Saints and Misfits by S. K. Ali
Hey guys! Today I will be reviewing the YA book Saints and Misfits by S. K. Ali which was a part of my June YA PageHabit box! I received the June box for free as a member of their moderator team. This review is spoiler free!!!
This book is about a Muslim-American teen, Janna Yusuf, living in Illinois with her mother and brother Mohammed. We follow Janna's life as she deals with crushes, monsters, friends, and a whole bunch of teenage problems! The book discusses Janna's struggle with faith and her social life, the two sides of friendships (those that are Muslim like Janna and those that are not), and more.
I was really curious to see where the direction of this book was going to go, as there isn't much of a hint in the description, and all you have to go off of is the idea of saints, misfits, and monsters. Honestly, I loved getting to follow Janna's story and her life. S. K. Ali reminds everyone that no matter ones faith, how they dress, or where they live - we're all human. We see Janna's struggle as a teenager and a person, including that struggle with friends, faith, and her family life.
I think my favorite part of this book was how relatable Janna was to my own life. She didn't feel like a character, she felt like a person I could meet on the street. And for a YA contemporary, that's very important.
I'm not a fan of contemporaries, but I have to give this book a 4/5 stars!
So here is how I got my rating:
I give reviews based on five separate categories: plot, characters, description, pace, and extras. Each point earns a total of 1 star - which is what gives my five star rating.
Plot: 1/1 stars. The plot had its waves and troughs, picking up the pace and slowing down, but overall was very interesting. I was engaged the entire time and I loved getting to learn about Janna's life!
Characters: 1/1 stars. Janna is such a well rounded character that her voice in the story compels you to keep reading! I also like her brother, and some of friends. There were a few characters that I thought were one dimensional, but they were such minor characters that I can excuse it, especially with how well rounded the other characters are!
Description: 1/1 stars. You know exactly where Janna is, what's she thinking, who she is with, everything you need to know. S. K Ali doesn't keep you in the dark about what is going on and gives a great visual for what is going on!
Pace: 0.5/1 stars. I thought that some areas went by really slow and it was a lot of filler in those sections. It all adds to the plot eventually, but when you first read it and you ask what this has to do with anything? In the end, it's only a few sections, which is why I gave it a 0.5 instead of a 0.
Extras: 0.5/1 stars. It's hard to have extras in a YA contemporary in my opinion, but I feel like the idea in itself is an extra. I haven't read a book like this before, and it definitely gets a lot of props from me!
In the end, this book is a short, enjoyable read that every teenage girl can relate to in one way or another!
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HAPPY READING!!!
