless, I still thoroughly enjoyed this reading experience and did not want to stop listening. You will root for both of these characters.

Oh my goodness this was so cute! This dual POV follows Said and Tiwa, who used to be best friends and now definitely are not. We don't know what happened that led to the fallout, but essentially we know that Said went to boarding school and Tiwa felt Said no longer cared about her and the town they grew up in. When their mutual favorite librarian passes away, Said comes home for the summer, and you have a typical enemies to lovers story. (This is not a spoiler: the very first chapter tells you that this is a love story).

This story was so fun, and it is an absolute gem for Muslim youths. The story is unapologetically Muslim, and, as the title suggests, is centered around Eid and the Islamic Center of their town.

I found this story to be very cute and fun. I struggled a bit because this most definitely falls into the *young adult* category. They are juniors in high school in the main timeline, and the story of their falling out is even younger. And the characters definitely act like it. There were multiple times when I was really annoyed (particularly with Tiwa), and I knew it was because of their youth. This is not an issue of the book itself, but it is something important to know if you are not a young adult reading this book! I'm giving the book a four for quality when it was actually a three for me, personally.

I listened to this on audio, and I really enjoyed the narration. Tiwa's personality was really clearly portrayed through the narrator, and Said's narrator was a beautiful, smooth voice. I would highly recommend this book in audio format!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an audio ARC in exchange fo ran honest review!

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Farah Kidwai; Sandra Okuboyejo; Shahjehan Khan who all did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life. I’m a sucker for romcoms and this enemies to lovers premise: two former friends turned enemies, who reconnect at a funeral and find themselves working together to save their town’s Islamic Centre from demolition, didn’t disappoint!

The romantic tension, comedic banter and tender focus on family and community soon proved an enjoyable. I was swept up in Tiwa and Said’s efforts, and growing feelings (both platonic and romantic) for one another.

It’s told through the dual POVs of Said and Tiwa as they navigate the monumental changes in that have shaped their lives and reexamine the rift that ended their childhood friendship.

I loved getting to delve into both Said and Tiwa’s innermost thoughts and feelings, and adored their rivalry that showcased their opposing and competitive (yet thoroughly complimentary) personalities to perfection. Their banter was fun and I especially loved the flashbacks of Eids past. The supporting cast were throughly entertaining too. I loved Said’s slightly meddling sister Safiyah and Pokémon obsessed school friend Julian and Ladoo-the cat that Said and Tiwa share custody of. Even main antagonist Mayor Williams created a perfect villian for the novel.
Overall a fun and enjoyable read that YA contemporary lovers. I would read other works by Jaigirdar and Àbíké-Íyímídé’s.

Also, a huge thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook.

Tiwa and Said grew apart after he left for boarding school and didn't keep in touch. But when Said comes back to visit, they join forces to try and save the Islamic Center after a terrible accident.

While this story in some ways follows a familiar pattern of former friends-turned enemies-become lovers, the characters are engaging and inviting, and the story takes some unexpected turns. One of the themes that is explored is the experience Tiwa has as a black Muslim and how that differs from Said's experience.

This was so fun, especially seeing something a little bit different from two great YA authors! It definitely has some classic romcom vibes while being a unique story with great characters, an engaging plot line, and a romance to make you giggle and kick your feet (neighbours/friends to dislike to lovers!!) The characters and stakes felt real while also just being fun to read about. I also think that both authors did a great job at creating the individual perspectives of their characters and working in elements of difficulties with things like perceived family pressure, being Muslim, being Black and Muslim, grief, and just communicating. Also this book is queer in my heart (the most prominent side character is queer okay). The narrators also did a great job with the audiobook and made the story all the more easy and engaging to listen to! I had a fun time reading this book and really enjoyed the collaboration between Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar and would definitely be interested in seeing more in the future!

I don’t think I’ve ever regretted DNFing a book so much as I have FOUR EIDS AND A FUNERAL by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar. I made it 56% in the audiobook, and that was with me realllllllly pushing that last 6% because I was hoping something would magically pull my interest. It didn’t. I was sad.

FEAAF has been on my tbr list since it was announced. It sounded like a fresh plot and a book I could enjoy and learn from. I was even so excited to be gifted an arc when I went to Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s book signing for WHERE SLEEPING GIRLS LIE by a bookseller. I tried reading it a few times and couldn’t get pulled in. 90% of the time when I have this problem, the audiobook is my fix, so I was happy to see it on Macmillan Audio’s ALC list.

It did not fix the problem. It wasn’t a narration problem. All the narrators worked well for the book. Again, I just couldn’t get pulled in. I made no connection with the characters or story. It seemed very disjointed plot-wise, and the characters said things because they should not because of the emotional movement of the book.

Maybe I’m so used to Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s thrillers that I expected so much more plot and character development, but this does not compare in either department. So, I take my responsibility in that aspect.

But overall, I didn’t click with the book and have tried many times. I’m sad. Books by diverse authors about diverse issues are so important, so I hope this is more a me thing than an everyone thing. But I will say I can’t wait for what Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé writes next!

Thanks, Macmillan Audio, for the ALC!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved this book! I’ve enjoyed books from both of these authors and together they didn’t disappoint. It had all my favourite things. Childhood best friends who become estranged by distance and miscommunications are forced to work together and even co-parent a cat. The reason for why they stopped talking didn’t make much sense to me, but their feelings did so it doesn’t bother me as much.
I really enjoyed Said’s journey with accepting that an art career is something he wants to put in the work to pursue.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook ARC

☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆

This was my introduction into the audiobook world, and I have to say I am a fan! I had read Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s book Ace of Spades (which I loved), however this was my first time reading/listening to anything from Adiba Jaigirdar, and I was not disappointed.

Tiwa and Said, former friends-turned-enemies, are forced to reunite in their hometown during the summer after the death of a beloved librarian to help save their town`s Islamic center and Eid. During this time they are forced to unearth the reason behind their fallout and figure out whether they truly hate each other or not.

My favourite aspect of the novel was the strong sense of community that is omnipresent throughout the novel. Although the reader may not be Islamic or living in a tight-knit community, the authors do a wonderful job immersing the readers. From petitions to baking sales, Said and Tiwa had their community rallying behind them and giving their unconditional support however they could. Although the book fell into a few YA stereotypes and was at times a little predictable, the unique aspects Àbíké-Íyímídé and Jaigirdar bring to the novel more than make up for it.

Regarding the narration, as this was my first time listening to an audiobook, I didn’t really know what to expect. I really loved the inclusion of separate narrators for both Tiwa and Said, as well as a different narrator for the 3rd person POV chapters. It really brought both characters to life, and I found it much easier to follow along and engage with the story, as it felt much more personable. This experience has definitely encouraged me to seek out more audiobooks in the future. As someone who struggles paying attention to just the audio, I downloaded a couple colour by the numbers apps on my iPad and that really helped!

I’m giving this one 4.5 stars, a great read! This book is the perfect YA coming-of-age story, blending important elements of race, culture and self-discovery that really emphasize why we need diverse reads.

A great #ownvoices YA friends to lovers story about two Muslim teens of color. I loved learning more about Eid, the dual POV of the story, and the way the male main character is so supported when he decides to pursue his art rather then go into Med school. Good on audio and perfect for fans of authors like S. K. Ali. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you for the Advance Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'll be honest. I loved the idea of this book. It was really fun kind of a slow start but it's cute. Our main characters are Friends to rivals in my opinion. I wish we got more of a mystery aspect but I love the whole trying to save the center way the book went. I think my biggest issue is just the slow start of the book and the narration. It just at times felt hard to distinguish who was talking. I wish it was more of a duet.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC
This was such a sweet YA enemies to lovers with so much depth and heart. Said and Tiwa were easy to root for, even when they seemed liked they hated each other. I liked how there was a contrast in this book between grief for a loved one and the celebration of Eid. Seeing these two work together despite their differences is something that is so needed in YA books. I thought the writing was seamless and never would've guessed it was written by two authors. The narrators of the story brought these characters to life in their performances. It was a great book, and I'll be recommending it to YA fans and young adults themselves.

While I mostly enjoyed this, I do feel like it fell short in some ways. There were so many things that happened, so many BIG things that I feel like could have been much more fleshed out. Each main character was going through so much, but in the end it felt like I was left wondering about a lot. I also felt that the solution to the issue with Said's sister could have been handled more thoughtfully. She literally destroyed an entire friendship and was almost instantly forgiven. Teenager or not, it just felt like she should have had much more discourse with Said and Tiwa to really make it feel like she was being held accountable for her actions. That being said, this book did have quite a few bright spots. I thought the shared custody of the cat was so cute and I also loved how things ended with Said's parents!

Tiwa and Said are wonderful characters. Tiwa is working so hard to make her community better, but also has many personal things she is running from. Said is blissfully unaware of many things. As the story unfolds, Said learns and begins to think beyond himself. Tiwa starts to make peace with some of her personal issues. I wanted to see more of her dealing with that, but that would have changed the story significantly. So I don’t really know how that could have worked out.
The romance was there, but lightly done. I liked how YA this book feels. I can see a lot of teens, especially younger teens falling in love with these characters.

I really loved this! It was so cute and swoon-worthy, and it still had lots of heart and realness to it. I loved both Said and Tiwa, two characters who felt so real and distinct. I also really loved Safiya, who is just a ray of sunshine in human form (with enough bite to keep her brother and her best friend in their place). This story is about forgiveness, self-discovery, love of all kinds, and the things that can happen when you let yourself be happy. It's truly so excellent and so heart-warming, and I will absolutely be buying myself a copy.
Also the audio-book is fantastic! I think it was such a good idea to have the flashback scenes have their own narrator, and I really liked all three narrators. They all did a great job.

This was sooo good! I am always nervous yet excited when authors co-write with one another. This is a big win in my eyes! Four Eids and a Funeral deals with loss, community, grief, and friendship. I will say, I was expecting a bit more romance in this book but the title does have "funeral" so perhaps I was expecting too much. The audio for this story is a 10/10! The narrators did a wonderful job capturing the emotion in this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.