Book Review
I was sent an advanced copy of Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by its publisher so I could share my review with you!
Content Warning: This book contains instances of racism, homophobia (biphobia and lesbophobia), islamophobia, toxic friendships, gaslighting, and parental abandonment.
Humaria “Hani” Khan is many things. She’s popular, confident, smart, and one of the most well-liked students in her year. She also happens to be bisexual, a fact that shouldn’t be a big deal. Yet, when she attempts to come out to her two best friends, they claim that she couldn’t possibly be bisexual, as she has only ever dated boys. In a moment of panic, Hani tries to defend her identity by claiming that she was actually in a relationship with Ishu, the only other South Asian girl from their year. The only problem is that Hani is very much not dating Ishu, no matter what she told her friends. To keep up appearances and to convince her friends of her identity, Hani talks Ishu into pretending to date. But even fake relationships can be complicated, as Hani and Ishu will soon find out.
You can get your copy of Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating on May 25th from Page Street Kids!
Adiba Jaigirdar became one of my all-time favorite contemporary authors after releasing The Henna Wars, so I knew from the outset that Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating was going to be an absolute must-read for me! I was right to have high expectations for this book, as Hani and Ishu won over my heart immediately. This is one of my all-time favorite fake-dating stories because the characters feel incredibly real! I loved the way that Hani and Ishu balanced each other’s personalities out. However, my favorite element of this story was the way it dealt with biphobia and islamophobia in tandem, allowing for deeper exploration of these intersecting issues.
My Recommendation-
Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating would be the perfect read to kick off your Pride month reading list! This story manages to be light-hearted and romantic while dealing with difficult topics, which is no easy feat to accomplish!
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