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A review by keysmashhh
Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Relationships: 4/5
World-Building: 4/5
Genre: 3/5
Plot: The actual plot of this book was pretty complex, with multiple different plotlines going on around the main one (for example the election and the wedding drama) I really liked that as it gave the main plot more depth and rounded out the supporting characters. However, because of these other plots I felt like the main plot was lacking slightly, the speed at which they entered into the fake-dating agreement was slightly unpredictable and certain scenes just felt drawn out. I loved the ending scene though, it was probably my favourite of the entire book, so filled with joy and optimism.
Characters: I liked most of the main characters, Hani and Ishu were really interesting to read and I loved both POVs. I also thought the sister was a really interesting character, I almost wish she had had a POV in the book as well, it could have been interesting to see the relationship from a third-person POV (perhaps her story would be a good sequel book) I just straight up hated Aisling (as expected), I am so glad the author didn't give her any sort of redemption because honestly, she doesn't deserve it.
Relationships: Hani and Ishu's relationship was adorable of course however I felt like the transition from kind of enemies/mild hatred to fake dating was wayyyyyy too quick - I wish we could have seen them getting to know each other a little more beforehand. When they are really dating though, I loved their relationship, it was so sweet. The interesting dynamic between Nik and Ishu was probably one of the best bits of the book, growing from rivals to siblings was lovely to read. The relationships between children and their parents were also an interesting part explored in this book, shout out to Hani's mum, she was amazing!
World-Building: the world was a really interesting one to read about - a combination of Bengali and Irish. A very random observation but I loved how much the characters relied on the bus, it felt very realistic to teenage culture. Similarly, the references to Instagram, Riverdale etc were slightly jarring at first but a nice addition to create an immersive teenage world.
Genre: as a fake-dating book it is not the best I have ever read, and I felt like the author didn't play into the fake-dating tropes (eg. only one bed, forced proximity, practice kiss etc) as much as she could have. But as an exploration of identity and changing relationships (both Bengali and LGBTQ+ identity) it was really interesting. Also yay for a confirmed bi main character, who doesn't "choose" a gender and defends her bisexuality!!!
Characters: 3.5/5
Relationships: 4/5
World-Building: 4/5
Genre: 3/5
Plot: The actual plot of this book was pretty complex, with multiple different plotlines going on around the main one (for example the election and the wedding drama) I really liked that as it gave the main plot more depth and rounded out the supporting characters. However, because of these other plots I felt like the main plot was lacking slightly, the speed at which they entered into the fake-dating agreement was slightly unpredictable and certain scenes just felt drawn out. I loved the ending scene though, it was probably my favourite of the entire book, so filled with joy and optimism.
Characters: I liked most of the main characters, Hani and Ishu were really interesting to read and I loved both POVs. I also thought the sister was a really interesting character, I almost wish she had had a POV in the book as well, it could have been interesting to see the relationship from a third-person POV (perhaps her story would be a good sequel book) I just straight up hated Aisling (as expected), I am so glad the author didn't give her any sort of redemption because honestly, she doesn't deserve it.
Relationships: Hani and Ishu's relationship was adorable of course however I felt like the transition from kind of enemies/mild hatred to fake dating was wayyyyyy too quick - I wish we could have seen them getting to know each other a little more beforehand. When they are really dating though, I loved their relationship, it was so sweet. The interesting dynamic between Nik and Ishu was probably one of the best bits of the book, growing from rivals to siblings was lovely to read. The relationships between children and their parents were also an interesting part explored in this book, shout out to Hani's mum, she was amazing!
World-Building: the world was a really interesting one to read about - a combination of Bengali and Irish. A very random observation but I loved how much the characters relied on the bus, it felt very realistic to teenage culture. Similarly, the references to Instagram, Riverdale etc were slightly jarring at first but a nice addition to create an immersive teenage world.
Genre: as a fake-dating book it is not the best I have ever read, and I felt like the author didn't play into the fake-dating tropes (eg. only one bed, forced proximity, practice kiss etc) as much as she could have. But as an exploration of identity and changing relationships (both Bengali and LGBTQ+ identity) it was really interesting. Also yay for a confirmed bi main character, who doesn't "choose" a gender and defends her bisexuality!!!