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Brit *My Little Book Nook*
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2019
Verified Purchase
*6 stars* if I could give 1 million stars, I would.
As a lover of literature, as a high school teacher, as a mother, as a human being who believes other human beings are deserving of respect and compassion, there are so many things I absolutely loved about this novel. It made me laugh and cry, it infuriated me and inspired me.
This is a must read for 2019

Marvel: Zayneb
Passionate, intelligent, angry Zayneb.
Zayneb, who is angry for the right reasons, and who refuses to be a bystander. Who has a strong sense of justice, a compulsion to stand up against bullies, and a natural ability to be a champion for equality and awareness.
Zayneb, who is also very layered. She is strong, but not impenetrable. She is vulnerable, sensitive, loving, and fiercely human. She wears her emotions on her face and her heart on her sleeve, making her a very relatable and inspiring YA heroine. Having experienced first hand the ugliness of the world, if you pair all of those qualities with her sense of empathy, you have a force to be reckoned with.
That is Zayneb.
She is easily one of my all time favorite YA heroines.

Marvel: Characterization
The other characters in this novel are all unique gems, and it is a testament to the complexity of people.
Adam, with his introspective pragmatism, creativity, and mature sense of loyalty.
Aunty Nanny, with her compassion, fire, and intelligence.
Connor, with his unquestioning loyalty, acceptance, and support.
Noemi, and her self-awareness, confidence, and openness.
Zayneb likes open people, she likes real, and that's exactly how these character are written. The characters are complex, relatable, and real.
The novel doesn’t just speak against the dangers of generalization, it shows just how incomplete generalizations are. In a climate that is constantly trying to dehumanize and generalize, Love from A to Z is a necessary direct contrast to circulating stereotypes. Representation in literature matters, not just to the underrepresented, but to everyone.

Marvel: Hard hitting topics
Love from A to Z addresses complex, problematic topics in a way that isn’t preachy or patronizing.
Hard-hitting subjects are explained and discussed between the characters perfectly. It’s eye opening and galvanizing. As Zayneb said,

“I’m advocating for more people to get angry. Get moved.”

This novel moved me.
Marvel: Love (because, as I was warned, this is a love story)
The relationships in this book were so heartwarming. They were so full of acceptance, caring, and support.
Zayneb, Kavi, Ayaan, and Noemi.
Zayneb and Aunty Nanny.
Zayneb and the Emmas.
Adam and Hanna.
Adam and his parents.
Adam and Connor.
Adam and Zayneb.
The characters love one another for who they truly are, flaws and all. They celebrate and accept each other’s differences, and they make each other better people. These characters, though coming from different backgrounds and experiences, learn from one another and grow as a result of their relationships. Adam and Zayneb learn to love themselves just as much as they grow to love one another. They balance each other. The love in this novel, be it friend, family, romantic, or self, is so powerful. My heart was so full by the end.

“There was a reason love was a round-sounding word. It completed you and then some, like treading a circular path, the way it was immemorial. Whole. But also . . . infinite. It went on and on as long as you went on and on, to meet it, keep it, treasure it. And I would.”

Marvel: Squish and Binky.
Because duh. They were flipping adorable.

Oddity: Literally nothing.
There wasn’t a single thing I would change about this book.
It was perfect.

Everyone needs to read this book.
Everyone.
Young people. Old people. In between people (like myself). No matter who you are or where you come from. This book needs to be experienced by everyone.
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Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsense
4.0 out of 5 stars Uplifting and Thought-Provoking
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2019
Verified Purchase
What I Liked:

Zayneb – I feel a strong kinship to Zayneb and this has largely to do with how angry she is. Often times anger is depicted as a negative characteristic, but I loved that Zayneb’s anger isn’t where she begins and ends. Her anger is often justified and says more about her incredible capacity for empathy. That being said, Zayneb also begins to realize that she is only one person and she has to find that right balance between caring and self-care.

Adam – I’ll always have a soft spot for soft boys. Adam is such a kind character and I loved his relationship with his little sister Hanna. One of his goals is to make sure she has as many memories of their mother as possible, who passed when her MS took a fatal turn. Adam struggles with his own diagnosis and the lingering fear that his fate might be the same as his mother’s.

Centering two Muslim characters – I loved that our two leads had very different experiences being Muslim. For Zayneb, her hijab is an immediate indicator of her religion and makes her a target more than Adam. For Adam, he hasn’t experienced this kind of prejudice, but learns to open his eyes to the things that he might not have first-hand knowledge of.

The way the characters balance each other out – Although I’d argue that Zayneb is empathetic, she does have her blindspots and I think Adam helps her recognize these. For Adam, Zayneb pushes him out of his often complacent safe zones.

Confronting prejudice head-on – Not only do characters challenge Islamophobia in the story, the narrative challenges readers to confront both the direct and indirect ways this kind of prejudice has all over the world.

Idealism vs reality – If the novel had ended its story in the middle of the novel, it would have been an incredibly beautiful love story, but Ali leads her characters and story in a different direction, challenging them to see how they both have been viewing each other through idealistic lenses.

What I Didn't Like:

More conflict – I kind of wish the conflict between the two leads would have happened sooner and that it lasted longer. They learn so much about themselves and each other because they are at odds and I wouldn’t have minded exploring this more.

Final Verdict:

S.K. Ali’s Love From A to Z is an uplifting, thought-provoking, and incredibly satisfying contemporary. If you haven’t had the pleasure of picking up Ali’s novels yet, I highly recommend you do so.
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Top reviews from other countries

Asma
5.0 out of 5 stars BEST BOOK I’VE READ
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 29, 2020
Verified Purchase
One of the best books I’ve ever read! I’m a big fan or romance and this was just randomly suggested to me on an app after I had read tatbilb 2 and omgggg god bless cookies and algorithm and the spy in my phone because this book was perfect for me. I’ve never read a book that has muslim characters without them compromising their faith or coming across as oppressed. This book was nothing like that it was just two normal teens falling in love that just happened to be Muslim with a dash of drama lives. It was so heartwarming and cute, it made me laugh, it made me cry. It was so relatable, zayneb was so relatable and the way her and adam’s love story went was so true to the Muslim experience. It was such good representation. Overall absolutely loved it !!
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful and touching love story about two Muslim teens
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 27, 2020
Verified Purchase
This book is absolutely stunning and it touched my heart so deeply. It's one of the most beautiful love stories I've ever read, it feels so raw and real. It deals with lots of important things, it's hard-hitting and difficult to read at times, but it's also interwoven with so much hope.
An absolutely stunning book that's unlike any other YA that I've read. I recommend!!!
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Melissa
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 11, 2020
Verified Purchase
Wow, just wow. This is one of the best YA fiction books I have read in a while. The way that the themes of MS, grief, loss, racism and friendships are dealt with in such a nuanced and beautiful manner. This book also opened my eyes to a part of Islam and Muslim culture that I did not know about before. I just hope one day I will find the A to my Z
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Wafaa S
5.0 out of 5 stars Love Adam and Zaynab! 🥺💕
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 21, 2020
Verified Purchase
One of the best books ever! I love finding the rare gem of a great characters and this one has muslims portrayed in such a beautiful way! Adore this book so much I gave it to my nieces to read best author ever!
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Love from 5 out 5 stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 17, 2019
Verified Purchase
This book was EVERYTHING!! I enjoyed the frustrating romance between these two couple.
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