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American Fever by Dur e Aziz Amna
“[W]e talked incessantly about the gap between here and there. With each articulated difference, we flattened ourselves and let American define us. We were only ever what it was not.” My initial reaction upon finishing American Fever was something in the realm of ‘underwhelmed’. Yet, as weeks passed by my opinion changed. Maybe it’s because […]
1st pov, 2010s, 3.5 STARS, Adult, ALIENATION, ambivalent mood, America, American Fever, belonging, cold tone, coming of age, cultural dissonance, Dur e Aziz Amna, ennui, female authors, friendships, girlhood, HIGH SCHOOL, identity, illness, Islam, loneliness, Longing, Muslim rep, NEW YORK, Oregon, otherness, Pakistan, Pakistani author, published in 2022, read in 2022, Religion, SLICE OF LIFE, SMALL TOWN, the female malaise, YOUNG ADULT -
Are You Enjoying? by Mira Sethi
Are You Enjoying? reads very much like a debut. While I appreciated the themes Mira Sethi explored in these seven stories, the writing definitely detracted from my overall reading experiences. As collections of short stories go this is a rather forgettable and conventional one. The setting (Pakistan) and ideas behind each story had potential, for […]
2 STARS, 3rd pov, affairs, Are You Enjoying?, collection of short stories, Contemporary, family, female authors, film industry, Islam, Mira Sethi, netgalley, Pakistan, Pakistani, Pakistani author, published in 2021, read in 2020, Religion, short stories, social issues, toxic relationships, weak prose