The Henna Wars by Abida Jaigirdar Review

 Title: The Henna Wars 

Author: Abida Jaigirdar 

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance 

Series: Standalone 

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars 

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it. 

I’ve been in such a bad reading slump lately guys; I’m so sorry that it’s been forever since I’ve reviewed. But thankfully, The Henna Wars broke it! My library is still not open and has no plans on opening up soon; thankfully they’ve got curbside service, so there’s that at least. The Henna Wars was a beautiful and emotional coming of age story; I love gay fiction, but this is the first time that I’ve ever read about a Muslim lesbian’s experience! Was this book hard to get through at times? Absolutely. But I loved every minute of it, even when it was painful. This might be one of my favorite books of 2020; it was bittersweet, tender and at times, difficult to get through, but I loved every moment of it. 

Nishat is a young Bengali girl living in Ireland, and she is a lesbian, despite her family being super conservative and traditional. She comes out to her parents, only to find that they are embarrassed of her. After a Bengali wedding where she runs into an old classmate, Flavia, Nishat wonders if love is in the cards for her. When her business teacher announces that she will be holding a competition with a thousand euros as the prize, Nishat turns to something she has always loved to do: henna. When Flavia announces that her business will also be revolving around henna, a rivalry forms between the two girls. Things get even more complicated when someone in her class outs her. Will Nishat win the competition? Even more important, will she accept herself? 

I really, really enjoyed this book; it was so different. I loved how this book took a person of color and put her experience in the spotlight. Diverse books for the win! I was immediately transfixed by Nishat’s distinct voice; I loved watching her grow throughout the novel. I also enjoyed the way that the book took Bengali culture—a culture I knew little to nothing about, before now—was put in the spotlight. The pacing was breakneck and I loved how Nishat interacted with her peers, but especially her family, Flavia, and her childhood nemesis, Chyna. I loved how this book was so true to life, even though it was painful. At times it was very painful to read, especially the homophobia, but I very much loved this book! It was a coming of age story unlike any I’ve ever read, and I highly recommend it! The bottom line: Romantic, hilarious, bittersweet and real, I loved The Henna Wars! Next on deck: Court of Miracles by Kester Grant!