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Værker af Beena Khan

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First, I would like to congratulate Beena on her first novel! Second, I want to thank Beena for reaching out to me and asking if I would read and review her debut novel. I greatly appreciate the opportunity, and I am grateful for the gifted PDF of your novel.

Beena Khan shares a intimate anecdote for what inspired her debut novel, at the end of the book. I have to say, I appreciate her bravery in being open about her mental health, and for turning a difficult moment into a work of art. If that isn’t incredibly empowering, I don’t know what is. I would have preferred her explanation as a foreword, instead of an afterword, simply because the characters made more sense after finding out how they came to be. And I don’t think that takes anything away from the story, or spoils anything. It’s a really beautiful moment Beena shares with her readers, and it’s so vulnerable, and that translates well into the characters.

This book is incredibly deep, and it shines a light on so many factors regarding self-care, grief, healing and mental and emotional struggles. The book opens with our leading lady, Red, getting herself dressed up and going out, with no specific destination in mind. Inclement weather thwarts her plan and she ends up finding shelter in our leading mans bar/restaurant/lounge. Honestly, I didn't find a whole lot to genuinely like about Red in the first several chapters. She came across as shallow, closed off and kind of strange. I warmed up to Kabir much faster, though he did strike me as somewhat creepy in the beginning. The first half of the book is a lot of build up, a lot of literary references (which I did enjoy) and some intricate backstory.

I really enjoyed the cultural aspects of this book. It was beautiful how the two histories unfolded, and I really appreciated learning more about all the cultural dynamics among the characters. It was really great reading about Kabir and his faith, Red and her mysterious lack of faith, and Aryan (another character with a large role within the story). I was very intrigued by the experience of reading about that characters cultural differences. It was a beautiful aspect to this novel.

I really enjoyed the complexities of this story. The fact that reading was a big part of what drew our characters together, was lovely. The use of color and weather elements to help describe a scene was great as well. You take such an emotional journey throughout this book, and Beena orchestrates the ride so beautifully. Her characters have so much depth, and are described in a way that absolutely humanizes them. I found Beena's writing to be extremely smart, and she tells a story without giving anything away, until she smacks you in the face with something so unexpected, yet still very believable, that you find yourself unable to put the book down. The last half of the book, I couldn't flip the page fast enough. I did not see the ending coming, and I actually really enjoyed the way it ended... so much beauty, heartbreak and freedom.
… (mere)
 
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KKECReads | Oct 19, 2020 |

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Værker
18
Medlemmer
36
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#397,831
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½ 3.3
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