The Henna Wars

By: Adiba Jaigirdar

Narrated by: Priya Ayyar

When Dimple Met Rishi meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this romantic comedy about two teen girls with rival henna businesses.

Nishat doesn't want to lose her family, but she also doesn't want to hide who she is, and it only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life. Flávia is beautiful and charismatic, and Nishat falls for her instantly. But when a school competition invites students to create their own businesses, both Flávia and Nishat decide to showcase their talent as henna artists. In a fight to prove who is the best, their lives become more tangled-but Nishat can't quite get rid of her crush, especially since Flávia seems to like her back.

As the competition heats up, Nishat has a decision to make: stay in the closet for her family, or put aside her differences with Flávia and give their relationship a chance.

Adorable

Very cute YA set in Ireland which address racism and homophobia while having its own unique storyline~

Finished it in one day!

it was really fun to read! Accurate representation of island and desi culture. The discreptions of food got me hungry!!!

Not Bad but Not as Good as Other Similar Stories

I was a little bit let down by this one. been reading alot of these cute lgbt* ya rom-coms in the past year and compared to a handful of others this one felt kinda bland in terms of humor & character. Just not as heartfelt as what I've been looking for. The narration was also a bit robotic for me, lacked emotion & personality. the plot was about what I expected, solid & comfortingly predictable.

Love the Concept of the Story

Love the story overall! More development of character relationships would have been great. The reading could have been less monotone at times, but I loved the authenticity of the accents of some characters.

As a queer, South Asian woman, I felt so validated

Thank god for this book, honestly. The author manages to authentically and plainly capture the struggles and frustrations of growing up brown and queer in a heteronormative, predominantly white environment. I felt so seen and heard and validated throughout the book. Nishant's anger was my anger. Her pain was my pain. That innocent, butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling she experienced around a pretty girl? Yeah, I felt that. And one of the best parts was (*SPOILER*) that her parents eventually accepted her sexuality. It was a breath of fresh air for a brown girl who never even dreamed of coming out to her parents because of the stigma and misinformation surrounding sexuality in many South Asian cultures. But Nishant's parents' gradual understanding and acceptance as the book progressed felt like the opposite of all of those terrifying scenarios I'd always feared. It felt like hope.

I would highly recommend this book to any teenager or young adult looking for a sweet, poignant read about overcoming stereotypes and embracing your identity in a society where being yourself is a radical act.