Suchi Raisa

Astonishingly Brilliant Book!! The Definitive Enemies-to-Lovers Experience. Regrettably, the movie adaptation falls far short.

The Ultimate Romance Masterpiece!!! Toss aside the lackluster recommendations from booktok; this book surpasses them all as the epitome of underrated and exquisitely crafted love stories. Unlike the contemporary rom-coms that often depict men as brooding, smirking creatures with perpetually darkened eyes, Nicholas shines through with a captivating personality! It may seem like an ordinary quality to celebrate, but if you've ventured into the realm of romance literature, you'll undoubtedly share my uncontainable delight. Don't hesitate—dive into this extraordinary read immediately!

0/5 stars. I discovered this book during Black Friday for a mere $2. Had I paid the full price, I would have been deeply distressed, potentially considering legal action. My feelings of disappointment are entirely justified. One would assume that two collaborating writers would possess more than just a combined two brain cells, enabling them to revise their work, fact-check, or employ an editor who doesn't merely shower them with praise. I question what genre they were attempting to pass this book off as. A contemporary thriller? I've read more captivating stories penned by third-grade students. Spanning 432 pages, it is filled with mind-numbing tedium, superfluous content, and Olivia's vapid honey metaphors. It is evident that this book is nothing more than a cheap attempt to generate quick profits. If the authors intended to create a character like Lily, a "poor, helpless, abused" trans individual, and pair her with an equally "annoying, pathetic, and stupid" boyfriend, they should have strived to make them at least somewhat likable. Unfortunately, they fell short in that regard. I found myself actually wishing for Asher's conviction. Olivia, the mother of the protagonist, is unquestionably the most obnoxious mother figure I've encountered in literature. She claims to defend her son against the prosecutor's charges but makes questionable comments comparing Asher to her abusive ex. I also can't help but question Picoult and Boylan's knowledge of gender-affirming surgeries, or whether they intended for Asher to be portrayed as an incredibly dimwitted "stud" who sleeps around but remains oblivious to anything awry with Lily. The suspense surrounding the investigation builds for more than half the book, only to culminate in a disappointing twist involving the accidental involvement of a jealous girl. It felt like a cop-out. I decided to donate my copy out of sympathy for the trees that were felled to produce this book tainted by Picoult and Boylan's writing. Instead of subjecting readers to Olivia's nauseating recipes at the end, it would have been more beneficial to direct them to a support group for those traumatized by Picoult's writing. The fact that this book was on sale comes as no surprise; it would have been a wiser choice to burn the entire stack.

I picked up Sunburnt Veils from my school library out of sheer curiosity of seeing a hijabi girl on the cover. Now, I am a hijabi myself and reading this book felt as though Islam was just another Pinterest aesthetic. The unnecessary "make out" scene was uncalled for and served no real purpose other than remind me just how much bad representations like this perpetuate narratives like that of Netflix for hijabi girls like me. The main character, Tara, chose to wear the hijab despite others telling her not to. Yet, she is the last one compliant with what warrants a hijab. It is not just a veil or scarf, it encompasses modest behaviour, manners and speech. A story about a hijabi girl who combats Islamophobia and finds a boyfriend along the way. Is there possibly no way that a story with a hijabi girl can exist without a western love interest or the "big bad fight" against Islamophobes? I was so excited and colossally let down.