Hijab and Red Lipstick is a coming of age novel that follows young Sara in her trials and tribulations as she moves from London to the Arabian Gulf just as she enters her teenage years and on into her twenties. The change of home brings a sharp cultural change into Sara's life as she comes into greater conflict with her super-strict Egyptian father. The change in home brings out a lot of conflict in Sara's identity and some incredibly difficult moments and decisions in her life that she has to overcome. And although the writing at times can be a little simplistic, perhaps due to the young-adult target market and being a debut book, I found Sara's voice to be honest and unwavering. I would also say the simplicity of the style in no way detracts from the enjoyment or the value I got from this book as I whipped through it in a couple of sittings.

It should be noted that the book has a trigger warning on the back and this book certainly tackles a lot of heavy subjects which some may find too difficult to read. It covers identity, consent, mental health, self-harm, sexual assault, rape, abusive relationships and more. However, I think for a young-adult book to tackle such issues and tackle these issues focusing on the Arabian Gulf is incredibly important and they were all so deftly handled. Yousra does caveat the book by saying this in no way represents all women's experiences and all Arab families, and that's clear whilst reading this book. However, this is still the reality of many women and story needs to be told.

Despite the heavy topics, I really enjoyed the book. I found Sara's character really easy to connect with. I saw something of my younger self in her teenage years as she battled insecurity, rebellion, and was driven by a need to fit in, and to fall in love. Her character has such incredibly spirit and she is the real strength of this novel.

I don't often read young-adult books but when Yousra asked me to participate in the blog tour I couldn't say no and I'm so glad I said yes. Hijab and Red Lipstick is a feminist and important read about a young woman growing up in the Arabian Gulf. I wish I'd read more books like this as teenager, but I'm glad I'm getting to read it now.