Hello, book queens, kings and non-binary royalty!
Today I bring you a review of Saints And Misfits by S.K. Ali.
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| Title: Saints And Misfits Author: S.K. Ali Publisher: Salaam Reads Pages: 352 Rating 5/5 stars |
Trigger Warning: sexual assault
There are three kinds of people in my world:
1. Saints, those special people moving the world forward. Sometimes you glaze over them. Or, at least, I do. They’re in your face so much, you can’t see them, like how you can’t see your nose.
2. Misfits, people who don’t belong. Like me—the way I don’t fit into Dad’s brand-new family or in the leftover one composed of Mom and my older brother, Mama’s-Boy-Muhammad.
Also, there’s Jeremy and me. Misfits. Because although, alliteratively speaking, Janna and Jeremy sound good together, we don’t go together. Same planet, different worlds.
But sometimes worlds collide and beautiful things happen, right?
3. Monsters. Well, monsters wearing saint masks, like in Flannery O’Connor’s stories.
Like the monster at my mosque.
People think he’s holy, untouchable, but nobody has seen under the mask.
Except me.
1. Saints, those special people moving the world forward. Sometimes you glaze over them. Or, at least, I do. They’re in your face so much, you can’t see them, like how you can’t see your nose.
2. Misfits, people who don’t belong. Like me—the way I don’t fit into Dad’s brand-new family or in the leftover one composed of Mom and my older brother, Mama’s-Boy-Muhammad.
Also, there’s Jeremy and me. Misfits. Because although, alliteratively speaking, Janna and Jeremy sound good together, we don’t go together. Same planet, different worlds.
But sometimes worlds collide and beautiful things happen, right?
3. Monsters. Well, monsters wearing saint masks, like in Flannery O’Connor’s stories.
Like the monster at my mosque.
People think he’s holy, untouchable, but nobody has seen under the mask.
Except me.
- Goodreads
This book surprised me a lot. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. I absolutely loved it.
The writing was simple but beautiful, and that made this book a great experience. I learned so much about the Muslim community. And I'm so glad that we're getting more diverse books because everyone deserves to see themselves; to really see themselves.
“The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.”
Janna is one of the strongest characters I've read about. And also one of the very few characters that are religious by choice. Most of the time, kids grow up in a religious family and are forced to follow it (me included). I really enjoyed how we learn that it was Janna's choice to start wearing the hijab.
The way this book deals with sexual assault was great, as it was given attention and handled carefully. It wasn't brushed off. Janna's feelings felt real, her reactions felt real. As someone who, fortunately, hasn't been sexually assaulted, I can't possibly start to understand how it must feel.
None of the characters felt flat, which was a plus. I absolutely loved Sausan. She was an unapologetic feminist and one of my favorite characters in the book. I loved how she offered to help Janna.
“Sometimes people who appear great can be the real deal.
The husk, the fruit, and the kernel align.”
Overall, Saints And Misfits was a great debut novel and I can't wait to read more by the amazingly talented S.K. Ali.
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