This book filled my heart up with joy, broke it, then filled it back up again. And if that isn't a recommendation, I don't know what is.

Nishat and Flávia rekindle a childhood friendship amidst a school business competition that has them going head to head with rival henna stands. But Nishat can't believe that the girl she thought she knew would appropriate her Bengali culture--especially when there are already so few non-white, non-Irish students at the school who might actually understand just what that means. Even worse, Flávia's cousin, Chyna, is the school's resident bully, spreading racist rumors about Nishat and her family. Now she has to deal not only with her parent's cold reactions to her coming out, but a crush she can't seem to shake on her rival and a swath of new rumors that threaten to topple her chances in the competition. Good thing she has her sister standing by her side.

This book is incredibly adorable, affirming, and just an all-around great read. I've been looking forward to reading it ever since I found out Adiba (a fellow writer for Book Riot) was writing it. A truly, truly lovely YA book!

Honestly felt underwhelmed by this one. I don't know what I needed but I just don't have an opinion about it. I didn't hate it and I didn't love it. I can find points that I really enjoyed but as an overall book I've already forgotten character names and major points.

This was such a soft, lovely read. I did the audiobook, and the narrator really sold the characters for me. It was a little slow in places, but I was so attached to the main character that I didn’t mind. I thought the themes were well explored, and they’re important topics to have in YA. This felt really grounded, like it could be happening in the world at this exact moment. I hope this book makes so many teens feel seen. 4.5/5 stars!

I'm kind of shocked to discover this is 400 pages, because I sped through it so fast and it just carries its weight incredibly well. This was so incredibly fun to read. I loved how it engaged with topics like homophobia, cultural appropriation, and microaggressions (especially amongst teenagers!). I also liked how it engaged with coming out to a Muslim family without getting too dark. Overall it maintains a great balance between serious and light-hearted!

Nishat is a great character; she of course has her particular insecurities and fears but there's also a kind of rock solid core of confidence to her. She can also be quite self-centered, though, which I found to be a really interesting flaw, and a tad reserved and intimidating. I adored Flavia, and honestly, her and Nishat were so, so sweet and cute and I was rooting for them the whole time.

Such a delightful read for the summer and such a great read for teens! This should definitely be made into one of those Channel 4 shows alongside Derry Girls.

If you have read the blurb of this beauty – then there will be a part that will definitely resonate with you, especially if you are a Desi who has grown up being stuck between the traditional ways of your parents and society; but also has been able to open yourself up by having your thoughts and opinion influenced by the whole wide world through the powers of internet – yes, I am talking to the generation who is living in the finite divide between being open and being true to your own traditions.

Nishat, our protagonist is a the first generation Bangladeshi Muslim living in Ireland, a predominantly white and Catholic community – they are a minority community and face a discrimination that, no matter how subtle still makes Nishat and her sister Priti feel uncomfortable in their own skin and identity.

The fact that Nishat is homosexual is open to the readers right from the get go, from Nishat admiring a girl she had a crush on as a pre – schooler, though she admits she didn’t exactly know it was a crush then, at a Bengali wedding of her cousin – we also read about Nishat’s conviction to come out to her parents – a fact that took a lot of courage, especially considering the way it turns out at first – for a proud Muslim family, this is something that is abominable and Nishat’s understanding that though she is firm in her own sexuality; it breaks her heart to see her parent’s acting like she doesn’t matter, that “this” will bring shame to their family. Just saying, IT IS hard to change a whole way of thinking, but do know that a parent’s love can surpass any hurdle.

The book, however, is all about a business competition being held in Nishat’s school. Nishat’s idea of opening a henna business, the art of henna being passed down to her, not just within her culture; but also in her family, by her own grandmother – is something that she knows she can actually be good at!

But when her crush, Flavia uses the same idea for the competition – she sees it as a betrayal and stealing of her culture. The icing on the cake? Flavia’s business parner is none other than Chyna, a white girl who is not just racist but is also a bully to Nishat! Along with this, Nishat also has to handle the fact that she has been outed via “text message”to the whole school – a catholic all – girl school, which has quite the effect on her mental health!

The Henna Wars was nothing short of stupendous – as a Desi reader, it was easy to see reflection of my own culture within the book – Nishat’s culture, so close to my own, felt coming home within the pages of the book. The sensitive way that the author has handled the issues of homophobia, racism and the cultural appropriation is commendable (yes, I had a couple of issues, but they were not major ones in the whole scheme of things)– and it is a book that is recommended to EVERYONE!

“White people like to pretend that race is only as deep as the colour of our skin- maybe because the colour of their skin gets them so many benefits.
But race is so much more than that. Good things and bad things. And when you’re Brown or Black, it shapes you in life.”
The Henna Wars by Adiba Jagridar is a book that is ought be read by everyone, there I said it! The book encompasses themes that include : LGBTQIA+ representation with Bangladeshi-Irish & Lesbian Muslim MC and a Brazilian-Irish & Bisexual MC , a brilliant South-east Asian rep that made my desi-heart flutter, bullying and ofcourse important discussions regarding cultural appropriation and coming out in a desi (quite) conservational household.
From the get go, I fell in love with Nishat and Priti and their bonding. I have got to admit, everytime I read a novel that features siblings as a part of the story, I quite miss the emotions and the bonding because trust me there is just a whole potential there!! And I am quite glad and happy to say that JAGRIDAR just swept my heart away with the bond she potrayed between the two sisters. From being each other’s support system to pulling the other one out through every and any mess the other gets into, both Nishat and Priti are the epitome of desi sisters!
South-Asian parents are often perceived as guarded and rightly so, the novel talks about it in an eloquent and distinct way but it not only restricts itself to it. Nishat’s parents although quite conservational, doesn’t hold back their love for their eldest even though their choices and values clash and eventually they understand! The parents go through their own journey from reluctance to acceptance clouded by societal norms and “what would people think” attitude!
I personally wasn’t a fan of Flavia’s character and that maybe due to the the fact that we get to experience the story through Nishat’s eyes and also that I could resonate with her because of her being a desi! Flavia and Nishat’s relationship definitely went through a lot in a brief span of the story from them being : childhood friends to Flavia being Nishat’s crush to them being classmates to business rivals and lovers and I loved every aspect of it!
After reading the HENNA WARS, I felt deeply saddened that I haven’t come across more books that even though donot hold cultural appropriation at its core, atleast talks about it and I’d gladly devour stories alike at one go!
All in all, an amazing story that would hold a place forever in my heart!

This was a delightful book that tackled homophobia, cultural appropriation, xenophobia, and racism while balancing a queer love story between two teens in the racial minority of their Irish community. I cannot want to see what comes next from this author.

Thank you to Page Street Publishing and netgalley for sending me a copy of The Henna Wars for review.

Content warnings: Racism, homophobia, outing, full list available on the author’s website

I was looking forward to The Henna Wars for a while now. It checked all the boxes for an anticipated read for me. To be honest, as soon as I saw it was sapphic I was signed up.

When Nishat comes out to her parents they are less than enthused as they believe that as a Muslim she can’t be a lesbian. Whilst struggling with the rejection from her parents she also has to take part in a business project in school. A childhood friend who Nishat may have a crush on decides to do the same idea as Nishat for the project. But Nishat can’t seem to let the crush go.

This book is soft, but it’s also really hard-hitting at times. I really loved the themes in this book, rejection after coming out, belonging, cultural appropriation and racism. They’re all dealt with really well and I found the book to be really compelling. I especially loved the discussions around cultural appropriation and the fact that just because something is art doesn’t mean everyone can do it. The Henna Wars is set in Ireland and the author does a fantastic job of showing the European “we’re not racist” mentality that is actually thoroughly laced with micro aggressions.

The character growth in this book is stellar. Flavia develops an understanding of why some things aren’t for everyone and to listen to when people are telling her this, instead of listening to her awful cousin. Nishat learns to accept herself even though her parents are telling her that both they and their religion doesn’t.

The thing I loved the most about this book was the relationship between Nishat and her sister Priti. They have a serious bond that was Nishat’s solace when things weren’t going well in her life. I find a lot of books lean towards portraying sisters as butting heads and I was so glad that this book wasn’t like that. A bond between sisters can be so special.

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Nishat and Flavia. They butt heads a lot but in that way where you know desire is bubbling beneath the surface. Reading their growing affection for each other was such a joy to me and I very much found myself falling into a “kiss kiss kiss” chant when the moment called for it.

All in all, I think this is a fab book and I hope this review will make you pick it up because I feel like way more people need to be reading it. If you’re one of those people’s that’s like “why are there no f/f books”, here is a good one for you. I also really enjoyed Fanna’s review.

Embracing who you are can be difficult and for the teens in The Henna Wars, family and tradition make it even harder,
But Adiba pens a lovely and caring story about how Nishat and Flavia, two teen girls who navigate family pressures, homophobia, and high school bullying.
With some gut-twisting moments regarding how the girls are spoken to and treated, the overall theme of learning to love who you are and who you care about, shines through.

*I received this ARC from the publisher and this is my unbiased opinion.

4⭐️

Thank you to Page Street Kids and Netgalley for a free copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

Nishat comes from a Bengali family currently living in Ireland, and when she decides to come out to her parents as being lesbian, they are anything but supportive. As if that isn’t enough on her plate, her childhood crush comes back to her school and decides to set up a rival Henna business. Nishat should be mad at her for appropriating her culture, yet she can’t help falling for the charismatic Flavia.

I thought this book was interesting for many reasons. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters or the decisions they made but they were very teenage-decisions and made sense to me even if I didn’t agree with them. It felt pretty realistic to me and I was still rooting for Nishat throughout the whole book. I especially loved her relationship with her sister, Priti. Priti made the whole book for me tbh, she was a beam of light and love. I also really appreciated the small peek at Bengali culture that I got while reading this book, everything from food to wedding traditions to learning more about henna.

I think this is a great YA book pick if you’re looking for something with a lot of heart and a lot of lessons to be learned.

CW: racism, homophobia, bullying, and a character getting outed (all of this is explicitly stated at the beginning of the book but I thought I’d include it in my review as well in case you’re thinking of picking it up)

See my review on YALSA's The Hub, where Henna Wars is a Best Fiction for Young Adults (BFYA21) nominee:

http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2020/05/15/best-fiction-for-young-adults-bfya2021-nominees-round-up-may-15-edition/

This book was okay. I enjoyed it, but the truth is: it wasn't anything new. It didn't keep me hooked and I lost focus quite often. It wasn't exciting, and the story was just a different version of what has already been done. Even so, I still enjoyed this.

I was thoroughly looking forward to reading this book. The synopsis had me hooked so I knew I had to read it as soon as possible. The Henna Wars is a diverse contemporary novel, about two business rivals who may have developed feelings for each other and they are both girls. I LOVED THIS. It was so interesting to read about the different cultures and how to be yourself. This book is a 5 star from me. The character development was fabulous and I really enjoyed the plot.

In Ireland, sparks fly between Nishat and Flavia at a Bengali wedding. But before the flames can get brighter, a school competition pits the two together: henna artist vs. henna artist. But Flavia's cousin Chyna has ulterior motives and isn't afraid to stoop low for the cousins to win. But love prevails despite outing, bullying, and underhanded subterfuge.

Nishat's parents probably grow the most in regards to character development. Initially, they are flabbergasted by Nishat's coming out, but, as the story progresses, they come to accept Nishat's lesbianism. (At the end, they are rapturously watching Ellen DeGeneres interview Ellen Page, "the gayest thing in the house," and that's the funniest moment.)

And while I enjoyed the important discussion of admiring and learning about a culture vs. cultural appropriation, this book just didn't do it for me. It's too leisurely paced, way too long, and the homophobia feels more like 2012 than 2020.

Diverse:
- Nishat and her family are Bengali immigrants; Nishat is a lesbian.
- Flavia is Brazillian; she is bisexual.

THE HENNA WARS was such a wonderful exploration of relationships—of both romantic and familial—and grappling with the intersections of our identities. It tackles a lot from beginning to end, from first loves and heartbreak to homophobia and racism and the fine line between cultural appreciation and appropriation.

Nishat was an amazing narrator, with an incredible voice. One of my absolute favourite aspects of THE HENNA WARS was her relationship with her sister, Priti. This is definitely a title I will be recommending to patrons.

Trigger Warning: Racism, Homophobia, Forced Outing, Bullying

Nishat has a problem. Well, she doesn't have a problem—her parents, friends and rivals do. Her parents won't accept that she is a lesbian. Her friends won't accept her desire to operate a henna shop as part of their school project. And her rivals are—well. One is a girl she is instantly attracted to, and the other is the Worst Human Being On Earth.

Why do they get to take away my right to come out, and win a competition with my culture on display?

3.5 stars, rounded up

This was good and enjoyable, but there was a distinct lack of um, adult consequences over some very real things that seemed like they were brushed under the rug once the HFN happened. But I'll get to that in a minute.

First things first: what I loved

I loved that Nishat was a fucking teenager. She was impulsive, convinced she was right, and determined to do whatever it took to win...even if that meant that she made some kinda not so good decisions. She wanted to push away from her parents and become independent and herself, but also wanted her parents' love and acceptance.

Also, Nishat's younger sister Priti is a gem and a treasure. She reminded me a lot of Kitty from To All the Boys I've Loved Before in terms of ruthlessness, sisterly affecting (re: biting of hands) and protectiveness. I hope Priti gets her own book.

I also liked (well, to the point that this can be liked) that the topic of cultural appropriation, particularly the appropriation of Indian culture, was addressed. Many aspects of Indian culture and tradition have been colonized and commercialized (*cough cough* yoga), and this book tackles the appropriation of henna and the concept of artwork.

And I liked that Flaviá and her culture were also addressed, along with the intersections of two cultures with Ireland (and toxic White culture), and how her views on art evolved over the course of the book. Because art isn't just art and can't be lifted freely from whatever source for art's sake. There is nuance and consideration.

Finally, I liked Nishat's parents' arcs. They had been pariahs due to having a love-marriage instead of a traditional arranged marriage, and had left Bangladesh because of it—and had few family who would interact with them. Because of this, they wanted their children to embrace their culture and also follow along in traditional paths to avoid the consequences they had faced. Additionally, in Bengladesh queerness is punishable by death. Their reactions were reasonable, and their slow acceptance of Nishat was heartwarming and touching.

The love towards Bengali culture was also wonderfully done. I liked that Nishat began embracing her family's traditions while acknowledging that some traditions were maybe not so great. The wedding scenes were stunning and beautiful.

Things I wasn't as fond of:

The interchangeability of Nishat's two best friends. Can't remember their names they were so unremarkable—even if they did call Nishat out on her bullshit, particularly her bullshit regarding her love interest.

Flaviá's initial inability to see her selling of henna artwork and her copying of Nishat's unique designs as wrong—she had seen something pretty at a wedding and decided to try it out and then sell it. I was a little flabbergasted by the audacity, but then um, White folks do it all the time.

The complete and utter lack of consequences—and Nishat's blind forgiveness of Flaviá's very real culpability because ~she's hot~.

Let's talk about the lack of consequences for a moment, shall we?

Bullying, particularly those of a racist and homophobic nature, were addressed by the school administration. Granted, there were few brown people at Nishat's school, but the administration seemed like they were on top of it? Until the end, when literally nothing happened after vandalism and then queer-targeted bullying. I get that this is a Catholic school but sweet baby Artemis wtaf.

Also, I wanted a cosmic lightning bolt to smite Flaviá's cousin Karen (not her name but she is a Karen) because she was a bitch of the highest order, and just deserved a general smiting for being a mean girl. The lack of retribution or resolution on her storyline was so frustrating. But hey, that's life. But this is fiction, and if Mean Girls can have random bus-strikes, then this can have random acts of lightning.

Overall, this was a story that tackled the intersection of racism and homophobia and particularly addressed cultural appropriation—and it had a sapphic romance!

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Funny, wholesome, rich, diverse—all things that describe The Henna Wars. This queer contemporary romance will make your heart flutter.
~

I was so excited to read this book! An f/f romance YA novel with the rivals-to-lovers trope? Count me in!

The Henna Wars is funny and light, however, there are also moments that provoke emotions and keep the mind running. It’s the perfect balance for me! However, though the writing style is good, I can’t help but feel like something’s lacking. I kept waiting for something that will truly enthrall me.

Despite that, Nishat is a likeable and relatable main character and all throughout the book, I can’t help but feel for her. We see Nishat go through new feelings for this old friend and navigate the new, complicated relationship they found their selves in. We see her suffer through her parents’ conservative views. We see her deal with racist and ignorant schoolmates, we see her make mistakes and bad decisions. And we see her try to grasp the realness of her sexuality and the need to make her parents and other people realize that it’s still her and she hasn’t changed at all.

I also loved learning about the Bengali culture in this book—how Nishat’s family keeps their culture and tradition alive even though they’re not in Bangladesh anymore, and also how different lives and environment are.

The romance is good, although, I feel like Nishat fell for Flavia a little too fast. Not exactly insta-love, but she was quickly smitten. Although, maybe this is just me not liking the insta-love trope in general. In any case, the romance was cute and sweet (and of course, the tension!).

Bottom line is I really enjoyed reading this book and I just know others will, too!

I loved this book. I loved how real and heartwarming it is. I loved how gentle and moving it is. I loved that it manages to be a book for people to see themselves on the page, and also a book that allows people to see life through other people's eyes.
I want to recommend it to all my students. It manages to tackle so many potential "issues" without that ever feeling like the point. It's just an engaging and beautiful story about a very believable character and the ups and downs she faces in her life. I think it takes great skill to work in so much with such a light touch. It would be so easy for this to feel heavy handed, exploring sexuality, culture, appropriation, bullying, family dynamics etc. but it never feels that way.
I feel like the world is a better place for having books like this exist!

It’d be a lie to say that I didn’t have high expectations for this book. (I mean, the premise is essentially “what if we were business rivals who may or may not have feelings for each other? and we were both girls?” so how could I not.) And I’m very happy to say that I was not disappointed in the least!

The Henna Wars follows a Bengali girl named Nishat, who just came out to her parents and has to figure out how to not crumble under the despairing weight of their rejection and denial of her lesbian identity. Among this, she has to deal with racism and homophobia at her school and a business competition in which her culture is appropriated.

What I want more than anything else in the world is to feel like being myself isn’t something that should be hidden and a secret.

While there are so many things to love about this book, I think I love Nishat herself the most. She’s an incredible character written so, so well, and the level of attention that the author pays to her is delightfully satisfying. Nishat yearns to be unapologetically herself in a world that will do anything to stop her, and it’s both heartbreaking yet inspiring to read.

There are two relationships that Nishat has that really stand out to me, the ones with Flávia, her crush, and Priti, her sister. The romance is so sweet and you want them to be together so much, and throughout the story Nishat wonders, Does Flávia like girls? Can I get together with my business rival who’s appropriating my culture? But even though the romance is a big part of the novel, it also doesn’t overtake Nishat’s own personal development, which I loved!

I also adored the way Nishat and Priti were close; in fact, I think their relationship was more prominent than the romance, which I appreciated. Their relationship is probably the closest sister relationship I’ve read, and as someone close to my sister, I loved seeing Nishat and Priti support each other throughout the story.

I wouldn’t call this story a cute fluffy story, though. It deals with racism and homophobia, and throughout the book, Nishat has to deal with her culture, henna, being appropriated by others for profit. But the author handles these intricately and effectively balances them out with more lighthearted content!

But sometimes just being yourself—really, truly yourself—can be the most difficult thing to be.

I can’t speak on the specifics of the representation, but as a sapphic Asian child of immigrants like Nishat, there was so many scenes that resonated with me. I’m incredibly fortunate not to have homophobic parents who come from a country where being gay is punishable by death, but I relate to Nishat’s grief over having to hide who she is like it’s a dirty secret, relate to Nishat’s struggle to reconcile her conservative homeland’s ideas about who she is, relate to Nishat’s heartache over feeling out of place in a majorly white world.

I also appreciated how the author critiqued Bangladesh and the homophobic beliefs the people there carry, but also celebrated and showed Nishat’s love for her Bengali culture. It represents a struggle for so many queer immigrants of color—to now live in a country where your sexuality is more accepted, but to still yearn for your homeland, even though they might reject you for your sexuality.

How can you feel fully loved and accepted when there’s a part of you that’s different and unwanted in both your homes? How can you feel whole when the separate parts of your identity are supposed to somehow cancel each other out? How can you be Bengali, and lesbian, and Muslim, and not feel like all those things are tearing at you? These are the questions Nishat has to find the answers to, and exactly why ownvoices stories are needed—I’m not sure a queer author or author of color may have captured the nuances of the QPOC experience as well as this.

“I love you, Apujan,” she whispers. “And I’m so damn proud of you. I hope you know that.”

There were a few times where I wasn’t quite in love with the writing style. I sometimes found it to be a bit bland, and I also wished we had seen a bit more from the side characters. These things might have been enough to lower my rating just slightly—if not for how much I absolutely adored Nishat and connected to her! I was just so invested in her and her journey, and I think every reader will feel the same.

Overall, I adored this book, and I cannot wait for more readers to get their hands on it, especially sapphic people of color. It’s a story I deeply related to, and one I know others will too. Beyond that, it’s a cute sapphic romance that manages to tackle social issues without making things too heavily, and while your heart will break at some parts, you definitely will find yourself smiling by the end!

The acknowledge for this book says that it is for "queer brown girls." I am not the audience for this book. I am a white woman who does identify as queer, but that's only a portion of it. In this beautiful book, there are nuances about Bengali and Brazilian culture, cultural appropriation, racism, homophobia, and how these all intertwine with family dynamics that I will never understand. There is a very diverse cast here for an all-girl Catholic school in Ireland, and Adiba Jaigirdar made every single character shine. Nishat and Flávia have a really interesting, complicated, adorable relationship that goes far beyond surface level. This book wasn't necessarily for me, but I am really happy I picked it up.