Nothing is Predictable

This book reads like a memoir. I had to keep reminding myself that Zara (the protagonist in the book) is not Adalina (the author). However, some of the book is indeed based on true events. So, which parts?

It was impossible not to like Zara and to be able to relate to her struggles. I think most women will be able to relate to her.

Zara was born in Los Angeles to Lebanese parents. Her childhood is somewhat veiled as she had multiple sexual molestations, one of which is she unable to recall. Her now-deceased father, while pampering his “princess” was also an abusive alcoholic. Zara has one disastrous relationship after another with men. Zara must confront her feelings regarding her father before she can find peace.

The writing flowed smoothly, as if I were reading Zara’s journal. I followed Zara’s travels from the US to Lebanon to Switzerland to Italy. She was quick to fall for men, especially gorgeous men. She was vulnerable and used by some, loved by some, hurt by them all. At times I wanted to wipe away her tears, or slap her and tell her to grow up, or have some wine and get drunk with her.

I found the book to be quite enjoyable. It definitely kept me interested, wondering what she will be up to next.

Funny, Feisty, and Familiar Lead Character

I was offered this book by its author to review and so I am going to give it my best shot. The story introduces us to Zara, a Lebanese-American who endured her father’s disturbing drunken behavior as well as being molested by a creep when she was a child back in Lebanon (she was born in the states but her parents moved back to Lebanon to holiday there but that holiday soon became nine years). The book is told from the point of view of Zara and therefore we get to peek into her life due to this. Zara is funny. She has an uncontrollable sense of humor and it’s sad considering what she went through in her life. The book begins with her in the present, an experienced, weary, and had-it-with-the-world woman who takes us through the time when she was a celebrated teenage Lebanese singer to the bride who couldn’t wait to get married, to the successful business-owner, to the emotional soul who travels back to Lebanon to make peace.

Zara is a Christian woman and the men she marries or encounters are Muslim and dashing. She foolishly rejects true love, falls for a womanizing much older man, befriends an ambitious younger man who benefits from her instead of her from him, and gets crushed by a lying bastard who only wants her for her successes. Why did I put familiar in the title of my review here? It’s because I know women personally who went through the same thing with men like Zara did in the book. I think all kinds of career-minded women, those who are just starting out at 18 to those as old as fifty, would enjoy and benefit from this book.

My thoughts on this book is that it’s for women. It’s a book for Danielle Steel fans as it does not only focus on romance but on life events. It’s also a book for ethnic women looking for a story to relate to. I, myself, a man, took this book on as I was called upon by Ms. Mae to review it. I think the only thing lacking in this book is some sensuality. The story is told excellently, like wow. But since it’s a book for women, I personally think it should have some sensuality to it. I have spoken with the author and she told me that there will be a sequel coming out in 2017. All in all, kudos to Adalina Mae and wish nothing but the best for her and her writing endeavors.

I was honored when author Adalina Mae reached out to me on Instagram and asked me if I would review a copy of her debut title Nothing is Predictable. The story delineates the life and struggles of Zara, a Lebanese-American woman whose childhood trauma follows her throughout her life. The story opens to Zara enjoying adulthood abroad, then backtracks through the tragedies, heartbreaks, and victories of her life which bring her to this opening moment. The reader is carried through Zara's first-person accounts of abuse, love, loss, betrayal, self-determination, career success, adventure, and a plethora of other life obstacles that help the reader to understand the strong, independent woman who narrates the story.

I appreciated the multicultural diversity of Adalina Mae's story. In today's world, especially living in America in the 21st century, one would be hard-pressed to miss the wide array of cultural and ethnic backgrounds that comprise our unitary, yet divisive, society. Author's like Adalina Mae attempt to bring multicultural awareness to the forefront of society through writing. As Mae's main character Zara travels between the United States, Lebanon, and even through other European adventures, the reader is introduced to a multitude of characters whose backgrounds are quite different. Mae is able to present these characters interacting in a way that unites the diversity of the world, while still subtly addressing issues such as religious conflicts, Islamaphobia, and the struggles that arise from culturally-diverse (and long distance) partnerships. Each of these hot-button topics are worldwide social concerns for many, and by presenting them through fiction many readers are better able to understand how to live in such a diverse world platform.

As noted, the main character is a Lebanese-American woman. She spends much of her time in these two parts of the world which is where Mae concentrates most of the writing. A reader is quick to infer that the author herself is personally invested in these two cultures, as these are the two cultures that receive the most detail and explanation throughout the story. For example, in some of the opening chapters, Zara explains her childhood in Lebanon and often refers to culturally-specific references of places and food. These are details that anyone familiar with this region and culture would be quick to understand, but as a reader who is ignorant to many cultures outside of my own (not for wont of trying, just due to the sheer breadth of cultural diversity in the world) I somewhat appreciated the times that the author was able to explain some of these references. However, there were other times that these explanatory tangents seemed to detract from the flow of the story. I sometimes found myself wishing for a more seamless showing through imagery and detail rather than an explanatory side note provided through the narrative that seemed to diverge from the fluidity of the plot. Even so, I appreciated that Mae made the effort to ensure that all of her readers, regardless of background or experience, could access the details of Zara's life.

Zara as a character, even without all of the life events that happen to and around her, is a very complex character. Being a culturally diverse character, she is often presented as feeling "other" - a feeling that many readers can identify with in one way or another. When Zara spends time in America, she feels out of place when returning to Lebanon. After living in Lebanon, she feels out of place when she comes back to America. To add to this, Zara is much younger than all of her siblings, but much older than her next youngest relatives, which leaves her in this continual in-between. She is not overly feminine in a way that separates her on a certain level from other female characters throughout, but it is also clear that the male characters do not accept her into the world of masculinity, either. This liminal space in which Zara lives her entire life contributes heavily to her continued search for belonging. The whole story is about her search for a sense of stability through seeking answers to life-long unanswered questions, career advancements and changes, adventuring into (and out of) multiple relationships, and many other soul-searching endeavors. In it's entirety, one can appreciate the arc of Zara's journey and the self-realizations she comes to at the end of the novel about her family, her life, her relationships and -most importantly - her own being.

While the overall unity of the novel is revealed at the end, I found myself consistently questioning the importance of individual aspects of the story. While the narrative flows linearly and Mae clearly explains the different times in Zara's life with smooth transitions and concrete dates, it still reads somewhat disjointed for me. Through many of Zara's life stories, I felt that I was just jumping from one individualized story to the next at a too-rapid pace. It wasn't until the end of the story (the last two to three chapters) where each of the pieces makes more sense. It is in these last pages when Zara, herself, is finally able to grasp some meaning and understanding from each of her life milestones, so I can understand that the pace of the story matches Zara's own (lack of) self-realization. However, I still felt that as a reader I needed much more depth, detail, and emotion from each of Zara's life stories. Zara is such a busy, entrepreneurial go-getter that she consistently takes on a lot throughout the story. Aside from the four or five different men that she tries to settle down with (at different times), she also attends and graduates from university and uses her diploma for a short while, leaves that behind and has a booming career as a musician for a stretch of her life, and eventually settles that down to run a managing agency for other artists. All of this happens simultaneously with the aforementioned relationships/marriages, her study of martial arts, her taking care of her sick mother, her traveling the world, and her adventure into self-discovery. I often wanted more out of each of these different plot points and I wanted more of an understanding of how they all intermingled within her life together rather than as separate individualized stories. Because there was a lack of cohesion among these different parts, it made Zara feel less authentic to me because I didn't see how any one person could take on this much in life and still find success in so many areas when the average person struggles with one, regular nine-to-five job and still can't seem to afford time off to vacation or even visit family, let alone take care of them. More development, or less breadth in terms of Zara's endeavors, might have made this feel more real for me.

Along with this lack of intertwining of Zara's multifaceted lifestyle, Mae's writing style was hard for me to get into at first. The narrative was much more straight forward and formal than what I am used to reading. Most information was presented directly to the reader in an informative manner. There were few instances where I felt I was being led to information, few places where I was to use information to infer about the story, and very little that I picked up on in terms of symbolism or metaphor. It was a telling story rather than a leading story, which many readers find much more accessible. I, personally, am used to a different style of writing, but once I became familiar with the tone of the piece and Zara's narrative voice, it was much easier through the remainder of the novel.

Overall, the story was a very quick read. Because there is a consistent adventure that Zara is going on, it kept me reading to see what she was going to do or get into next. However, as noted previously, many of these plot points felt rushed and underdeveloped. Many of the relationships that Zara enters into throughout the story seem extremely rushed as there is little in terms of build up and back story with each new suitor. As well, while her musical career and passion for martial arts are consistently brought up throughout the novel as important aspects of her character, there are only a few minor story lines that bring deeper understanding to these facets of her life. As such, I was left with many unanswered questions about so many of these plot pieces that I hope to have answered in the sequel.

For anyone looking for a quick read in the vain of Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love where one woman goes through much of what life has to offer and comes out the other end a changed individual, then this is the story to pick up. The story is available in paperback through Amazon and Barnes & Noble and in eBook through Kindle, Kobo, and iBooks.

Adalina Mae’s story of Zara and her life experiences is incredible. It’s often sad, sometimes funny, sometimes frustrating, and sometimes confusing. But overall, this is a very moving novel about an incredibly strong woman.

The novel’s setting changes often but is primarily set in Lebanon or Los Angeles. Zara’s family is from Lebanon, she was born in the United States, but her family returns to Lebanon for several years to live, and so on. Very early in Zara’s childhood, she endures abuse, observes the violence of her alcoholic father, observes her mother being abused, and then is faced with the death of her father. This is not a happy-go-lucky idyllic childhood, but one where you stop and wonder several times how she survived. As she grows up, Zara is successful in school and does her best to help her mother while attending college. Zara has the good fortune of being very talented, therefore, an early start in a singing career allows her and her mother financial comfort despite her father having died and leaving them nothing. She became incredibly successful singing and performing, but also became a very successful business owner early in her adult years. Although impressive, I felt that the reader wasn’t provided as much detail regarding her education and businesses regarding the ins and outs of what she did, why she was so financially successful and so on. Especially the question of how in the world did this young woman run a business and have so much time for vacation and traveling around the world?

Several men make appearances as romantic interests including Sebastian, Jamal, Tariq, Livio, and Leandro. A recurring issue is Zara’s interests in Muslim men rather than Christians, which was an enormous issue for both families. Another recurring theme was Zara meeting and falling for dishonest men that deceived her and her family in many ways. Unfortunately, Zara repeatedly was drawn to bad guys, but I also noticed that even when things were still good within these relationships Zara frequently had an “out of sight, out of mind” attitude or she experience feelings of unrest where she just wasn’t feeling connected to the men but wasn’t sure why.

Zara’s mother, siblings and several nieces and nephews remained a constant positive in her life despite any other hardships, however, throughout her early adulthood she experienced nightmares about her father, anger regarding his alcoholism and an overall lack of peace about her father’s life and untimely death. One of my favorite parts is her trip back to the church and cemetery after spending time meditating and discussing her past with a Buddhist Monk. My heart broke for her as she spoke to the wall of her father’s crypt and as she allowed herself to feel emotions that she had suppressed since childhood.

I was impressed by the powerful yet realistic themes in “Nothing is Predictable,” especially the importance and healing properties of forgiveness. I also applauded and respected Zara’s realization that perhaps she isn’t meant to be married and have some epic love story, but instead that she is most successful when enriching her own life with her own successes and experiences. But most importantly was the message of overcoming hardships and being successful and happy. Zara demonstrated that abuse and trauma during childhood do not have to strangle your entire existence. This novel tells the story of a woman that may not have always been lucky in love and relationships, but was determined to build a successful and fulfilling life that was free of fear or regrets.

One complaint or struggle that I had while reading was the writing style. Something about it felt choppy at times and almost too straightforward. The dialogue, both inner and outer, was frequently very simple and direct rather than inspiring the reader to reflect on the situations and consider various conclusions or realities. Otherwise, this was a fantastic story well worth reading. Reading “Nothing is Predictable” absolutely inspires optimism and positive thoughts, reminding the reader that they are strong and can overcome life’s challenges.

*Many thanks to the author for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I just got a DM from the author yesterday via Instagram that I won an ebook of this same book. I joined the Author's of Instagram Summer Giveaway Hop. I thanked and told her that I already have a copy of this book from Netgalley. I suggested she give my prize to someone else so s/he can read her book. I have read her book but have not written a review, yet. The author gave me some updates about the book and was thrilled to be in-the-know of what's going on. I am happy for the author and looking forward to finally see the plans come to fruition.

I love stories about people or characters of mixed heritage or background. Reading about other characters like those in the Middle East like the books of Khaled Hosseini (A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Mountains Echoed, etc.) is just very refreshing. It's good to hear the everyday lives of these people who are just like the rest of us. Going through each day with hardwork and wishes that tomorrow will be better. It's a far cry from the bad news we hear about civil wars and bombings. And this story is the same. Though the setting changes from Lebanon to the US and other places Zara has travelled to, it can't be denied that a large chunk of the story is centered around a character of Lebanese descent. I love to travel and I guess that's where my undying curiosity to learn about other cultures springs from. And this story just gave me a peek into the lives of people in Lebanon, especially during the most tumultuous time in their history.

As I see it, this story is tragic. At first, I can't decide if I like the main character-Zara. She just has this penchant to ignore her instincts. I mean who does that, right? The ending, she always ends up with her heart more broken each time. It's such a pity. But then, when you understand where she's coming from, your heart will bleed for her. What she has been through was terrible. And no child, should witness what her mother and her father had to go through. It was really horrible. And the only thing she knows of trying to ease her anger and hatred for her father was think of the good times, though it was never enough to absolve him of all his faults.

And her choices of men in her life. Wow! I admit I can't judge her but I always wonder if she ever learned from her mistakes? The only thing I could say is she should have listened to her instincts. I think it is more reliable than her brain or her heart. I think it is better to be cautious than be sorry. Always sorry, as it appears to be her luck each time. But she also learned her lessons. Only it took years for her to actually examine her choices. I actually rooted for her to still end up with her first love. Sigh.

In the end, Zara is a strong woman. Being able to decide that she can do well on her own without any man. She must learn to love herself more so she can be whole. She must come to terms with all her issues and baggage before she tackles more. I can't fault Zara for all the mistakes she made or her misplaced trust. Each person learns at her/his own pace. Some of us do well in some aspects where others are having a hard time. We each have our own strengths and our own challenges. Zara did too. The best we can do is live our lives the best way we can. On our own terms as long as we don't hurt anyone in the process, including ourselves.

The best part of the story is when Zara decided to travel to de-stress. I think it was the best decision she has ever made. Based on my own experience, travelling puts things into perspective. It allows for self-growth and healing that start within. I think it's the best cure for all ailments--especially for a broken heart and a shattered spirit. Though, I was a bit dismayed that the story did not end with Zara finally finding the love that she needed. I liked that Zara resolved to delve deeper into the death of her father. I think it would make for a good sequel to this story. And it would show another facet or strength of her character which I really want to see.

I give this book 4/5 tarboush hats. Zara is just like the rest of us. We know life is very unpredictable, no matter how much we painstakingly make plans and try to prepare for it. You will never know what's gonna hit you. The only thing we can do is rise up every time we fall and to remember "to be meaner than our demons" (quote from The Day You Went Away by Jennifer Millikin).


I didn't need all that heartache and trauma in my life to be the person I am today!


If you always do what you've done, you always get what you've always gotten.

- Adalina Mae, Nothing is Predictable -


Thank you again, Netgalley and Adalina Mae for the review copy.