Shadi is dealing with a lot right now, from the fact that she is living in a time (2003) when the US has officially declared war on Iraq, hate crimes rising, FBI agents inflitrating local mosques, and the Muslim community being harrassed and targieted.... she just wants to keep a low profile. To top it off her best friend has cut her out of her life, the death of her brother has torn her family apart, her father is sick, her mother is falling apart, and her relationship with her ex-best friend/crush is straining. Shadi is in extreme emotional turmoil, dealing with the sadness, the anxiety, and the stress that is taking a physical toll on her. Her world is crumbling and she is just trying to navigate through the various relationships of her life while finding some sort of stability. This book explores the tumultuous pains of dealing with grief, finding your identity, and falling in love in a time where things are difficult. The ending was a bit abrupt and I would have liked an epilogue or two more chapters to sort of wrap up everything that has happened in the book, especially with her relationship with her family, her ex best friend, and even her love interest Ali. Ali was a sweet character and the care he has for Shadi throughout was sweet. The depiction of grief impacting Shadi and her family was well depicted and the pain is visceral. The regret, the loss, and the way that each of the family member dealt with their grief was well shown. Overall, this was a nice read that explores grief and I would definitely recommend it for someone looking for an emotional read.