Rumaysa: A Fairytale

This was such an interesting book. It's told as three stories that connect to one another, and puts a spin on the traditional stories of Rapunzel, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. I know that author said she was inspired to write it because she didn't see any fairy tale characters that looked like her growing up, so I'm glad to see a fantasy that centers around Muslim characters.

I really liked how this book took traditional fairytales and gave them a south asian spin. It was very fun to read, even though I'm not the typical target audience for it. Making Rapunzel's hair into a hijab was such an interesting idea. I also loved the feminist undertones of the book, as well as the message to be yourself.
However, I was a little disappointed with the ending. I was hoping for it to be more concrete, although it has me thinking perhaps there will be a sequel with more fairytales used? The ending wasn't quite as satisfying as I had hoped, ending the Sleeping Beauty story but not Rumaysa's overall search for her parents.
I'm always excited to read new books with spins on fairytales I love, and this one was no exception. Overall, it was a great, quick read. Definitely check it out, especially if you have children.

A beautiful, magical collection of fairy tales.

Radiya Hafiza retells three familiar tales (Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty) with a refreshingly diverse twist; girls use hijabis to escape towers instead of hair, kings throw glorious Eid balls, and sometimes, princes aren't nearly as charming as they first seem. Hafiza is clearly a born storyteller, and her writing hums with a lyrical (and often slyly witty) cadence that gives her tales a timeless feel. Even though the three stories are separate, Rumaysa herself makes an appearance in all three, neatly tying the book together.

As is often the style in fairy tales, things like logic & characterization take a back seat to magic. I can understand why some readers might feel frustrated with stories that, for all their 'twistiness,' might still feel too predictable and familiar - but in RUMAYSA, I personally don't think it's an issue. The stories are beautiful because they are so familiar, because they create space for a diverse group of characters who seldom get a chance to shine in Western tales. Hafiza knows exactly what style she is emulating, and she does it wonderfully; I imagine this book would make a phenomenal read-aloud for younger readers, too!

Also, the food. I am a sucker for books that make me hungry, and I reaaallllly wanted to visit Cinderayla's ball for this reason!!

Overall: a quick, charming little book featuring three intertwined tales. The gorgeous writing is probably suited to the younger end of the MG spectrum, but RUMAYSA should also appeal to children & adults of all ages who keep fairy tales in their hearts. 3.5/5, rounded up.

I received an arc of this book in return for my honest opinion.

I loved Rumaysa and all the characters within. This book is one of a much need type that shows fairy tales with representation. Rumaysa is a Muslim version of Rapunzel with a bit of Rumplestiltskin thrown in to add to the fact, without ever mentioning it, that Rumaysa's hair is covered. Instead of using her hair Rumaysa saves herself by using a hijab. From there you journey through different fairytale lands, based around South Asian countries, where Rumaysa meets and helps South Asian versions of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.

What made this book stand out for me, asides from thinking about ways to respectfully incorporate this into the classroom, was the quote from near the beginning of the book. "It was the only book Rumaysa owned where the characters had similar names to her and shared her skin colour." Representation in books is so important and this was well written and captivating.

“Rumaysa Rumaysa let down your hijab!”

SOMEONE PINCH ME BECAUSE I MUST BE DREAMING… A fairytale retelling with a Muslim female protagonist and South Asian influences????

For real though, I cannot even begin to explain how happy it makes me to know that books like this are finally coming into existence! There’s even an EID BALL… How freaking cute is that?! As a kid I would never have imagined reading a book like this was possible, but to know that young Muslim girls will finally have fairytale characters that look like them is so amazing, and it deserves to be celebrated.

Rumaysa is a collection of three fairytale retellings, all of which are interconnected in such a beautiful way. First is Rumaysa, then Cinderayla, and finally Sleeping Sara. Their stories are filled with magic, dragons, and a whole lot of female empowerment!

Even though this is a fairytale retelling aimed at middle graders, my inner child had so much fun going on magical adventures with these characters that looked like me. It was an absolute delight to read!

4.75 stars!
Rumaysa is the diverse fairytale retelling you need in your life! The representation is amazing. We’ve got a Muslim main character, a plus size heroine, and a South Asian setting!

The premise of the book had me thinking this would just be a typical fairytale retelling. Boy was I wrong! The book is divided into three stories; Rumaysa, Cinderayla, and Sleeping Sara. They each come with their own unique plot! In addition, the best part of the book is that the stories overlap! (I’m not going to say more to avoid spoilers. But how cool is that?!)

The characters were also such a delight! Despite most of the villains being two dimensional, most fairytales don’t actually have antagonists with personalities, so it didn’t affect my enjoyment much. Luckily, all the other characters were incredibly likeable and developed. Rumaysa is bold and compassionate, while Suleiman is flustered and inventive. Moreover, each princess is independent and driven, which I absolutely loved seeing! In the original Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella, the women are always saved by guys. Henceforth why I found it very refreshing to see that all the girls saved themselves! In fact, not once was romance mentioned as something they desired. The male character, Suleiman, is shy and prefers staying inside inventing things instead of looking around for princesses to save. Overall, Rumaysa didn’t hesitate to serve it’s readers with masterful characters that young kids will surely look up to.

Another aspect I loved was the dialogue! The book is filled with witty banter that will make readers of all ages laugh. It also brought up important topics such as toxic masculinity and feminism.

My favorite part of the book was the writing! It reads like a fairytale, while still being easy to read. The author also slips in little details relating to South Asian culture, and Islam. It just made my desi Muslim heart so happy. I absolutely adored it! One bonus point I needed to give this novel is that food is described very smoothly, it definitely made my mouth water.

Unfortunately, I didn’t love the art much. It seemed a bit unfinished. However, considering this is an ARC copy, that could have been subject to change.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed Rumaysa! Filled with twists and turns, this is the incredible fairytale retelling you’ve been waiting for.

This was a really fun middle-grade re-telling of 3 super famous Disney princesses but of course with POC Muslim characters and a book I would have loved when I was younger and when there wasn't a lot of Muslim or POC characters in books and most of the books were very euro-centric, especially disney princesses. This was a very easy read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.