LH&OF tells the story of Maya's last semester or senior year. Maya is a film maker. She has been accepted to NYU. But her parents think film making is just a hobby and do not want their daughter leaving the state for college. As Muslims, they believe that Maya should become a lawyer or doctor and have an idea of who she wants to marry even if she does not marry him until she finishes her degree. They think she is going to the University of Chicago.

As Maya struggles to make her parents understand what she wants, we are hearing a second story. At the end of each chapter, there is a second story playing out. It takes awhile to see where it is going, but where it goes ultimately affects Maya.

All I can say is wow. I will not lie. I struggled to pick this one up AT FIRST. I had recently read When Dimple Met Rishi and thought it was cute and fun. So I thought I was just getting another watered down version of that. Then I finally sat down and dove in. I WAS SO WRONG! LH&OF is on a whole other level. Yes, there are a couple of similar aspects. But that has to do more with the cultural aspects than the overall plot for each book. I was really impressed with this book and the insight it not only gave me into another culture, but the hate that others can feel. I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend to others.

This was a touching story about exactly what the title says. Even coming from a different background and/or religion than the main character, you can easily relate to her difficulties with her parents and trying to fit in. It seems like a particularly relevant story at this time in North America when the issues of hatred and anti-Islam sentiment make the news frequently.

For fans of The Hate U Give and Dear Martin, "Love, Hate & Other Filters" presents a chilling depiction of what its like to be a teenager whose life is interrupted by tragedy and prejudice. On top of all of this, it is about what it means to be a teenager finding your way, and yourself in the world. Everyone could learn something from this book! I loved it!

This debut novel by Samira Ahmed is so good. I loved the main character, Maya, high school student and film maker. Readers can see the story from her point of view through her camera lens: growing up, falling in love, and experiencing Islamophobia.

I loved this one and truly believe it'll offer my students a window into a life experience they'll never have. Must purchase.

Strong read with great characters and an unfortunately horribly real situation. The fact it's a debut came through at times, but still a read that will make you think. A solid 3.5.

I received a free copy of Love, Hate, and Other Filters from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I rarely read contemporary YA, but thought this might be a good book to use in one of the classes I teach at community college. Reading this book did not feel like work. It felt like “I don’t want to go to work because I don’t want to stop reading this book.”

At first, as the narrator pointed out in a well crafted, self-aware manner, it felt like Rom-Con, where the geeky girl has to choose between two boys. However, things got more serious as tension grew between her and her parents, and they got a lot more serious when a terrorist attack happened in their state. Here, the book ceased to feel like rom-com and became more literary. Then there was a twist that I absolutely loved and made me think, “yes, this is a book for today, and it is a book so many people need to read!” The end was bittersweet, giving choky feels that only a good book can give.

I love that this book made think while it kept me turning pages. How the excerpts at the beginning of the chapters left bread crumbs for the twist but didn’t fully give it away. I enjoyed how the narrator was a little self-aware, but it didn’t really break the fourth wall because she was a filmmaker and it just felt like how she thought.

My only complaint is that there was one scene when a girl was being attacked by a boy, and another boy saved her. From a romance plot point of view, I can see why the writer chose this. It doesn’t stop me from wishing either the girl saved herself, or her female friend kicked the assaulter’s ass.

I learned a lot from reading this, and I had a lot of fun while doing it. I hope it becomes a bestseller, because it is a perspective so many American’s need to learn to see from.

This was a wonderful "own-voices" novel with a fantastic main character who felt extremely real.

Boring. Could not get past the first few pages. I hate not finishing a book but did not feel bad about not finishing this one as I could not even get started.

YES YES YES and a thousand times YES! This book is so refreshing. I love the push for more diverse books, and this one hits all the right spots! I love the storyline and the imagery! I will be recommending this even before it comes out!

This beautiful book about a teenage Indian-American girl is just so heart-warming and lovable. What I love about this book is that while there is a LOT going on, it's not over the top. The author balanced all of the crazy things happening in Maya's life without making it sound completely unbelievable. The dialogue was perfect--none of that whiny teenage dialogue that I'm so used to in YA literature. I cannot wait to take this book to schools!

The first chapter or two made me think this novel was going to be pretty light and fluffy, but it ended up being much deeper and more affecting than I expected. Maya Aziz is a Muslim Indian-American trying to balance her own hopes and dreams of attending film school at NYU with her parents’ expectations that she go to college close to home and then settle down with a “suitable” Muslim boy. When a terrorist attack happens and the suspect has the same last name as Maya, she and her parents finds themselves the targets of hate crimes. Funny, touching, and important!

This was a quick but powerful read. I loved Maya and was thrilled she had the courage to pursue her dreams no matter what.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC of this book! This book was really good--a coming of age story about an Indian Muslim girl in the western suburbs of Chicago, where I just happen to live. Maya is an amazing character: strong, driven, independent, knows herself, stands up for and defends what she believes in. Fabulous qualities for a 17 year old. She has her shy moments, mostly around boys, but the rest of the time her character is amazingly secure. She manages to balance her American life outside of her family well with her Muslim and Indian family and traditions. Phil is super cute how he slowly shows that he likes Maya and they become closer which is where Maya has insecurities. After a terror attack close to home, Maya and her family suffer the fallout from others in their little community which is hard for them to deal with. Maya has to learn how to handle her parents' insecurities regarding her independence and future which she does with the help of her Aunt, her best friend and Phil. The writing in this book from Maya's perspective really makes the story hit home. She is strong but also scared and does her best as the situations escalates. Her family is very important to her and she holds them close even as she tries to expand her horizons. I read this book in two days. Loved it! Highly recommend this one!

I would've preferred more focus on the family interactions and less on the romance, but if I were younger, I probably would've adored the romance plot. On the flip side, if I'd been reading for the romance, i probably wouldn't have found the ending as satisfying. The characters were very well done. The twist was effective because of the way the perspective shifted in between main chapters.

This book was really wonderful.  To start with the heavier stuff, the way that Islamophobia was portrayed in this book was incredibly well handled.  It all felt quite realistic both in the sense that it was not completely over the top but was also devastating and hard to read at times.  Even the characters who displayed this Islamophobia were developed in such a way that you could understand them if still despise them for it.

On the lighter side the character development of Maya and particularly her interactions with her family and crush(es) were incredibly well done.  Some might think it's silly, but the descriptions of her home life, particularly the smells of  food, really helped to bring me into the experience.  Furthermore, I thought the handling of her parents wanting to look out for/control her was quite well done and especially bringing in the messiness of having a supportive auntie running interference for her.

I also believe that both her male love interests were portrayed well.  Both had flaws but I really enjoyed that there was not a clearly better choice for Maya.  Too often in romances (TV, books, movies, whatever) it is so obvious who the person should be with in part because often the other choice is just a terrible person and it was refreshing for this to not be the case for once.

If I have any negatives at all it would be that the formatting of putting information about the terrorist attack as mini interludes between chapters kind of threw me the first few times they popped up, however, after they were integrated into the story proper I was able to look back at them with some new appreciation.  

This book was overall incredible in its balance between serious issues and a good more "normal/light" teen story which I think is so important since people of color do (and should) not always have to be focused on these serious issues, but they are always something that at least need to be kept back of mind (unfortunately).  This is definitely book I will have a copy of in my classroom so students can both be exposed to these issues and maybe relate them to their own experiences.

This book is a gripping read from beginning to end. It is a clear demonstration of the writer's skill and definitely promotes an under-represented theme within YA literature. The story is told from the perspective of a young Muslim American who is smothered (figuratively!) by over-protective parents. Her dreams of attending NYU are shattered following a terrorist attack in her native Illinois.

The characterisation of Maya, the main character, is consistently well-developed throughout. Her sarcastic humour is endearing - I wanted to be her friend! Her equally brilliant friend, Violet, is a creation nothing short of genius - we all need a friend like Violet in our lives!

The plot was paced well throughout with a steady build up of events. The reader feels as though they are on Maya's journey and rooting for her to achieve her dreams all throughout. The key incident of the terror attack was a little bit too rushed for my liking. I felt as though there needed to be a little more focus on the aftermath and the impact that the attack had on Muslim citizens. This for me was glossed over in favour of the focus on the developing romance. If the novel was meant to focus primarily on the romance that is fine however, there was a real potential to portray the attrocities faced by innocent Muslims following on from the attack.

This was a deeply engrossing read which stood out as an own voices read. It was a gripping page turner and one that makes me certain that I will read more from this author in the future.

I don’t usually get into love stories, but I was so drawn in by Maya’s struggle to figure out how her wants fit into her parents’ more traditional hopes for her that by the time it really turned into a romance I was hooked.

I thought the terrorist attack sub-plot felt tacked on. The book could have stood on its own without it, and I felt the chapter by chapter reveal was forced. The rest of the book was engaging and interesting, and I think that addition weakened it. I think the parts directly effecting Maya and her family could have stood alone without the heavy handed attack.

All in all it was enjoyable and I would recommend it to students.

A fun, light read that gives a compelling voice to an important issue.

This was really wonderful! The main character, Maya, is super likable. She's smart, driven, a little sarcastic, and a really believable balance between confident and insecure as she deals with first romances, negotiating her parents' expectations, and eventually some darker struggles with Islamophobia. I think it balances all the aspects of the story really well- the low-key everyday stuff, the frankly adorable romance, and the more serious issues.

This book is unique in the fact that it's an #ownvoices book that's by and about an Indian American Muslim woman, and I think it's one of the reasons the Islamophobia is handled so well here (the other reason being that Samira Ahmed is just a really good writer). For some it will likely mirror many of their experiences, and for others it will be a perfect introduction to the prejudice that American Muslims still face.

The last thing I want to talk about is how much I loved Maya's non romantic relationships, from the fraught one with her parents, to her strong, protective relationships with her aunt and best friend.

I took a star off for a few niggles I had with how it all wraps up, but overall I found it to be well written and super readable, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to my teen patrons!