Read this for this Lincoln Award Nominee reading challenge.

I thought this was a pretty cute book as far as romances go. I can't attest to the authenticity of Muslim and Pakistani representation, which I have heard conflicting opinions on, so I'll leave the discussion to those who are qualified to do it.

As far as a read for teens, I'm glad that it addressed the ideas of revisionist history, colonialism, and examining the perspectives of the conquered and the conquerors. Danyal was an engaging protagonist, one that was relatable, humorous, and worth rooting for. I liked that, despite his faults, he had some strengths, particularly in cooking. He was cracking me up in some places and making me slap my head in others, which are natural reactions to teen boys. 

The flow was a bit off in places, with some events landing at odd times in the story when they probably would have been better occurring earlier or later. I would have like a bit more development between Danyal and Bisma, but I think it works for the most part here.